The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-04-04
Our Political Parties-Progress OF the New
Opposition Movement In the South.

/ Opposition NlOvemeht the SOut0s
The judicious movement for the reorganization
of the opposition elements of the South, which
was inaugurated in Virginia only a few weeks
| ago. appears to "run Ike the cholera" 1t has
revived the late sleeping energies of the old
wings ofKentucky, and, as our readers will per-
ceive from the newspaper extracts on the subject
elsewhere in these columns, the contagion has
"rekindled The wing fires" in Tennessee, LOuisi-
ana and Alabama The good example of the
Virginia opposition movement in clearing their
,krts of g the least and last remains of the
mummeries, bigotries and puerile trash and clap
like magic in paving the way for a harmonious
and homogeneous reconstruction of the con-
sentative opposition clements, rot only of the
whole South, but of the whole Union.
! The opposition members of the Louisiana
Legislature, in their address to their partisans Of
the State, refr encouragingly to the demo-
! rallied and disorganized condition of the ma
tional democracy, and to the "disbanded state'
| of the party as found in the recent abortivel
session Of Congress, where, with majority-in
both branches of that body, it was found impos-
sible to harmon re it, discordant elements, OBJ
structng thereby the most necessary legislation,
and rendering an extra session highly probable,
| il not certain" And is there not here abundant
matter Of encouragement to the Union loving
and constitutional opposition elements of all the
! country to organize and take the field
for 1860 as an independent party? The
republican party, on the abolition platform
of W. II. Stewards Rochester manifesto, stands
in the attitude Of an aggressive coercive, Sec
tional, disunion party. The shattered and de-
moralized democratic party, substantially re-
duced to the limits of the Southern States, is
Just as intensely sectional the other way, if we
are to be guided by the movements and mani
festos of its Southern ultra managers in Con-
gress and among our Southern people.
The administration of Mr.. Buchanan sig
nalized as it has been by domestic and foreign
policy eminently calculated to establish peace
and harmony at home, and respect influence
and power abroad, has thus been deserted op-
posed and denounced by the Southern leaders
and organs Of the sectionalized democracy upon
every important public question, foreign and
|
dents inaugural down to the present day. Thus
the successes of his administration upon the
Mormon question, the Kansas question. the fill
clustering question: and other important issues,
are due to the patriotic support of the conser-
vatives of the opposition side; while the failure
of those bold, sagacious and timely rccommen-
dations in regard to Mexican and Central Anne
rican affairs, and in relation to Cuba, the trea-
sury, the tariff, the Pacific railroad, and the
general financial embarrassments Of the coun-
Try, bankrupts, banks, corporations &c. may be
Justly charged to the Southern Congressional
caucus managers for the Charleston Convention.
Nor will it avail with these disorganizers OF
the democracy, and these factious enemies of the
| administration, concerning the failure of the
J appropriations for the Post Office department,
to lay the blame upon the shoulders of Mr.. Grow
and his republican associates of the House. The
Southern democratic leaders of the Senate stand
equally guilty in regard to the defeat of those
bills nay, we apprehend that the spirit Of hos
tility to the administration which insigated the
course Of Mr.. Grow on these Post Office bills
will compare favorably with the factious and
treacherous proceedings Of those prominent South
ern democrats who made themselves so conspicu-
Gus in the defeat oftheso measures. Nor have these
dsafIections and demoralizations of the demo
cracy been limited TO the newspaper organs and
Congressional leaders and Presidential clques Of
the party. The same troubles have crippled the
unity and efficiency Of the administration in the
Cabinet; and but for the charitable considerations
Of the President in behalf of the poor, crippled
and imploring party he would doubtless have
given wholesome lesson or two to all the disor
ganizers concerned In the call Of an extra session
in the reconstruction Of bis Cabinet and in thu
positive reputation Of all the fai,hless sectional
leaders and newspaper organs Of the party, from
Washington to the extremiiics of the Union.
AS matters now stand, Mr.. Buchanan has nc
longer anything to fear or to expect from the
disordered and impotent democratic party. The
policy Of his administration is national, conscr
vative, just and fair to all sections The policy
of the Southern ultra dictators Of the party i,
sectional, disorganizing and revolutionary THU
detached from the administration into hostile
sectional movement the Southern democracy
may be justly rcpudiated by all conservative
men as equally dangerous to the peace of thu
Union as the Northern party Of the Rochester
manifesto. Between these two sectional organi
cations, however, there is an ample margin for q
new and independent national party. These
new movements ofthc wings Of the South, in thii
, view, we accept as the beginnings of the good
: work In behalf Of this new and Independent.