Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-10-18

LUIS az ~ as tlc CutIiSIcO
and overriding purpose Of large and
estimable portion Of the American People
to prevent the Extension of Slavery un-
der the Flag Of our Union. To effect
this end. two opposite courses were sew
orally recommended. The Wings insist
ed that the only practical and effective
course would be to stand with the Wing
party. to Undue it as strongly as possible
with the Anti-Slavery spirit. and 1, o rely on
the declared views Of its candidate and
the predominant sentiment of its mem
bers to prevent the consumation Of the
Texas lniquitv. The Liberty party on
the other hand, insisted tina, this was all
empty and lying pretence--thatt the Wings
were no more hostile to Slavery Extension
than their opponents--and that Texas
was Just as likely to be annexed if CLAY
as if Polk should be chosen President
More likely. said James c. Brney: but
we do not think the mass ofhis party was
was SO knavish as that.) Throughout
the canvass the Liberty candidates. Jour
nails and canvassers rang the changes on
the preposterou>, the glaring absurdity of
voting for Stakeholder in order 10 pre-
vent the Extension Of Slavery. They
represented Mr.. Clay as the great oracle
and embodiment of the Slave Power. and
insisted that his position was equivocal.
his language Jesuitical. his intentions
clearly hostile: and that the only way 10
defeat the Annexation of Texas was to
vote for James c. Birnev as President
with the Liberty candidates for Governor.
&c.
We earnestly resisted this train of ar.
sument, believing it unsound. We were
denounced as recreant to Liberty. will
fling tool of the Slave Power. &c &C. but all
that mattered but little. The main feature
worth recalling is the event. SiNty-odd
thousand voters, nearly all Of them really
meaning to oppose Slavery Extension.
were induced to vote for Birney. whereby
Clay was defeated. and Polk with Con-
gress to match was chosen to rule the
country. And the Liberty oracles eX-
ulted over the fact that SO many had with
stood all appeals made to them to support
the Wing candidates in order 10 defeat
Annexation.
Mr.. Polk came to Washington the Pres
ident elect, and, by the use of the enor
NOUS patronage Of the National Execu-
tive. together with his own extraordinary
capacity for duplicity and falsehood, was
enabled to force through Congress Joint
Resolutions proposing and conserving to
Annexation on certain alternative condi-
tons. lie carried this great point by
promising certain weak brethren of his
party that he would adopt the Benton plan;
requiring a preliminary negotiation with
Mexico, rather than the other, which com
mitted us to Annexation abruptly and at
all hazards; but, this secured, he took
care that Tyler should adopt the more
reckless alternative on the last day but
one Of his Presidential term. and send of
a messenger communicating the fact to
Texas. SO we were in for Texas, and
for the War, the Debt. the carnage and
the Decentralization which have resulted
therefrom.
The triumph Of Annexation took many
by surprise, and excited profound SEN
sation We will give single illustration
of the feeling naturally aroused. The
news reached thrifty village near the
center Of this State. where the whole mat
ter had been very earnestly discussed in
the Presidential canvass; and instantly
the bell was rung and one of the churches
crowded with an agitated assemblage. A
friend who had fought the Birney party to
the best Of his ability through the canvass
/ dtlu WI1Oul We hiiO" dS q oluSCIC
thorough contemner Of Slavery, rose and
stated that the deed was now irrevocably
done. and that nothing remained but that
the Liberty Party should do justice by go
ing out like Judas and hanging itself. This
friend is now very ardent in his advocacy
Of the Buffalo Movement. We are sure
he means TO be right: we do not expect
him to judge with equal charity the mo-
r. y. ~
from his
For our own part, we shall confide, in
this new crisis, in the conscience and
heart of the Wing party. We believe
our party, if restored to power, will not
commit suicide by consenting to the Ex-
tension of Slavery. At all events. having
seen the Third Party experiment once
tried with the most deplorabe results. we
want to see one fair trial of the opposite
policy The result of Third Party dis
traction and defeat of the Wings is on
record; that of triumph of the Wing
party over such distraction is about 10 be
tried, and we are confident with a better
issue. At all events. it cannot be worse.
If our hopes on this point be blasted. some
of us will be pretty thoroughly used up,
like Rirney & Co. in '44-5, but let Us
have a trial. If the House were SO divi-
ded that the Buffalo candidate Cor any
other but Cass) stood a chance there, we
should not feel SO confident that our
course was the right one. Let Time VIM
dictate or brand il as it shall be found to
! have deserved.
The Shepherd Boy and the Pain
ter.
| In the year 1916, about forty miles from
! Florence, in the town of Nesplgnano
there lived poor laboring man named
Bondone This man had son whom he
brought up in the ignorance usual to the
lowly condition of peasant boy. Blu
the extraordinary powers of the child. un
cultivated as they necessarily were, and
his surprising quickness Of perception
and never-failing vivacity. made him tbs
delight of his father, and Of the unsophis