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

*,State of Parties and the Country.
gone. Time, alone, was necessary to effect the full reforms
in this respect, which the most severe constructionist and the
sternest republican could desire. The progress of opinion
in regard to this particular, was greatly helped by the opening of thle grain culture of the Great West, to new and foreign markets. In brief, on these two heads, a National Bank,
and a Protective Tariff, thle policy of the Democrats had fairly
tritumphed iln publ)lic opinion tlhroughout the country-its wisdom was tlcknowledged, and its principles so well grounded
in the pol-ular conviction, tlhat the insolent dictation of the
frie-nd(s of thle so-called "'A\m1erican svystemn," had sunk into
an asinine, sort of bray or wrhine, which only pained the ears
or provokedl the laLughlter of the politicians. rThre " iron tears
down. the cileeks"' of Plutonian Pennsylvanians, compelled
no sNmppathly in the souls of thle iron-willed Democracy. The
two subjects no longer provoked conflict, and the Whigs
covered tup theni precise objects of plarty, u(lnder vague declaIrations, in tolerable style. of patriotism, good morals, fine talents, andl otlher attractive virtues, too numerous to detail and
quite too wonderful to believe.
There remained one other grand interest, still a professed
sul)ject of dlivision between the two parties, which was tlhe
syystem of Internal Imprl)ovemnents —anotlher of those measures of corruption by whllich olne extensive section of the
country was to lbe bouglht up, and made tributary to the
peculiar wants and desires of anothler. This principle constituted an essential element of the soi disaut American system; an(l, against tlhe recognition of this principle, the Democrats s,urtlcily opposed tlhemnselves-in profession and declaration at least. But, it is in respect to this very principle,
that our x-irtue, asia party, has been indifferently easy. We
have sworn horribly against the leek, but we haye eaten. In
other words, we have made sacrifice of our principle on this
point, wheniever it has been found necessary to buy strength
in the West. and whenever we could so disguise our proceedings as to save the reputation of virtue, though we surrendered
the substance. We have not kept ourselves above temptation; were not beyond price, and have tampered with our
principles, not only to their loss, but to the peril of party itself.
1s
[July,