Parties.
A contemporary, objecting to a recent remark in this paper that the Whig party of the twenty- five years preceding the war allowed itself to be merged in the Republican party, and thus led the way to the late war, contends, in reply, that the Whig party was never responsible, in any way or shape, for any war that was ever fought in this country, "except, possibly, the war of the revolution." Then, it is altogether Innocent; for, since the Whig party, of which we speak, had no existence prior to 1832, it could have had no hand, by possibility, in the revolution of 1776.
But it is a fact that Whig party of a score or more years existence was, at the
North, mainly swallowed up in Republicanism in 1856 and '60 and disappeared as such from the face of the earth.
It was actually dead — could make no war — and was not charged with it; yet its death put all power in the hands of the party which brought upon the country the issues which terminated in war. The writer of this had been a Whig, and felt the keen pang of mortification at beholding that powerful organization, in which he had put so much faith, melt away, like snow before the sun, and pass into the creeks and the rivers and the subterranean streams.
It went down in the great flood, like a big ship, leaving nothing visible but the top, of its tall masts.
Yes, and
Washington Hunt, with a few personal friends, climbed up there and cried out to the storm for help; but they were considered crazy and were not heeded.
The voice of this "last man" finally died away, and he, of course, was to be considered politically dead.
Supposing that had the Whig party remained firm, the war might have been, at least, postponed, the regret at its fate was all the more poignant.
To enter more particularly into the discussion may be a matter of complacency with our contemporary; but, for the present, we rest satisfied with its edifying reference to the long past period of '76.
