Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-10-21
WHAT SHALL THE WINGS DOT


pie protesting even to have separate and
distinctive political organization. "What
shall the wings do indeed Permit us
to add the more respectful and not alto
gether unreasonable interrogatory, "What
WILL the wings do p
We all remember what was done by a
very considerable number of them in
every State of the Union in 1856. A
city contemporary that thinks fit to ICON
test the entire propriety of yielding q
ready assent to the representations of the
Government paper" cannot have forgot
ten that in the national contest of that
year very large proportion of old-line
wings did actually cooperate with the
democratic party, giving their votes to
JAMES BUCHANAN as the national caudi-
date for the presidency title which he
deserved-bearing which he triumphed
which he has never, in single in
stance during his Administration, seemed
to have forgotten, and which he now
more clearly merits than ever. Among
them were statesmen Of whom it may
be truly said that neither the whig party
nor any other political combination in
any country could boast their superiors
in purity and elevation of character, in
dignity of life, or in depth and sound
ness of understanding. We need only
refer to Rufus Choate, Rcverdy johnson,
James A. Pearce, VIM. Is. Reed, and
others whose names will readily occur to
our readers, in illustration of this remark.
But in every State numbers of wings,
less distinguished in official position, in
deed, and less known to fame, but not
less disinterested or patriotic or less de-
voted to the peace and honor Of our COM
mon country, felt it to be their duty to
take the same course; and we may sure
ly add, without offence, that they were
at least equal, in all the requisites Of
honest and enlightened citizens, to those
of their former associates whose concep-
tons of duty carried them to the banners
of Fillmore and of Fremont, or whose
notions of propriety and consistency kept
them quite aloof from all the three ranks
of combatants We shall certainly not
undertake to say that these worthy whig
allies supported Mr.. BUCHANAN because
they were dissatisfied with whig prin-
ciples and whig measures" 1t was not
at all necessary that there should be any
such dissatisfaction in order to prompt
them to make choice Of the candidate of
the national democracy at such crisis
The reasons Of their preference we're TO
be found in their supreme devotion to the
cause Of the Union impcrllled, and of the
Constitution threatened to be trampcd
under foot by boastful and truculent
sectional faction.
Neither would we admit, in behalf Of
these disnterested "old line wings" the
sarcastic intimation Of our smooth con
temporary that they yielded to "the blan-
dishments of the democracy" among
whom they found "a comfortable and
congenial home" -since, in point Of per-
sonal virtue and independence, they are
at least as entirely unassailablo as those
who still remain among "the opposition. F"
But We can conceive that the enlight-
ened statesmen and good citizens to whom
we are called upon to allude took their
position under some such deliberate con-
victions as the following:
In the present state Of the country,
PARTIES are indispensable to the carrying
out of any conservative measure, or the
establishment or preservation of any con-
sentative principle. In selecting the
party to which they are to attach them
selves, honest men will, OF course, pre-
fer that whose choie doctrine, policy,
and practice they conscientiously approve
But in crisis, such as that of 1856,
honest men might, and it would seem
natural that they OUGHT. join the party
rchose general spirit and tendency, under
the circumstances, were most worthy Of
support, although they might have differ
ed from it aud even disapproved of its
course 10 regard to subordinate points,
past issues, and "obsolete IDEAS" espe-
cially if it was the only party devoted to
the Constitution and the Union whose
success was at all probable.
This, or something like this, we mag
inc, was the real state Of mind in which
a large number of wings found themselves
in 1S56-including many who were as
little entitled TO be stigmatized as "waifs'
or as "estrays" as even our contempora-
ries of the National IateHigencer. IL
such considerations appealed strongly to
the members of that once powerful or
ganization then, still more strongly do
they address themselves TO the inheritors
Of The principles of Webster and Choate
and Of him who commanded even those
ilustrious men by the superiority Of his
will, and supremacy Of his qualifications
as the leader of party--IIenry Clay
The great battle Of 1860, it must be
obvious, will be between the Nationai
Democracy and the Sectional RepuJh-
cans. Whatever difference may exist in
the ranks Of the former will be senicd.
the country may be assured, without fail,
and decisively, withiH tie Democratic
party; If, indeed, they are not already
adjusted The many-hued republican
opposition can hardly promise as much !
to say nothing Of the snal factions
whose name is "lcgion."
Tn that conflict between natonalism
and sectionalism, VIC feel assured that
every wing who arrays himself on the
side Of the national democracy will find
his course approved by his hereditary
principles and sentiments properly I'M
dorstood as well as vindicated BY bis
fealty TO the Constitution and the Union.
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