The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-10-16

affairs of the Company to be managed with
prudence aud success. Besides, the people
with whom the new Company must deal, in
all probability, prefer to transact their polit-
cal business with some firm OF longer stand
ing and better reputation tor canGor and
liberality. But to be serious.
This combination of opposite and hostile
parties, not to elect any man to the Presi-
dency, but avowedly to defeat an election
by the people, is factious and dangerous
On the face of it, it proclaims distrust of
the people, and desire to withdraw the
great question from the body of the nation
and refer it for decision to a small number
of men-the House of Representatives.
of whom are open to all of the appliances Of
political spectators, who will have ample
opportunities to work upon their hopes and
fears, their ambition and their interest.
If the traders succeed in defeating an
election by the people, it is more than prob
able that in view of the present array of
parties in Congress the House of Represen-
tatives will also fail to make an election, and
then the Senate must choose a V;ce-Presi-
dent from the two highest on the list voted
for by the electors and the person so chos-
en- will become President of the United
States, and what sort of a President? A
CONSTITUTIONS ITeSlu6uL, dQQil, anu IHeTG-
fore, to be quietly submitted to, but Pres
ident that no citizen, in voting for electors,
ever thought of as President, and yet the
parties which bargain and contrive, and Ia
Dor to compass this result, all profess to be
great friends of the people, and firm believ-
ers in their virtue and their capacity to
choose a President, in the way of the Con-
stitution, wisely and well still, they are
dOinn THAR n roll ga tba piaf.finv in
fact, from the people and give it to the Sem
ate. And why give it to the Senate just
now Because Just non the Democratic
party is in sinking condition, and already
below the hope of electing a President by
popular vote. But if this new scheme can
De made to work successfully, then the Senate
(Which unfortunately has Democratic ma
jOrity) may force upon the country a Demo-
cratic President in spite of the people
Thus it seems to me plain, whatever mask
this intrigue may assume before the public,
that the real design of it, and the probable
effect of its success, will be to re-establsh
the now broken and defeated Democratic
party, and make it stronger than ever, by
the absorption of most if not all the elements
of the new coalition. 1t is easy to under
stand the Democratic party, for its history
is before the world and its present division
into factions, ostensibly upon particular
principle, but really upon particular men,
has not changed its doctrines, nor improved
its character. But it is not so easy to IN
derstand the Constitutional Union party,
because it is new party, without any his
tory, and without any pledge, IN case Of its
success, to support any particular line of
governmental policy. 1t contains undoubt-
edly many excellent men whose private
| opinions are known and respected, but as a
party, it leaves itself by design, perfectly
| free to do whatsoever it pleases, and unite
with whomsoever it pleases, when it comes
into power.
1t pledges itself to nothing, but to support
the Constitution, the Union and the laws,
and that every honest citizen of every par
| ty, knows to be common duty. Every Pres
dsnt, of Whatever party, must begin his Of
fetal life by sw caring that he will " preserve,
protect and defend the Constitution of the
United States" and that Constitution makes
it his especial duty to "take care that the
laws be faithfully executed As a party
then there is nothing to distinguish it from
any other party.
Once in power, it may carry out the views
of policy entertained by the I" hottest DEM
ocrat of the South, or BLACKLIST Republic
can of the North, free from any charge of
inconsistency or breach of plighted faith
Any party, | think, in order to grow in
strength and to become useful to the coun-
try, must needs have some distinguishing
characteristic Of its own. Without some
such nucleus of attraction and bond of union,
no party can long survive.