Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-06-10
1)olitital.


The Ghost of GOgginism.
A spectre arises on the very border
line which divides the North and the
South, whose presence strikes terror in
to the hearts of the Republican polit-
clans. Goggin, descendant of the Gil
ant Cog, looms up at the head of an I'M
expected force, and driven off by the De-
mocrats, menaces the Republican ranks.
Is it ghost or a corporeal giant? What
ever it is, it inspires equal fear in the
guilty bosoms of the Republican leaders,
The men who killed the old Wing party
in order to succeed to its inheritance in
the North do not know which most to
dread, the ghost of the victim or his liv-
ing avengcr. Not Macbeth before the
apparition of the blood bothered Banquo
nor Richard in his tent, listening to the
curses that were to paralyze his arm in
battle, was ever more aflrighted than are
the Abolition assassins of Whiggery at
this apparition.
The Evening Journal cries DOWN, to
it; the Tribune would exercise it with
its imprecations 1t will not down, but
looms up more CHASTITY and ominous at
ca ch approach.
1t may be nothing more than mere
phantom but it revives the memory of
the past and its offences 1t recalls the
era when the old Wing party lived, and
enforces the recollection of its character
and its services. Why was that party
destroyed ? What good was effected by
its destruction What were the provo
cations that consigned its leaders to obi
won, cut loose its followers in fifteen
States, and consigned its inheritance at
the North into the hands of its enemies ?
Still more important, what has been
the consequence of its dissolution Has
Americanism gained by il, on one side I
Has Freedom, on the other Such ques-
tions as related to the whole Govern
ment, such as Tariffs and Internal I'm
provemcnts within, and alliances and ac-
QUESTIONS without, have been rejected
from our politics TO make room for
what? For sectional animosities, for agi-
tations and connections, ending in mere
local animosities, and unfraternal ha-
treds.
Indeed, Hate was the single element
left to the two organizations. They had
mutual Hate in common; but they
each had separate Hate. The dege-
ncratc inheritors of the Whiggery at the
South organized themselves upon the
common centre of hatred to every man
of foreign birth or of conflicting creed ;
and in this they found alliance among
the bigots of the North. The Northern
wing made it the common bond of union
to Hate the South. They drew their
line along that of Mason and Dixon, and
hated every white man that breatheG be-
low it.
For six years both these divisions have
subsisted upon this element Of Hate
but it is gradually subsding from its
kissing white wheat, to duller and less
dangerous temperature; and unless some
new cxcitements pul1s the flame of big
otry in a blaze, it will grow cold and
harmless.
The spectre of Gogginism, not only
reminds the people of this, past and this
approaching future but Of what might
have been accomplished had this old
Wing party been suffered to live. What
it would have DONE in the way of politi
cal measures Of a general character, such
as Protection, Internal Improvements,
&c. may be estimated by the modifca-
ton of views on all sides, which has ta-
ken place since its dissolution. 1t might
have avoided the Kansas question, which
the Republicans turned into an unsuc
cessful sectional one, resulting in defeat
and disappointment, and in the establish
nent of self-adjusting policy, by the
Democrats. which places the latter on
safe ground for the future 1t might
have kept alive and prominent the great
men Of the party, instead Of placing in
its leadership such men as Fremont. II
might have survived single defeat. TO
come out stronger for the succeeding
contest-instead of as now, presenting
two parties, neither capable of achieving
success, even in the sections where they
may be momcntarily strongest.
This shadowy form Of Gogginism in
Virgina--this looming up Of ancient
Whiggery, Invested Of its recent corrup-
tions, is probably intended to instruct
the world how the spirit Of The old par
ty of Henry Clay still haunts its grave,
and what it might have been had it been
permitted to live. TO Democrats it Of
fers some saddening memories; but TO
the Wig leaders themselves. we should
think remorse and horror.