Staunton Spectator
The New Party
Full Text of Article
There seems, says the Lynchburg Virginian, to be a very general concurrences of opinion amongst men who are not incurably wedded to old party organization, that a new National Administration party should be formed. The country is in peril, and the parties that directly or indirectly reduced it to its present extremity may not rescue it from the impending danger. The democrats cannot do it; the Republicans will not. The one is impotent; th other hopelessly corrupt. Each men claim their fair share of responsibility for having contributed to th wreck and ruin of our once fair and stately republic. But, we will forgive the Democrats if now, with true self-abnegation, they will forego their efforts to save the republic democratically and unite upon new men, under another and less obnoxious name, to make common cause against the common enemy. Let the dead bury the dead, whilst live men attend to the living issues that are upon them.
We have the testimony of one of the most distinguished Democrats in this country, an ex-cabinet officer who has represented his country abroad -- that the Democratic party, with its war record, cannot succeed again in the North. And this fact should be obvious to all who note the signs of the times. Let us, therefore, taking the President's national policy and what is left of State-rights and the Constitution, as the basis of our organization, create a new national party that will be co-extensive with the Union. Whilst we are individually willing to forego and abandon every prejudice of a political character we ever imbibed, we are yet firmly convinced that a new party is indispensable to the welfare of the country.
The President, who has taken a noble stand in defence of the Constitution and republican government is in imminent danger of being overborne by a Radical and revolutionary Congress, and all patriotic men should rush to the rescue. Let us proceed at once with the organization.--There is no time to be lost.