The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-05-06
The Democratic Party in Ruins-Po-
htical Signs of the Times.

this morning from our Harrisburg cores
pondent, in connection with the late
Pennsylvania Democratic Boilers Conven-
ton, and the late terrible proceedings of
the Soule- Douglas faction of tho Louisiana
democracy, and other matters, taken al
togther, constitute the most interesting
and important chapter of American poll
tics that has been published since the last
Presidential election. We thus perceive
that the democratic party in Pennsylvania
is cut in twain beyond the reach of resto-
ration; that the party is also divided into
two hostile camps in Louisiana, and that
while rebellion, confusion and dissolution
everywhere prevail among the forlorn
democracy, the republicans are adopting
Jefferson--the patron saint Of the old
democratic church-as the great apostle
of tho overshadowing Northerd anti-sla-
very camp.
Our Harrisburg correspondent links
this Hickman and Forney Convention
with an extensive Douglas movement for
the next Presidency. There is something
in it, and this New Orleans anti-admnis-
tration meeting, under the management
of Pierre Soule, is doubtless part of the
same game. We may also remark that,
as if aware of this movement in the
South, the Charleston Mercury, the ablest,
most consistent and most sagacious of the
organs of the Southern fire-eaters, has of
late kept up particularly hot and raking
fire against Mr.. Douglas and "squatter
sovereignty" and against any farther re-
cognition by the South of any such princi-
Piles or representatives of Northern de-
mocracy. In fact, the Mercury earnestly
recommends the formal reorganization of
the Southern democracy as purely Sec
tional party; and we have no doubt that
very large body. of Southern ultras,
who believe in the policy of secession
and Southern confederacy, in the re-
vival of the African slave trade, and in
the Southern fillibusters' programme of
expansion and manifest destiny" are
equally in favor of this proposed Southern
sectional party organization.
But there is also large body of South
ern democrats who believe in the Union,
and in the strength of the national demo-
cratic party to rise from the dust and to
recover the ground which it has lost
Among this class of men are many South
ern democratic politicians who turn in
dismay from the misty mirage of a South
ern Confederacy to the inviting odors of
the flesh pots of Egypt. With such poll
ticians the available candidate and plat
form for the democracy in 1860 consti-
tute the first and last consideration
And thus it is that, to recover their lost
footing, in the North, these Southern
availability men stand ready to recede
from the extreme pro-slavery demands of
the fire-eaters, and ready to fall back up
on Mr.. Douglas, "squatter sovereignty
and all. We understand that this is by
no means an imaginary picture, but that
at this moment Douglas organization
exists, from Washington to New Orleans,
of very plausible character, in reference
to the Charleston Convention.
Perhaps this thing may partly explain
the doleful confession of the Richmond
Enquirer, that sin more than half the
Congressional districts of the South, where
vacancies are to be supplied for the next
Congress, issues have arisen full of peril
to democratic success" What does this
mean, explain it as we may, but univer
sal disaffection, divisions and dissolution
According to this democratic outline
and all the other political signs of the
times, we shall have, in 1860, at least foui
prominent Presidential parties in the
field, to wit:-
The Northern republican anti-slavery
party.
2. The national and union opposition
party.
3. The Southern ultra democratic pro
slavery party.
4. The Douglas democratic "squatte
sovereignty" party.
We think it may, ,be very safely assum
ed, from the strength, spirit and affilia
tions of this late Convention of the Penn
sylvania democratic boilers, that the ad
herents of Mr.. Douglas will persist il
their game, and that the result will be
splendid opening for the new Union or
position party in 1850. between the divi
: ded ranks of the Southern democracy
and against all the sectional parties ant
factions in the field. In this view, tn
hostility which has been disclosed in tn
American division of the Pennsylvani
opposition camp, to the supposed arrange
ment of fusion between w. H. Sewar
and Gen. Cameron, should encourage tn
Americans and old line wings everywher
to proceed at once to a separate organizs
ton.
Mr.. Clay was right. Wew and "w
: are in the midst OF mighty revolution.
FoREIoN.-The latest intelligence fror
Europe says-War rumors of very alarm
ing character have prevailed for severs
days, but the latest intelligence from tn
continent is of more pacific nature.-
0 Cotton declining.
! D6- A little three year old girl was r
). ding in the cars with her mother, fe