The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-05-29
The T,rurh OF History.

A contemporary has reproduced the fol-
lowing extract from letter which Henry
CLAW addressed to S. S. Prentiss about
thirty years ago, concerning Mississippi
politics. The Wings were in a minority
and the question was, how to obtain an
advantage over the Democracy, who
were openly divided on The question Of
regulating the unconstitutional Union
Bank Bands. Said Mr. Clay:
And now what Is best to be done: viii
goa pardon me for making a suggestion! lt
appears to me that il would be wisest 10 run
WING candidates vino are in favor of pay
ing the state debt Tor all the important
offices. II you attempt 20 run Democrats
who are Tor paying lhe bonds many WINGS
some from principle, some upon piettAt'
will refuse to vote tor them because lhey
are Democrats. 1t Is easer to draw 70 the
Wings the honest Democrats tiiau 1t i 10
carry the mass OF the W Hl3~ 20 Ii'tH' pe-
cause there i less difficulty III moving lew
than MANY And / must LAY that l THINK It
has been the vice OF the " big party. ire
queurlv manifested during the last eight or
ten wears. that they have roo often sought
TO ally themselves 70 the ODDS ana ends OF
other parties instead of resting upon the
?
own patriotic principles. What sacrifices
have they not made 10 gain anti-Maeons,
even abolliOBists: &c, DC.
The New York World in commenting
on the foregoing assumes that the advice
Of Mr.. Clay was not followed, and the
Wings precepitated themselves mt GER
tain disaster 1t says:
The WING party went long ago TO is
doom, FASTENED by The operation OF this
/ vice: &nd now the same vicc has crept into
/ the Democratic party, which. though more
robust of constitution. cannot be altogether
proof against the yicioa- agency that eXpe-
/ dited the ruin Of its fcebler bHt splendid
rival. Yet there are those Who wish the
! Democratic party well thar nevertheless
1 wish to fortify this vice in its constitution
! instead OF casting ii our. Are they safe
counseIlorsE We cheeriully submit the
/ question to their own candid judgment. in
/ the light of experience, OF reasons, and OF
/ the shining authority. OF that political Cam
/ aliel at whose feet most Of them were
! brought up.
But unfortunately for the Worlds
logic it is not sustained by the facts so far
as the local politics Of Mississippi were
concerned. The Old Wing party never
took advantage of Democratic divisions
in the State, except IN a single instance,
and then it profited by them. This was
in 1851, when the Democratic party was
divided on the Compromise question,
which, through the indiscretion Of lead
ing Democrats, was made the basis Of a
/ false issue in the canvass. II. S. Foote
was elected Governor over the regular
nominee, and the Wings and their Dem
( ocratie allies secured control Of the Lee
gislature and elected L. S. Senators and
other officers of their own choice. On
the very occasion to which Mr.. Clay re-
| ferred, his advice was followed. The
Wings Gin 1S4D did not avail themselves
of Democratic divisions on the Bond
question. Instead Of plungiDg into the
''vice" of taking up with one of the con-
tending divisions, as alleged by that jour
nal, it nominated straight-out ticket
with Judge ShaLtuck, man Of popularity
and ability, at the head, and was defeated.
Again in 1913 straight-out ticket,
(headed by G.. r. Clayton, was nomi-
mated, and the result was the same. a.
G. Brown, the Democratic regular, was
the successful candidate, though he car
ried the dead weight of an independent
Democrat on his shoulders. In 1847 the
same plan of campaign was tried by the
minority with the same disastrous result.
In 1849, straight-out Luke Lea) was
nominated against Gen. Quitman, and
the consequence was the same. In the
succeeding canvass of 1851, however,
the Compromise issue was presented
Democratic divisions ensued, and then
their old opponents seized the opportu-
nifty and turned the split to the advantage
we have above described.
These are the facts of history which
we have repeated, simply for the reason
that they are facts; but with no motive to
draw a lesson from them or to apply them
to any other case. Emergencies must be
met when they arise according to existing
circumstances.