Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-03-07
The Third Party

This Third Party" movement is begin
ming to attract no little attention, not SO
much on account of its positive importance,
as Of the difficulty in understanding its
precise object. II it is for the purpose OF
bringing prominently before the public a
number Of superanuated politicians, then
its object has already been attained. But
if there is, behind all, the most evanescent
hope that such party can be organized,
aud carry one single State for the Presi-
dency, the sooner that hsps is dispelled
the more creditable it will be for those
who entertain it That such an orgsniEa-
tion would have a tendency, in the North.
ern States. to brighten the prospects Of the
Democratic party, no intelligent man eau
doubt Aud hence we see the Democratic
press all over the country nursing with
parental fondness this tender protegs. The
Terre Hsute Journal speaks fsvorably of
the movement, and even affects to see much
patriotism in Col, Thompson, because his
name is attached to the address
But what is the ulterior object of this
movement Is 1t to advance the interests
of such men as Bates, Bell and CrittendenH
II SO, the policy is a mistaken one, for il
will most certainly retard the prospects of
those gentlemen. No man can hope to
succeed in opposition to the nominee of The
Charleston Convention. unless he gets the
united support and influence of those who
will attend the Chicago Convention. No
other man can, by any possibility, hope to
carry one single Northern State, but the
nominee of the Chicago Convention. Upon
the man of its choice will be centered al
most the entire vote that will be cast in
opposition to the Democratic party. ii,
then, these movers in this Third Party"
organization are sincere-are truly pstri.
otic-are actuated by disinterssted and
unsel6sh motives, Why do they not meet
with the thousands who will assemble at
Chicago on the 10th day of May, and there.
uniting with the friends of Edward Bates
and John Bell, assist in securing for one of
them the nomination of that Convention {?
Why do they not do this Can any one
tell A movement of this kind would be
consistent, proper, sensible. Thousands
OF the devoted friends Of Mr.. Bates, who
are Republicans, will assemble at Chica-
go, aud urge with all the pertinscity of
devoted friendship, his claims upon the
consideration OF that Convention. There
WILDE hosts OF Republicans there from Mis-.
souri,, from Maryland, from Virginia, from
Kentucky and other slave-holding States.
We ask those tteenty- nine gentlemen whose
names are affixed to the address of the
Constitutional Union party" Why the
necessity of this movement, when it will,
more than any thing else, retard the pros
poets of such men as Messrs. Bates and
Bell ! Judging from the address, We sup.
pose the answer will be, the Union is in
danger, and it must be saved" We can
speak for one of the gentlemen whose
name appears to the address-we have
heard Col. X. W. Thompson often and
repeatedly assert, in his public speeches,
that he had not the least fears that this
Union was in danger of being Dissolved.
He discarded that idea altogether. Then
why this movement, and why does he par.
ticipste in itf In their principles, so far
as indicated in their address "To the Peo-
pie of the United States" there is no new
and distinctive doctrine enunciated-it is
a bundle of patriotic sentences, possessing
not even the merit of respectable compost
tiOn. We suppose every true American
citizen is in favor Of the Constitution and
the UnIOn-at least the Republicans have
shown themselves to be so.