Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-07-27
rFrom the Missouri Democrat, July III

THE F0UR PARTIES AND THE Two PRINCE
PLEs.-Though four we'll organized and mu
tu1Ily antag0nlstic parties are now contend
inc with one another for the federal govern
ment yet the fact is apparent that but two
principles are in the field. The one demands
the exclusion Of slavery from, and the other
the establishment of slavery in, the public
domain This is the simple statement Of the
case There are, therefore, but two living
representative parties-the two witch rapre-
sent the opposing principles on the question
of slavery in the territories. The other two,
however respectable tLey may prove to be
numerically, are in reality but mere lndlvld-
ual aggl0merations. which cucumber the
arena and retlrd the settlement Of the con-
troversy. Neither has "a vital principle. nor
what Is often found an excellent substitute
for such princple-the hope Of Victory
And the success OF either, if itlsuccess were
possible, would be a prOlOngati0n of the dis
astrous debate which has kept the c0nfedera-
ton IN a turmoil for ten years. Not SD with
the success Of the Republican party, OF the
pro- slavery democracy. The election Of
either Lincoln OF Breckenridge would be a
virtual adjustment Of the matter in dispute
The establishment of slavery in the terrific
ries, ut least, would be the inevitable result
of the election of the latter-its exclusion
therefrom Will be the result Of the election
of the other On the other hand, the
election Of either Douglas or Bell would
necessarily have the effect of prouactinS the
agony by p)stp0ninS the decision. The
squatter sovereignty democracy and the
Union party have this in c0mmon-thev
pretermIt all expression 0fopInionon the char
acter of slavery. The one refers the question
to the territorial settlers Indifferent whether
they vote it up or down. The other Is entire
ly non-cOmmittal You cannot tell from its
platform whether It'll hot. cold or lukewarm
whether it is for slavery, against slavery. or
simply Indifferent as % what may be the
issue of the conflict between it and free labor
We by no means imagine that any such in
difference is felt. On the contrary, we know
that John Bell himself Is an ardent advocate |
for the extension of slavery but, on the |
other hand. Edward Everett. who, Of the /
two, has the better chance Of being Presi- |
dent, is an avowe1 slavery restrictionist. The |
party which these gentlemen represent, may, |
therefore, be Justly sand to have no position |
on the all-engrossinC question Of the day |
PartlSanS may attempt to overlook this /
irremcdiable defect, but earnest mon viii |
not and ninety men ont of every hundred /
citizens are earnest on this question Of |
slavery.
The Union part. it is plain, has no .
mission at this time, and the SquQtter SOve- 1
relgnty Democracy can hav, no mission
at any time, except when double dealing,
dupllcity and an utter Indifference To rig6t
and wro' are in the ascendant. Were the
Union threatened, were the great question
OF our current politics the preservation or the
dissolution of the Union. them indeed. a
Union party would be the only refuge of
patriotism but now every party rivals everv
other IN professions of devotion To the nj N;
and whether or not they are alike sincere. il
Is apparent that danger is rs little to be
as If they We're We know that
Douglas and his followers accus their late
associates Of disunion, but the lanrusrs of
Breckenridge and Lane gives the lie to the
accusation, and the acts of Breckin-iige's
supporters sustain the denial given by their
chief. From the slave States, any more than
from the free States, no threat of revolt in the
event of the election Of n - Black Republican
President Is longer heard. Douglas, it
would seem, has succeeded Seward. as the
),bJect OF southern hatred and obloquy, and
The dlsuniOnists, if disuniOnists there he. are
more intent on defeating him than
preventing the Inauguration of Lincoln. But
tneTe De any truth IN the grave charge
made by Douglas and his adherepts aoainst
he Breckenridge men, it should in9re ~
he benefit, not OF the latter. but of the Union
party. There is, however, no truth in il
ND hence IN the strife of the two GREAT
mentioned above, both the Union
'arty and the Douglas party are mere suner-
Every vote given to their candid
ties IS a shot fired in the air. Their success
would furnish no solution of the difficulties
which beset public affairs. With the access 5
on OF either to power we sbould have q u
epetiuon OF those internal throes and out q
Yard explosions which DESTROYED in succession a
he whlg and national democratic rartias. "
ecause the same elements of combustion and %
epulsIon are found in both. But the Repub- o.
lean party and the pro-slaverv Democratic s.,
arty are each composed Of homogeneous ,;
.0inen's' success may develop differences Of
pihloh which are yet latent within the for
ler, but on the question of the extension of
aver the governing questiOn-it is a unit.
0 also is the party of which Breckenridge is 81
ne candidate, and between them there is no c
liddle ground now. The mutual advance a
the two principles has at last brought two d
preventative parties face to face, while al
very thing that impedcd their progress has u
ither been destroyed or jostled aside All st
Their parties are but shams, while their II
o'trums for the relief of the body polite NJ
re OF no value. We are told Of two Highland th
liels, hereditary enemies, who suddenly met "a
le day on a narrow path that wound along no
precipice, the base Of which Was bid IN Ia.
'niess, roaring ehasm They could not pass oy
, ! other for the way was too narrow III
ME neither would retrace his steps for the ne
her' Both, therefore, saw that one had 10 nc
aoWn-down into the Jaws Of the abyss wi