Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1860-05-03
THE THIRD PARTY.


dangerously sectional, reckless and corrupt
what will become of the Constitution and
the Union which we all revere? And
where are sound, conservative, substantial
moderate patriotic men ofths nation TO stand
in the coming election, except with that
third party, which condemns and deprecates
the violent extremes of the Democrats and
Republicans? But here is the Express ar
ticls:-[ Richmond Wing.
"Men who are partizan Democrats and
Republicans frequently express their sur
/ prise or Indignation, that there should be
more than two parties in the country. They
don't understand how it is, that men dc not
see just as they see, and act just as they
act; and he is thought 10 be very foolish
or stubborn fellow who will not look upon
everything as black or white, just as they
look upon it. There is no use id wasting
words upon persons holding such opinions,
and we shall not attempt it; bu. there is
another class who doubt the expsdiency Of
third parties, TO whom a word may be said
with profit.
In the first place, then, there is large
plurality of intelligent voters in America,
who are not satisfied with either the Dem
ocratic or Republican parties, and who, if
they would act as unit upon their prin-
ciples and preferences, would soon largely
outnumbsr either Of them. This class en-
braces thousands and tens of thousands, who
vote with both the larger organization, be-
cause they suppose there is nowhere else 10
go: and so they stay at home and leave 10.
cal, state and national politics, to take care
Of themselves. There are seventy fve
thousand of this last class of voters in the
State of New York, and more than eighty
thousand Of the same sort in the six New
England States, and one hundred thousand
in the three States Of Ohio Pennsylvania
and New Jersey and quite half q million
of stay-at-hOmes among the so-called most
respectfully and wealthy citizens of the
country. Put this number into an active
Presidential canvass, with the nine hun
dred thousand who voted for Fillmore and
Donnelson in 1856, and the three hundred
and fifty thousand at least,-who preferred
Fillmore 10 Fremont or Buchanan, but who
voted for the one or the other of the last
two, upon the plea that the former had no
chance, and here is vote exceeding the en-
tire vote Of Fremont, in 1856, by more than
four hundred thousand! Nor is there any
exaggeration in this statement.
Again, ten 10 one, il you meet leading
Democrat or Republican, not a professed
politician, Office holder or aspirani for place
he will agree with you that third party
between the extremes of the two other par
ties, is just what the country needs. A
party not for the South alone, nor for the
North alone, but for the country and the
whole country-a Constitutional Union par
ty founded upon the broad principles Of
Justice, Fraternity and Equity, is what we
need, and such party, with good and true
men as its leaders in the ConnciIs of the
Nation, would give such an electrical life
TO the people as would thrill every patriot
ic heart between Nave Scotia and the Pa
cifc.
And why may not such party be sue
cessful? Why may it not appeal to the
good aense and patriotism of the people to
add to lis numbers? Is there no virtue
and no good to be found outside of organiza-
tions which for years past have kept the
country in state OF sectional excitement
hardly to be exceeded between foreign States
in time of war?
i, is lawful enough to join third church
or third sect-to believe in a creed not ali
Unitarian, or all Episcopal, Calvanistic, or
Universalist, and no man is deemed fool
or fanatic thereby. One, two, when he
finds two parties or two men, disagreelng
widely, can see that there are errors on
both sides, and point out road Of safety
between the two. The trainers of the gov
ernment, when they met in national con-
vention to frame o national constitution,
found it absolutely necessary 10 compro-
mise upon the great questions Of State and
Federal power; and when the constitution
was made, State like New York, and men
like Patrick Henry of Virginia, held cut
vehemently against it ratification. Had
there been no medium between extreme o |
pinions, we shorld have had no Declaration
of Independence, no Constitution, no Fed
eral Government, no thirteen States in one
Union, and from which have sprung nearly
three times the original number Of Slates.-l
This govsrnment, indeed could not last ten
wears under the extreme parties who now