Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-01-08
The Coalition Of the Opposition.

The Coalition Of the Opposition.
The oft repeated and earnest entreaties
Of some Of our leading Southern opposition
journals, which would be we'll calculated
to excite smile of contempt in any demo.
crat, were it not for the reflected shame
which we all must feel, when contemplating
the humiliating attitude in which, even
small portion Of our southern brethren have
placed themselves, towards their ancient
and hereditary foe,-have at last produced
their effect in the shape Of meeting which
took place in Washington during the
Christmas week Of all the leaders of the
opposition, for the purpose of harmonizing
the many discordant elements of the pro-
posed combination speaking in reference to
which gathering Of defunct politicians and
departed placemen, the Washington States
feels itself authorized to announce the
miscarriage of the enterprise which few
Invalid politicians inauguratedin this (ths,Gi,
city on the eve of the Christmas HOLIDAYS y
Thus has this long talked Of and dis
graceful union of all the elements Of the
opposition ignominiousiy failed as it seems
to us every sensible man would have pre-
dicted, at the outset, for what other result
could be expected when set of men. DIFF.
ferlng IN sentiments. differing in principle,
Numerically opposed to each other in in
terests, meet together for the purpose of
affecting union Of such discordant parts
into one harmonious whole. What else
could be expected, when your Virginia
Know Nothing, imbued with love for the
South, and daring not oppose the peculiar
institution" before a southern audience
even if his ravenous appetite for place and
the spoils, had consumed every patriotic
feeling in his bosom, and converted him in
to traitor to his native section, meets your
New York Black Republican, burning with
hatred to the South, and naughty with the
consciousness Of superior power, whose on
ly hope of success in the future is in the
one idea, which holds the greater part Of
the northern people in passive obedience to
the will Of corrupt leaders, and whose only
Aope of union with the southern element of
the opposition party, is in the abandonment
>ot the principles which sustained him so
well in SO, and on which he relies alone
for success in 1860. Besides, the political
and sectional differences which we have
briefly alluded to above, there were other
causes Of dispute according to the States, ;,
which were sufficient to allay any fears of
successful issue to the late movement at
Washington.
What harmony could be anticipated from
the deliberations of an assembly of Presi-
Dental aspirants, or representative friends
fof Presidential aspirants, each one clamor-
Gus for his own personal aggrandizement,
and making the attainment of his end a
sine qua NON to the further progress of the
intended coalition but such, we are in
formed was the case, and such it seems to
us from the condition Of things, must nee
essarily have been to some extent, the state
of affairs, for the leaders of the southern
wing Of the opposition must be aware that
She only way in which to get the consent Of
their followers to the proposed movement, is
for all the elements of the opposition to
agree in uniting on some southern man, or
at least some conservative northern man,
and also that the Black Republicans must
agree to abandon, or at least modify to a
great extent their present platform and prin
ciples that the Northern wing Of the oppo-
sition will never agree to either of these
propositions is certain and natural.
We give below the reasons of Seward
which we consider unanswerable, for the
refusal to conccde to the latter condition
"By the adulteration of its creed, Sew.
ard argues that Black Republication will
relax its Aold on the anti-slavery sentiment
of the North, without realizing any COM
pensating advantage in the South. What
It tho entire force Of the opposition in the
South be rallied to the support of the north
ern candidate the accession insure
him an additional vote in the electoral col
legc2 Are not the democracy triumphant
ia every slaveholding State; and is not the
overthrow of their ,ascendancy an obvious
impossibility9 Then why waste resources
upon SO chimerical an enterprise. when by
concentration Of effort ia the North the
anti-slavery section may be consolidated in
support Of the Black Republican party 2"
re- We would call the attention of the
proper authorities, to the condition Of the
street leading from the Virginia hotel to the
railroad. The dilapidated ard even dan
serous condition of this road at present,
sails for Immediate attention.