The constitutional union., 1861-03-15
THIG PRINCIPLES.

Time, the test of all things, has placed the stamp of truth upon another of the principles for which the old Whig party was condemned and villifed. The Missouri Compromise, the repeal of which the Wings opposed, and for regrettng which Mir. Fillmore was defeated, has been sanctioned again by some of the very men most active in procuring its repeal. They are now willing to acknowledge that Mir. Fillmores assertion was true-that the repeal has proved E. Pandora's box, " full of evil to the country We fear that the box has remained open so long that not even hope remains. The destruction of that Compro- m:se has done its work of evil, and there is little hope that its res toration, proposed by the Peace Congress, will repair the calamity. It is always easier and more popular to de- stroy than to reconstruct.
 4 tariff for revenue with incidental protec- tion was another Whig principle. inc De mocracy of the North have, by their acts, fully recognized the justice and expediency of such d measure, and in our new Coniederacy we have adopted precisely such a tariff. True, ' f. ee trade" has stil its admi CTS here, but we seem to be just as far from 1t as we were thirty years ago-the necessities of the Con- tederacy will always stand in the way. So far from having free trade, trade is more shacklel than eyer-we have not only import but export duties, and we have likewise the dictum of Premier Mr. Toombs, that any re duct on of the In tel States tar fl would be 'u. = wse in the last de gree" A sound paper cur rency, national and current everywhere in the country, was another Whig principle. North and South, all parties have given up the idea of an exclusively metaic currency, and pro- pose now to issue government promises to pay in small sums, such as may serve in as cur rency Tn many transactions. The only differ ence between this Democratic and the old Whig idea Is, that the new rag money is not based on spec.e, nor on demand convertible into coin. I he cry of hard money Is no more heard in the land, unless the words sig nity that money is d great dcll hdrIcr to get
 We begin to think that great credit ought u be given to those Wings, who finding their party likely to remain in hol ccss minority. and their chance of office dcsl crate, scattered Whigeery to the winds, and having joined the Democratic party, demolished that too If they do blow up every organization they uni,c with, they at lclst lnnocuate the tra9- ments with thcr old Whig ideas, and for the conversion to correct principles they have worked in Democracy, they deserve the thanks of both euIs of the country. We look with more confidence to the future of our new Conicdcracy since we find the old Whig e!e- mcnt so very influential in it, and we cncour- age them to inject as much of the.r old prin- ciplcs into our new Government as they sue ceedcl in doing into the national Democratic party. They arc terrific bomb shells to have in any organization, but let us hope they will not explode in the vtals of our new Conted cracy as they did in the old. Distinguished and lucrative offices, however, are likely to do much in keeping them qu.et.
 Augusa (Ga.) Sentinel.