Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-02-24
TEE CONSTITUTIONAL UNION PART
Address OF THE
National Central Executive Committee.

To The people of The United Siatcs.
The political aspect of tho country fills the pub
lie mind with painful apprehension. The people
IRE everywhere disturbed with the fear III
disastrous crisis. Many are alarmed for the sale.
iy Of The Union. All are conscious that the sen.
iiment Of fraternity which once linked the States
together, even more firmly than the compact Of the
Constitution itself, has been rudely shaken, aud
that scord has crcpt into the relationship Of com
muni,hs which should have found. both in The in.
'ere>ts OF tho present. and IN the memories Of the
past. the strongest motives for mutual regard and
.uflcucc.
VIA, has produced these general and unhappy
convictions?
Ii has been too apparent to escape the most ca
suul observation thar, for some years past, there
has been manifested design. in the movements
of influential political leaders. to force the country
into mn organization Of parties founded the
question Of slavery.
The inst introduction OF this subject into party
politics engendercd controversy which has cen
SANITY increased in extent and bitterness, ming
LINK with, or usurpng tho place OF nil other polit-
zeal questions, and giving to those party politics
grcater and more dangerous yehemsnce. Consid-
crntons Of the public welfare seem to be cast
aside, to nuke room for wider and more unre-
sIrnined contention on this single and engrossing
theme.
The two great parties in The country 1.-THE Dem.
ocralio and Republican have been the chief actors
in this fatal contest, If not its authors. Whether
they have always rxeited themselves to allay the
excitement to which it gave rise. or, on the
trary, have both OF them occasionally employed it
Tor tho promotion Of party purposes, it is not for
IA TO determine, 1T is sufficient to note that the
mind Of tho people has been industriously exer.
cscd 10y this contest to tho service Of sectional ag
itation, and that in its progress the teachings Of
the fathers OF the Republic the landmarks vi con-
stutional power have Leen ren0unced, our old and
,py prpi tradifinns of no1icy al nd
| itre OF the present and tho hopes of the future
been brought into jeopardy in the alterations Of
! passionate challenge aud defiance between the an-
! gry dsputant..
! It is Mt our purpose to arraign or to dcnuunce
either Of these parties for their past errors or
transsressions, but we regard it ~ indispuablo
fact that 10y their conflicts they have been mainly
Instrumental in producing tho present .ament,ble
state OF nubo affairs. 1t would be easy to eslab-
fish this position by reference to events in tho
regent history Of the country, with which the pub
lie is but too familiar; but we purposely abstain
from all comments upon them, rs inconsistent with
the limits of this address, aud rs tending to revive
controversies which it is its icst to allay. We
will simply state that the one, by its freq lent and
unnecessary intrusion Of the slavery question into
party politics, has exaspcrated sectional feeling at
The North and increased the growing spirit of dis
| union ut the South while the other has been
prompt to avail itself Of these opportunities for
tanti-sh,very agitation,
Alter having 80 long agita' cd the country by
their reciprocal assaults, these parties IRE now
preparing for sectional struggle far exceeding
IN violence any that has yet occurred. the results
I ct which may he disastrous TO the country.
As an indication of The character of this strug-
GLE OF its objects and possible Consequences, we
heed only point to tho significant fact that n con.
vcnt,on has been called by enc of these parties to
select candidate for the Office of Chief Magistrate
OF tho Uniont from which. by tho necessary logic
! OF construction, fifteen States Of that Union are
excluded.
Solemuly impressed with these facts, a number
OF gentlemen from different parts of the country,
among whom were members of the present
Congress, and OF Congresses Of former date, re-
Gently assembled in the city Of Washington to
deliberate ON means for averting dangers to which
they may lead
1t was the unanimous opinion of the meeting.
thut immediate steps should he taken to orynniz "a
q Constitutional Union Party" pledged to sun
p'rt 1.-The Union, the Constitution aud the enforce.
ment of the laws"
This organization was accordingly commenced
by the appointment Of ,Centeri Executive Com
m''tee, charged with the general direction of the
party and with the preparation Of an address to
the people of the United States.
We need not assure you felow-citreus. that
we '"ptroach this takes with difRdence and
| anxiety. We are aware of the difficulty which
| attends the endeayor, ut any time, to persuade
men to abandon political associations to which
they are allied, either by interest Or preference
ana weknow how much that difficulty is increased
! when party attachment is heightened by the ardor
OF expected success or infamed by the zeal Of OBJ
] position But there are. nevertheless, junctures
| When bonesthearted citizens will be prepared. MT
any sacrifice Of prejudics or opinion, to perform
this duty to their country. - z
It's Tie policy of the dominant parties to IN
de:ra'e the real strength Of those whom disappro-