The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-09-26
"BcIIgerincn Consistency.


professed convictions, that, under every change
of time and circumstance, he has uniformly actet
in strict accordance with what he has professed
to believe. And, also, on the other hand
nothing certainly indicates the total alb
sence of sincerity, than acourse ofconduct which
cannot be reconciled with his declared opinions
Hypocrites are not less justly than universally
despised; because it is instinctiyely felt, by all
mankind that he who assumes felse character
in order to practice fraud upon society, is gull
ty Of an offence which differs in degree only, and
not in kind, from that of the pirate who sails un
der false colors in order that he may carry on
his trade Of blood and rapine more successfully.
Let the sincerity Of that party which supports
Bell and Everett be subjected to the test We
have just been speaking Of, and the result will
be anything but creditable to it as party which
claims to be guided by principle. Years ago,
when Mr.. Cass was a candidate for the Presiden-
cy, his celebrated Nicholson letter" was vio-
lently assailed by the opponents of Democracy,
who fancied that they bcheld in it the lineaments
of "squatter sovereignty" and the Democratic
party was severely reprehended for its support
of Mr.. Cass. The OppositiOn-it is of the
Southern Opposition that we are speaking
ever afterwards consistently maintained their
original attitude in reference to squatter soyer-
eighty, until the present year. No later, in
deed, than last winter, when the danger that a
Black Republican would be elected as Speaker
of the House of Representatives was felt to be
imminent, and the Opposition professed that
they were most deeply anxious to avert such a
catastrophe, and avowed their readiness even to
vote for Democrat, il necessary rather than to
witness the triumph of the enemies Of the South,
they refused to vote for Mr.. McClernand, of Ili-
nois, because, while he was Democrat, he was
known to be warm personal friend of Douglas,
and was suspected to sympathze with him in his
squatter sovereignty views. The consequence
Republican, was placed in the Speakers chair
and thus the third Office in the government was
desecrated and dcfiled by the foul element of alb
otionism. This amounted, therefore, to an
explicit declaration, on the part of the Opposi-
ton, that in their opinion, squatter sovereignty
was even more Objectionable than Black Repub7
licanism while, at tho same time, their offer to
vote for any Democrat provided he were not
tainted with the heresy of squattcr sovereignty,
was equivalent to a confession that their princi-
Piles more nearly harmonized with those of the
Democracy than with those Of any other party.
The Opposition press, throughout the Southern
States, sustained the action of their representa-
tives. No word Of dissatisfaction, indeed, was
heard from any portion of the party, which,
through its every organ and member, committed
ITSELF to the fullest extent to the declaration
that no quarter was to be shown to the pestilent
doctrine Of squattcr sovereignty. Thus stood
affairs at the date Of the adjournment Of Con-
gress Bell and Everett it is true, had been
nominated hut that nomination, even by the
old fogies who made it. was felt to be farce
Humanity speaking, there was not the slightest
prospect of the success Of their ticket 1t was
put forth, indeed, rather ''out of spite" and in
obedience to an almost instructive habit of oppo-
sition, than because it was supposed that sue
cess was practicable. The division in the DEM
ocratic party, however, which grew out of the
antagouism Of the Southern wing of the party
to the dogma Of squatter sovereignty, inspired
the fainting hearts Of the Opposition with the
hope that, although they were everywhere in
minority, they might yet achieve success, if they
could but manage to keep alive the estrange-
ment, and widen the breach, between the two
divisions Of the Democracy. Acting thence
forth, upon the maxim, "divide and conquer"
they have been continuously coquetting, ever
since, with the Douglas faction. The tempta-
ton held out 10 them proved too strong for their
weak political virtue to Withstand it. Forget
ting all their former pledges Of undying hostility
to the doctrine Of squatter sovereignty, they ad-
dressed themselves to the task of making con-
verts from Democracy to Douglasism. They
knew, as everybody else knew, that the Democ.
racy was strong, and Douglasism weak, in all
the Southern States and hence, with an utter
and shameless disregard of all their former pro-
fessions, and unblushingly abandoning the prin-
ciples they had avowed for years, they sought to
aid Douglasism, at the expense Of the Democra-
in our ranks, and thus enable themselves,
through the operation of the plurality rule, to
grasp the reins Of power. An instance has new
er before occurred, in which any party has con-
victed itself ofa more gross and glaring incon-
sistency. One Of two things is certainly true.
Either the Opposition were insincere when they
professed to be so inveterately opposed to squat
ter sovereignty, or, they wear their principles so
lightly that it is but an easy task to lay them
aside, like a cumbrous garment, when they are
found to initiate against their prospects of sue
cess. We ask our readers to reflect upon the
course Of the Opposition in the present canvass,
and to answer, each for himself, these pregnant
questions :-If to attain power that party will
deliberately repudiate the principles it has advo
Gated, and apologize for those it has denounced,
how can l expect that it will adhere to any
principle il may profess if sufficient temptation
be presented to itf How can confide in the
political integrity Of party that does not even
attempt to make a show of consistency, SINGER !
ity, or devotion to principle? What can be
looked for, il the Opposition are placed in pow
er, except that they viii sacrifice everything to
the temporary expediency Of the moment as
they have done in times mast