Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-01-29
What II Demossscyt

For several years past We have repeatedly en-
a..vored 10 convict the National Democratic par
II Of ssiag sinply n organisation Of convenience
without being hsld together BY any community OF
principle or unifarmity Of feeling In the express
sion Of this cPisiea We we're not blinded by inc
zeal # psrtisaa oprositien. bat vas conclusion
that was reached By cool and calm sarvey Of
fsets when We exaninsd the records OF Con-
.,... ~ E.uud, session after session, men who
claimed 10 be Democrats 70 widely At variance in
Nh the;;r speeches aud votes. upon leading ques-
ton. Of public policy. that il was impossible to
r..ch INV other oonclusion than that sxPsdiency
alone kept together the disjoiatcd fragments Of
the once uaitsd Democracy
In rsply, ws we're Fsiated 70 the different Ma
tioaal .Piauosns'' which the party has construct
3D. in proof of il being Homogeneous and united
platforms which were accepted by the party
North, South, Fest and West These Platforms
wsre, indeed, accepted by tho f"ry--bnt the
acceptance was ALL They were violated by the
same party that accepted them, almost before the
ink with which they written was dry They
VAN not considered Of binding obligation any Ion
car than che next minute after they were promai'
gated.
So also we were told that the democracy were
~ths only National party il was the only
marty whose PRINCIPLES could We proclaimed at the
s.us time in Maine and in Texas, in Sou,h-Caro.
lima and in Minnesota. We took frequent occa-
sion to demonstrate the falsity of this allegation
but, apparently, with no effect Our Efforts were
der;ded a. either the cbullition Of party spleen
and luminosity against the Democracy, or IA ient
% concesl the sulnerabiEty IF oor own sssoc'a,e1
last however, We have an admission that we
wore right, from eminent Democratic source.
We have high Democratic anthority--no less than
the editor of the Washington States whose name
il known, especially in Virginia. as one OF the
leading and one Of the ablest Democratic cham
mons of the oeuntry--that all the counts in the
Indictment which We have repeatedly preferred
against the National Democratic party are truc,
and true to the letter. We suboin this most sig
nifcant significant in more respects than
one We have taken the liberty to taicis, some
Of its most striking passages
From the Washington States.
Have we q Democratic Party Among usP
The doubt implied in the above interrogatory,
however startling at 6rst sight, appears anything
but absurd on examination. Nay, Mt the hazard
ing our own sense of security, are are Obliged 10
awnomnce the deliIcrase conclusion thai Tier, is nom
no Democratic party in existence. And We Will
venture the assertion, that this parodoXcal opinion
will be embraced by all OBJ irving and rejecting
persons.
Of individual Democrats dispersed over the
country, each with his peculiar profession Of Faith
and object of pursuit, there is unquestionobly
very abundant supply. Bnt they no more consti.
tute party in the philosophical and practical
sense Of the word than heap Of Enhcwn ami un-
adjusted stone constitutes palace. For the real
iEstion of that idea, there must be primarily
common foundation, then due subordinaton and
fitness among the parts, and finally q complete
unity Of organization We doubt II any one IF
these conditions caa b. preditated Of the Democ'd-
.cy
In the first place will any man pretend to affirm
that Democrats are agreed nI,on u bdsis cfprnct-
plef In respect Of which one among the political
issues before the country is there much even as
an approach to unanmity in the party. Mt
surely in regard to aquatter sovereignty The dis
agreement between the President and his Secrcta-
T Of Stale ON this subject is the symbol oil IN
equivalent difference among the Democracy. Not
In regard to tho Pacific railroad for here again
the chief of the Administration is Mt points with
his Secretary Of War, and the class Of strict
struction Democratic dissent from the faith Of Their
less scrupulous associates. Not in regard to itde
gai appropriations Cor the improvement of rivers
ana naroors since the DIVISION Oh the tao,he' on
this issae ~ likewise RESPONSIVE 10 snn'iar dNl
no1s among tee MAS oil the democracy; nor ye'
II thsre anything OF unanimity IN the party IN
regard " the most important matter OF ALT
f.rih question. IN respect Of winch DR. buchanan
amrms one belief. while Mr. Cobb maintains d.
rect,y the opposite.
We heed not resaPnnhte all the points OF diver
gent Doctrine among the democracy: IL ~ sW
qvote ogrssmeat for a common basis Of action"