What Will The Whigs Do?

This is a most important question Tor the Whigs of Michigan to answer, just now. The fact thatwearein a minorily in ihe State, whieh is fast sétiling to the New Hnmpshire Srnndard, is too apparent. Inaciivity and discouragement is taking the place of action and energy. The party is not just to itself, inddoes nut show its full strength at the elections. Do we mean to surrender ;he State entirely, and wait until Locofocosm shall destroy itself after the manner of New York? Th:s is the only aiternaive, unless the party will take hold of !ie subject in n very different spirit from whnt the last election exhibits. We do ïot sny these things to produce discouragemcnt- just the contra y. The Whig party of Michigan isstrongerotigh, wlien it will p.ct with nll its Piiergy, to makei!t,e!t" feit very pmverfully eflry-j where. Perhaps we cannotcarry (he ' Stnte on a general ticket, ('though we cnn come much noarer to it tháh most people think ) lut we are abundar tly able to show nt all times n very formidable front in ihe Legislatjrr, and with that the State can be quickly redeemed. We know th;it the qtiestion ís asked all over the State- whnt shall e do? and this must be nnswered. The leaders fnot in the Mexican war) have got to pui on their ai mrr and bestir themselve.sór the rank and file Won't iight much longer. We have been looking 10 our Whig colemporaries for a line of conduct on this subject; but they seém as calnr as if we had just won a great victorv, inslead of suffering a most shanieful' defeat. Thé Detroit Advertiser, our accredited organ, is, wesupiose, too busy manufaciuring Ihunder for Mr. Poiï's toar, to attpnd at all to this subject at present. We hope, ho wever, to hear from the Col. bv arid b'y. - State Gtnette. The preceding article, ■ which is a leader in the Whig pnper at Jackson, affords some rtiaterials for reflection and comment. We have been aware for some time that ' the question has been asked all over the State- "u-hal shall we do?" It is an oppropriate- a sensible question to be isked by W higs, and as the Editor truty says, it jitsT be an. sïvered." The recent election, in w;ch the Whigs ost.on tl e vote for Governor, every county in the Siate, wher. with a full turn out they might have carried quile a number.and néarly cnrried otbfrrs, shows that the zea] of the Whigs for the success of their party is diminisliing.- For this, os for every other result,there must be an adequate cause. Ifaving formerly acted wilh the Whig party ourself, we have observed its curse of policy in this Siate with Ihe more interest ; and at the hazard of being tho't presump'uous and meddling in the business of our neighbors, we will venture to throw out a suggestion or two on the causes of this depressedstate of the Whig parfy, and the means by wbich ils prospects may be improved. 1. The first cause is, that the oli! Whigissuesof Bank, TarifT, Land Distribution, &c, have losl theirpower of exciting enthusiasm in the mass of Whig olers. Every observing man may notice this. Whigs beheve in these old doctrines in a modified form: b-ut ihey have not interest enough in them to excite to successful aclion. The times and nationat parties and measures must change with them. 2. The second cause is the want of an important, paramount, and exciting issue with their polilical opponents. The Whigs of Michigan have no such issue beforo tho people. Opposiiion to the Annexation of Texas would have been such an one, in 184, had the Nationa! Wb'gs had a candidate of that opinión. Bul ihey had nol. On certain conditions lie was for Annexation : andof course no unconditional issue coiïld be made. Thus this opporlunity for a fair fight, on good vantage grom d. ns!ost. Opposition to the War vriih Mexico as another question of pnramount mportance, on which the whigs of Michigan Tiight have mnde a fair stand. The greal massef the party in tl e State - es)eca]y mechanics and farmers are much opposed to the war, and have pnthized with the views of Coiwin's Speech. AH believe it unnecessary. many of them iliink I unjust on our pan, and nanny believe tlinl one design of cuninuing it is to stciKe more Sfave Terriory. llence fhej i it further rosecution. But t' dr views seldom find xpression through the VVhig pnpfirs. - ''he leading Whigs, like J. M. Ilovvard. G. W. Wisner, &c, afraidof heing calad '0kl Fedenilisïs," have joined the Jem'jcrals in advocating the proseculion f the War, or ir. ffttravagatit glorificaon of the actors in it; nnd the Editors, illowing the lead of the Detroit Advertiser (whose conductor has been expecting, nnd now has obtained a commi.ssion n the army,) hava united in advocating men and rnoney far Mr. Polk 's war. Of co'urse, under these circumstaneee, they could make no party issue on the question of the continuance oi'the War. Thus these opporiunifies for making sirong, if not succ-ersfu! stands agriinst the positions of the Dcmocrats, have been lost. Nolhing important has been substituted rn their place; and henee, the indisposition of "the rank and file to fïght, much longer," referred to by the Gazette. They will not fight without an important, paramount, and interesting object for fighting is presented to them; and no such has been beibre them. Their papers have given an uncertain sound, and have been ready to spport Gen.Tayior, advocate "Roughand Ready Clubs," and pursue similar plans of demagogueism. - A minority party cotnposed, as the Whig party to a considerable extent is, of intelligent and thinking men, cannot be' roused to enthtisiasric and successful action by any such devices. 3. A third reason tor the depres?ed comlition of the party, is its backwardness on questions ofDomeslic Refurm, as the Eléction or aH officers by the People, Hnmestead Exemption,B.ink Restrictions, and Improvement of Lrgal Procsedings. On these subjects, so far as the Whig party has acted at all, it has followed in the wake of the Demociats, and thereby given them a decided advantage. - Besídi?s, it has not espoused these ures will a volunlary, hearty good wilt, but has vaited ío be crovvded and pushed along by public opinión. Now the friends' of these and similar Reforms in the Whig party are numerous, and in iheir sphere, many ot ihem are influeniial; and however much their infiuence may be despUed by the rich and Honorable l.nvyors who hend the parfy at,Detroit,the zealous éoópëration of this class through the State is absólutely essenti al to the successof the party. And v-hat inducement have Ihey for zealous and laborious efforts for the supremncy of the Whig party, whenthe olijécts in which they feel deepest interest will be more spéedily and effeciualiy accomplished by the success of the Democratie party? The refo.-matory pnrtion of the Whig party, have,theréfbre,little interes! to exertthetnselves for the election of conservative Whig candidales, many of whom are decidedly opposed to the principies they most valué, 4. A foürth reason fur the n'iscouraging condition of the Whig party, is ilsoppo. süion to decided antislavery aclion. On fhis subject ihere has been a general agreement, if not unanirnity cf views among the leaders of the party. Thelr policy ha been to ld anüslavery alone. True, they have professed an inert opposiiion to the extensión of'Slavery: but n reference to its conlinudn.ee and the mointenance of its supreinacv in the land, they have not taken any stand. - The recent State Conveniion at Jackson, in nnnouncing the Whig Creed, did not even speak favorably of the Abolilion of the Slave Trade in the Federal District. The reason why undoubtedly was, because some of the leaders vvere expecting to support for tho Presidency Gen. Taylor, Mr. Clay, or some other veteran slaveholder, whose administra - lion would ïüake the maintenance of National Slavery and Slavetrading a cardinal point in its actio-n. In the Whig party in this State exists a large amount of nntislavery feeling. Some thousands of thein are readers df religious or other antislavery publications; and though their interest on the subject may not induce them to join the Liberty party, yet they would rejoice to see their own party tiking efficiënt aclion on the subject. No such aclion has been taken, or even breen proposed to be tüken.by the leaders, whu know not how soon they n,uy find it tbr llieir inierest to be shouting for the electionofa Slaveholding President. Henee, that class of Whig voters wlio liave a deen interest in atitislrivery progress, have but little interest in laboring lor the sucoess of ihe party, or even in votingfor itecandidates. h muy be tho'l ïhat this class is so small tliat its influence is un important But when an election is to be carried againsta powerful pa r':y, ito voles are unimportant. - Suppose lliat the clnss of antisiavery tvhigs we hpve de.ccnbeá wil! arernge ony ttree to each town in the Staie. The sum total woul'J be r.'ea-ly Two Thousand enough to decide 'ar.y cos'-ly contested elec;ion. Besides, the injlaencc of these Two Thousand ia staying away frora ihe polls, and saying to every bxly, "We don'l care any thmg ttbout tho election tliis year," is most discournging and disnstrous lo the party lo which ihey belong. Tlie most successful VVhig Siates of the Ea.st, as Vermont, Massachusetts, New Ilampshire, have endeavored to concüiate this cïasss of tlieU' vot&rs by passing the strangesl antislavery resolutions; nnd they have found their advantage in doing so, as it has kppt up their expectations that the Whig party would uhimatulv do something in the antislavery canse. In thiS wny we presumo thousands have heen kent f rom joioing th& Liberfy party. Now -.ve are upon this subject, r,a wül mention what lias been stated ti us as a prominent reason for the neglect of the Whigs of Michigan to make sny antislavery professions. It is sai i that during the exciting canv.'iss of 1844, certain ?ro i. inent leaders of the party in Detroit became angry. nay, absoluiely mad igainst the Liberty party, end are delermined therefore, to manifest Iheir spile by showing an mter repugnance to nntislarery principies. They can 'Teed fat tlieir grudge" in this way, ifthey please; and perhaps can continue to persuade! höir party to do likewise; but in the; diminülion ofilieir own personal niïuence nnd standing, and in the transfer of the control of the party intu the hunds of a different das-i of men, wliich ivilltafcc' place at no distant day, ifthey presist ín ! tlieir course, they will find, in the end ! that they have spited thémwlVea more than whers. We aiemostfully convincedthat the Whig party in this State can never tri-I umph, nor even atiain a prosperous and tlniving condil;on,until it takes broaH.decided, and permanent antislavery ground. No half way measures will beofanv: avail. The question of Slavery, in sorne of its phases, is U be, and indeed ah-eady is, the great, pa:wount, excilihg national quésfion;' and a party that blinks it, or pursues a vaccillating, uncertain coiirse respecting it, cannot hope to succced. The Jackson Gazette refors to the ' New Hampshire standard " of Whiggery, alluding, we suopose, to the fact that it was in a continued and sinall minority for some twenty ycars. We would remind the Gazette that there is now anothc.r standard of Whiggery in that State, which bas already held the reina of Government, and which will dbubtlesi ngain resume hem the coming year. This transilion, f rom a smal] mihority to the possession of ihe supreme power of ilie Siale, be it remenbered, iias been attained only by the strongesl antislavery avowals and action. flus is the cause of the succetsof the party in New Hampshire - a cause that will be equally powerful inJRváry o'.hcr Free State where il may be tried. We have thrown out these hints to U'higs in the most caudid and libera! spirit. They can make what ush of them their t.-uthfulness may seem to authorize. We know tiiat a Wge portion of the Whigs have been prejudiced agninst the Liberty party, feeling as though we were teculiauly hoslile to them, and were exceedingly desirous of ther destruction as a party, by aiding in procuring the permanent ascendency of the Democr;its of our State. l?ut we know that this impressiou is entirely un founded. VVtiile the Uvo parties are proslavery, we have no choice between them, as we can expect no antislavery fruits from eithor. But we have nothing lo hope from the ascendency of the Democratie party. During ihe six years they have had all power in their hands, they havo Dut complied with our ofien repeated and numèrously signed memoriaU to the Legislature. Ttieir attitudeiVoneof open and undisguised hostility It is true that they inostly refiain from direct ahuse of us, not because they huve any sympathy with our principies os objects, bui because they are fearful such a course might drive the Liberty party into some concert of action with ihe Whigs, which might result in jheir overthrow. But so lar as ihe objecU we have iö view are involved, they heve pnfríscd no f iendship for them - thjy have done nothing to nccomplisn tliem - they have nnt piomised to do auy tliing. To a poli tical pnrty ihus trealing us, ve are under no obligation', even of good wishes; iind we know of do reason wliy the power ofcfFeoting ibeir perpetual overihrow, f once plnced in our hands, -hould not be used for that purpose.