It has also been urged in behalf of Mr.Webster that he went no farther than the Republicans in 1860 in the way of concession, and that as in 1860 so in 1850, anything was permissible which served to gain time.

In the first place, the _tu quoque_ argument proves nothing and has no weight.

In the second place, the situations in 1850 and in 1860 were very different.
There were at the former period, in reference to slavery, four parties in the country--the Democrats, the Free-Soilers, the Abolitionists, and the Whigs.

The three first had fixed and widely-varying opinions; the last was trying to live without opinions, and soon died.

The pro-slavery Democrats were logical and practical; the Abolitionists were equally logical but thoroughly impracticable and unconstitutional, avowed nullifiers and secessionists; the Free-Soilers were illogical, constitutional, and perfectly practical.