The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-05-06
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
TUESDAY MORNING, MAY .. 1851.



from the letter Of Gov Collier. OF Alabama. in which be
admits the oprs,y Of acqueseag in the laws passed by
The last Congress The subject Of slavery we embraced
the occasion 10 express conviction that this was the
general sentiment OF all the branches OF the democratic
party North and South II in the southern States there
has been dread Of the Compromise containing not
sudicsn, guarantee against the aggressons Of organ
lied anti slavery party in the northern States there has
been an indisposon to the measure, because il
seemed to carry with il the implication that the creed OF
democracy had been hitherto defective insufficient In
the one section there has been sensveness, resulting
from the conviction that wrong is still threatened in the
other the same feeling from the apprehension thai
the necessity for the Compromise, growing out OF the
uonobservance of the old landmarks OF the democratic
party would be used prejudice the organization Of this
party Both OF these feelings undoubtedly right since
the ruling motive of both is the love Of the Constitution
and Union Each agrees in the necessity Of strict
structon of the constitution and each declares that
al the dangers which have resulted from collisions
between the federal and State authorities are atrbu-
table to the neglect of those maxims and precepts
which have been illustrated by those republican states
men who have most successfully managed public in
terests II the constitution had been administered as it
was expounded by Washington and the fathers OF the
republic rs it was by Jefferson, whose opposition TO
the elder Adams in 1900 was regarded as great civil
reformation, il by Jackson, whose task was
not less arduous in overthrowing the sophsms Of the
younger Adams. there would have been any
sy for the two Compromises which have been produced
by the slavery question. Obvious. however, these
truths are. be admitted that the great danger pro-
daced BY departure from the true principles Of the
stu,on could be averted by nothing less than some
measure OF the kind adopted BY the last Congress When
the sentiment Of the great State of Massachusetts
senls to be represented by such a Sumner,
whose notonety Is founded alone his contempt Of that
provision Of the constitution which guarantees to the
southern citizen his right of property. some peaceful bar
er. behind which the patriotic and counteractng
srges of the whole people could be summoned, became
necessary and it is in this that the leading
members Of the democratic party united with Messrs.
Clay and Webster, and President Fillmore, 10 erect
such barrier. In the days of Washington, Jefer-
son, and Jackson, the powers OF the administration
sufficient, in operation with the sound pub
lie sentiment Of the country to arrest the innovations
which creeping into the holy polite and the spirit
OF faction and ana,csm could bring forward preien
sons that had 10 be appeased by compromise But,
alas! the times changed. and mutamur ,s
Our legislation had to record another signal example of
dangers which bese federal system when takes
coxnizance of interests that within its constu
tiona sphere The nti-savery sentiment foreign to
true philanthropy it is 10 the genius OF liberty and
constitution, headed BY MIR Adams and his followers.
was laid hold OF and fostered until il became strong
enough to overthrow the organizations by which the
republicans and democrats had sought to keep the ship
OF Stale where their doctrines had placed it, Whether in
the form OF abolition free soilsm the influence of this
anti slavery bad been denounced insurec-
tonary and dangerous in every national democratic
which the forms oil our constitution admitted Gen Jackson.
Van Buren,, Polk, Cass and every other prominent
OF The party whether in the North, South, East West
maintained the principle that non-nervenlon the part
OF the federal government could not be abandoned with
out destruction OF the Union-not tina, there
nmy OF opinion in regard 10 the institution Of slavery
moral social question. but that the duty inn
peative to adhere 10 the constitution which had with
drawn this subject as it had thousand others. from the
jurisdiction Of Congress. except far that jurisdiction
necessary to carry out the sovereign provision that
the should not be deprived Of his right to
his Save when fugitive from his service. But during
all this period the WING party not only failed to insist
this sound and necessary construction OF the constitution.
but the instfumestaty OF the zntisavery sentiment
VIGOROUSLY OF the reances OF this party weakening
the efforts of Jackson and his friends subsequently,
straning the federal government to its limited functions
well in regard to this very question OF slavery to all the
kindred attempts to keep up high arifs, unsafe internal
improvements and a moneyed system that favored mo-
nopoles. corporations, and a permanent public debt.
Among these the claim to interfere with slavery
has proved the difficult to defeai--no, that it is
obnoxious TO the genius Of the constitution than some
Of the others. bat that the subetes which support il
could with less diculty be addressed being located
rather in the sentiments of those who supported it,
moral question, than in any practical dangers which
could be made visible 10 the authors OF such sentiments
But il is not our purpose this occasion TO recur TO
the in political history which authorize the
assertion that the democrats as party have never
abandoned the platform the question OF slavery which
they occupied during the presidency OF Gene raj Jackson
MIR Van Buren,, Mr.. Polk. and the canvass which ter
minated by the defeat OF General Cass. Our principal
object in these remarks to bring the recollection OF
this party that the Compromise is bu, the reasseron OF
one OF their great principles and contains nothing which
can Justify the idea, very prevalent in quarters Of
he Union that the support OF that Compromise is lncon
sstent with the organization OF that party. it once
stood. triumphant in insisting that the powers OF the fed
er government should be construed literally, and
= loved a. 10 remove sectional discomfort and do equal
.cI to ell the sovereign members OF the confederacy
Tia, We whg party should that the principles Of the
r.:.x TAXA away the chief element OF their former