State of Parties and the Country [pp. 1-53]

State of Parties and the Country.
by which the world is assured of the propriety of their conduct, whatever may be said in respect to that of other peo ple.
"'The American Democracy," say they, "regard it as a
distinctive feature of their political creed, which they are
proud-to maintain before the world, as the great moral element in a foim of government springing from, and upheld
by, the popular will, that they place their trust not in factitious symbols, nor in displays and appeals insulting to the
judg ent and subversive of the intellect of the p)eople, but
in a clear reliance upon the intelligence, the patriotism, and
the discriminating justice of the American masses, &c."'
But precious little did the Whligs care for the virtuous indignation of this sarcasm, once fully in possession of the fleshpots.
It is at all times difficult, in a couintry so wide an(l various
as ours, to account for the occasional reverses of parties wxvho
are yet evidently in possession of the requisite strength for
success, and in whose principles we recognize all the
elements of permanence and progress. The Democratic
party, numerically the strongest-by its very name and policy appealing to the vast swarms of foreign emigrants annually pouring into the country-was unquestional)ly thus endowed. But it is with parties as with armies; and Scripture tells us that the race is not always to the swift, nor the
battle to the strong. The same venerable authority does not
leave us in doubt why this is the case; and we have already
indicated the failing virtues of Democracy, at the moment,
as the true reason for defeat. This and other causes. We
have mentioned some. It must not be forgotten, wlhat we
have said, touching the necessity of putting new men into
the old places, filling old veins with new blood, if a party
hopes to continue in progress, which is only another name
for continuing in power. Now, the application of this remark must be made to Mr. Van Buren himself. The time
had passed when any President could look forward to reelection, for the simple reason that the time had passed
when extraordinary powers were required in the incumbent.
Whatever it was that availed for the success of Van Buren
1853.]
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