The New York herald., 1876-02-26
The Old wings i'm the South.

/
States are now almost altogether ranged
under the democratic flag they are
by no means all democrats. Several of
the Southern States, notably Louisiana
and North Carolina, were, in the old times,
strong whig States. Many ofthe most infuen-
tial Southern public men are by tradition or
by education Henry Clay wings, and only
the pressure of the mismanagement and cor
ruption practised by so-called republicans in
the South has united wings with democrats
in a common opposition to misrule. In
Louisiana the traditional hostility of wings
to the democratic name was even so strong
that a coalition was impossible until the
democrats dropped their party name and
called themselves conservatives. This was
the origin of the party name conservative
in the Southern States; it was adopted to
catch the wings. In other Southern States
as in North Carolina, where there is a real
republican party, it has rallied to its banners
the old wings. A letter, which we publish
| in another column, from q North Carolinian,
shows the nature of the feeling which draws
the old wings of the South to the republican
party. 1t is combined of ancient distrust of
the democrats and a strong desire to revive
the whig party.
| Ever since last spring the republican lead
ers in Louisiana have been engaged in
vigorous Irritation with the wings. Some
months ago Marshal Packard went so far as to
write a letter of Cancellation to Mr.. Leonard,
of Shreveport-who is supposed to be the
leader of the Louisiana whigs-suggest-
ing that Leonard would find pleas
ant shelter for his wandering adherents
in the republican sheepfold. Leonard an
swered with maiden coyness, as was to be
expected but Packard's solicitations showed
his anxiety, for they were addressed to
man who, in the campaign of 1874, deliber-
ately advised the assassination of certain cor
rupt republicans in case they should be re-
elected.
AS in all such cases of courtship, the ardor
of the suitor is increased by the coyness of
the wooed; and after many months of
prosaic pleading the New Orleans Republican
broke out into poetry. or what is intended for
such. "The White Wing Flag" was the title
of its outburst into song and it ran through
! number of stanzas after the following
fashion,
Take down again the white whlg flag
| The glorious flag OF Henry Clay;
Bear IL to every mountain crag,
| And bear 1t foremost in the fray
! The glorious wings are back again
| hear them tramping round the skies
| They come to cleanse the battle plain,
| And bring their sons the brilliant prize.
This is not very coherent but the Republi-
can troubadour did not mince matters. He
went on to announce the reappearance of
Henry Clay in the fesh-perhaps his name
is Packard now -
The gods have come o gallant boysi
Blow loud the fife and beat the drum:
| The gods send you immortal Joys
For Henry Clay to earth has come.
This is very fine, but it is to be feared that
it is a waste of powder. or, to be more accu-
rate, of rhyme. There is no doubt, however,
that the republicans blundered in not court
ing and making their own the whig element
all over the South some years ago. There
was time when they might have done it,
and when by doing it they would have sim
plifed the work of reconstruction, and estab-
lished their party on q solid basis in most of
the Southern States. Now, when they are
beaten in so many of those States, it is q
little late to begin their courtship
A revival Of the whig party is probably on
inevitable incident of the political future
The republican party was constituted of
anti-slavery democrats and Of anti-slavery
wings. The pro-slavery and reactionary wings
at the same time went over to the democratic
party and some Of them and much of their
spirit rule in that party to-day The mix
ture has not been happy one in either
party The elements are incongruous they
coalesced for purpose, and the end having
been accomplished these elements show signs
of O determination to separate 1t remains
to be seen in which of the two present
parties the real and sound democratic doc
trines-the doctrines of hard money. local
self-government and non-interference-wil
obtain the predominance. At present they
seem to be more vigorously and
sincerely asserted in the republican
than in the democratic party, and the
independents, who lean just now toward the
republican side, are mainly infused with the
true democratic spirit, and so far as they
can influence the republican policy will
carry it in that direction. But there is no
doubt that the whig spirit and whig princi-
pies of Capitalization and consolidation are
strong among many of the most influential
republican leaders, and there lies the danger
to the republican party in the future
The growing animosity between the hard
and soft mnnav factions in the democratic