The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-02-15
Utterly Useless aud Positively Evil


The Republican press regard the Louis
! vile Journal as one Of the most able and
conservative papers in the country. That
press, in reviewing the Frankfort, (Ken-
tucky,) speech Of CIssius III. Clay, in strong
but faithful language, gives itS opinion Of the
character, teachings and tendency Of the
Republican doctrines. Every word is true.
1t comes from bitter opponent Of the De-
moeratic party, and sympathizer with those
who compose the Republican party, which
gives It's testimony, weight and considefa-
tion. We give the Journals opinion oi
Republicanism for the consideration of the
honest men Of that party, and Of the country
generally. 1t says:
The sole design Of the Republican party,
according to tn exposition Of Mr.. Cloy, is
the inhibition of the spread of slavery in
other words, the exclusion OF slavery from
the National Territories. This is admitted
to be the exclusive basis, the only bond, the
one solitary object Of the party. The Re-
publican organs ization, on the express show
ing OF its own leaders, has but single idea,
and that idea is hostility to the extension Of
slavery. It's creed, therefore, is not merely
narrow, but sectional. 1t is not and never
can become national party.
Never, tor surely no man Of ordinary can.
dor and discernment will contend that the
South or any considerable portion OF it will
ever unite with party the whole end OF
which 10 the Vrtua exclusion Of the South
ern people from the common Territories OF
the Union. Laying completely out OF view
the fitness or un6tness OF the thing, its mere
moral impossibiIity is intisputable. AS a
simple question of fact, without reference TO
the right or wrong OF this subject, it 10 not
TO be controverted. Every rational man, it
seems to US, must perceive this. The Re-
publican party, from its very nature, is and
will always be, generally speaking, confined
to the North. The scattered exceptions can
serve only TO throw the rule into more bold
and exciting relief. There is no escaping
this. The Republican party is in ull re.
spects the party OF a section. II is an anti
national party in practice as we'll as in prin.
ciple, and must, OF necessity, remain so as
long as it exists. 1t ia idle, even if it were
not false and impertinent, to say that il
ought not to be sectional. The inevitable
indestruchbIe, irrepressble instincts of hu-
man nature will admit OF nothing else. And
it is the duty of all good citizens and patri.
| OTIS aud men of common sense to recognize
the fact.
But this is not all it is only half, and no,
the worst halt either. Objectionable as the
Republican party is in its avowed ain, it il
even more Objectionable on the score of its
latent tendency. The natural, unavoidable
effect OF q sectional party, no matter how
patriotic its intentions may be, is to beget q
sectional antagonist ; thus iDaugurating 9
pure strife OF sections, which, through mu.
tual ex4sperations, murt sooner or later re
suit in the dreadful shock of civil war. A
sectional party, once lsunched fairly Cn the
tide OF events, loses necessarily the control
OF itself, and passes under the tyranny OF &C.
cdeDt and OF passion. 1t becomes, in spite
of itd original design and ofthe conservative
impulses of some Of its members, a organ
lied element OF destruction, which nothing
and least of all the energy Of its own will,
can arrest. Let any man of discrimination,
let Mr.. Clay himself, look abroad over the
field Of our politics, snd tell US, csndidly, il
he does not see already signs OF the devel-
opmsnt of this tendency in the Republican
party! Are they not manifest ! Are they
not formidable? We confidently put the
case to dispassionate judgment OF every SEN
sble Republican in the country.
The Republican party however, is not on
ly sectional, disorganiziDg and destructive,
but entirely unnecessary. II is a gratuitous
affront to reason and to patriotism. The
question of the spread OF slavery into the
National Territories is now substantially
closed. 1t 10 not living question. The
one idea on which the Republican party
rests has been realized. The mission OF the
party is fulfilled. 1t has 10 longer decent
pretext for existing. Disbandment has 10
every poiut o! view become paramount du
ty. In common consistency the public
avowaIs OF it's own chiefs demand this, as we
have repeatedly shown heretofore. The
maintenance of the Republican organization
for another month or another doy is utterly
indefensible. There is no excuse for it. 1t
cannot be done without the most monstrou,
s'crfce of patriotism to psrtyism. Those
who honestly look for any goud to come Of
the Republican parry are egregiously de
ceiVed. There is nothing salutsry about it,
actually or potentially it is thoroughly per-
nicCus.