The semi-weekly Republican. (St. Francisville, La.) 1872-1872, 1872-04-26
NEW SERlES--IOL |. NO. Is.
Party Names and Principles.

rarity Names ana Pr1ncfplees
The term Wing was first applied
in 1879, to the members Of great
political party i'll England, who ops
posed the cause of the royal family,
and who had previously been in=
strumental in abol;shing the Star
Chamber Court and ii. revitihg nht1
perfecting the hd1cds co'p,ts act. For
more than II century and half, the
English Wings have represented the
friends of reform, or change in tie
ancient constitution. They have
been numerous and powerful ever
since the popular clement became
active in the Legislation Of that eo11n~
try ; and have represented The re-
formers Of the past century and ~
half, whether known as Puritans,
Non-conformists, Roundheads, Co.
venanterss Liberals Or Republicans.
John Bright and John Stuart Mill
are perhaps the most conspicuous of
the living representatives Of that
party.
In American politics, nearly one
hundred years ago, Wing was one
who supported the revolutionary
movement in opposition to the poll
cy of the English government. After
ward, the term was applied to those
who, like Washington, Edmund RAM
dolph and Alexander Hamilton, adj
yoclted ga consolidated Union," in
opposition to the !" State Rights"
men who adhered to the old articles
Of confederation. The same party,
though known by a different name,
became the champions of the consti-
tuition as against the estate Rights"
men in 178S-'89. The supporters
of the two first administrations Of
the government, although known as
Federalists were, like the English
reformcrs generally included under
the name Of Wing. THOR principles
were, that a National government
was necessity, in order to preserve
the peace and liberties Of the people
Of the States that the Federal con-
stitution provided for such govern
ment that the constitution was
formed not by tho Slater, as the OPP
position now claim, but, as the pre-
l,nble declares, by the people of the
United States T; and hence, that the
primary allegiance of the citizen is
due not to the State, but the nation
III government. The opposition, or
What afterward became known as the
Democratic party, denied that We
ue nation /; consequently, that
there is no such thing as direct al
legiance Of the citizen to the United
States government, BECAUSE, by their
construction of the constitution, that
government is the creature or agen.
cy not Of the people, but of tho
States!
Such being the fundamental prin-
ciples of the two parties, one could
not he less than national, while the
other could not be more than Sec
tional. Accepting, therefore, as fin
al, the issue of the Democratic war
of secession, and accepting, also, as
valid, the fourteenth and fifteenth ar
cles Of the constitution, the Demo-
cratic rarty is now obsolete, both as
respects it's name and its principles.
It is thing of memory only. The
Wing party, as an organization,
ceased to exist at the beginning Of
the last decade but its theory of
the constitution and its principles
We're adopted by new organization.
That organization, springing up up
on the ruins Of the old Wing party,
and, for the most part, led by Wing
politicians has succeeded in incor-
porating Wing principles into the
policy of the government.-Charles-
tom Republican.
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