The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-17


Tho DemooTatio Organ.
Mr.. DONALDSON appeared in yesterdays Union
with his salutation to the Democratic party, on
assuming The duties of its metropolitan organ.
lie presents At length the platform of the party,
as he understands it. The Democratic party
has been 10 much divided Of late years. and par
ticularly on recent memorable occasion, that
1t required very general phrases to avoid Offend
ing some Of its segments or sections.
Mr.. DONALDSON, however, betrays at once the
disastrous tendency of federal party politics to
sacriice tie South to the North lie announces
that be will cordially sustain the recent com-
promise measures enacted by the constituted
authorities Of tho land" Now, we have to as
sure him at once, that in this sentiment he has
taken leave Of tho Democrats party in every
Southern State of this Union. In no State of
the South whatever, has that party declared any
such sentiment. In all cases, not even except
ing Tennessee, where that party has expressed
IN opinion in amy Southern State, 1t has been
one of disspprobation for that scheme. Cordial
support Of the compromise is the sentiment Of
portion Of the Democracy in the North only
another portion being hostile to il for concedng
too mash 10 the South. So far, therefore, is
the Washington Union now from representing
the Democracy on this question, that II repre-
sents bnt small portion of it-and that in the
North.
We give the language of the Union;
" This seems also, proper place for me to
remark, that shall cordially sustain the recent
Compromise measures enacted by the constituted
authorities of the land. shall never cease to
urge upon my fellow-citizens Of every quarter
Of the Union, that it is their indispensable Duty:
in all lawful ways, to promote the honest OBJ
servance and enforcement Of these measures,
and that their destinies are wrapped up more es-
pecially in the faithful execution Of the fugitive
slave law, since nothing less than this can or
ought to satisfy the slaveholding States 1t is
fortunate that this compromise is the joint work
of both the great political parties of the coun-
try, and that it may therefore be referred to in
all time to come az n monument of patriotism
which towers above the ordinary spirit of party,
when the safety Of the Union is threatened.
No political compact between States, however
close the union which it forms nor any series
Of measures intended to obviate difficulties aris-
ing out of the construction of such compact
can long endure unless each party does perfect
justice toall the rest. If it were otherwise, the
condition of the public sentiment and the pros
poets Of the country would be deplorsble in the
extreme. No free people can or will endure, for
any great length Of time, a pal abe violation Of
their rights to their property. Ten years elapsed
from the time when Granville introduced into
the British Parliament the first act vitality affect
ing the rights of the American colonists until.
blood was shed at Lexington; but throughout
these ten years the parties became every day
more and more estranced from each other
Former kind feelings and affectonate regards
were succeeded by alienation, by angry com
plaints and finally by hatreds, which it has re-
quired more than half century to eradicate,
after peace was concluded between the parties.
II vast majority of those most deeply interested
in the compromise are willing, for the sake of
peace, to abide by it in perfect good faith and
to sustain it, and If vast majority Of those least
if at ALL interested in it will not honestly assist
in the execution of its provisions, or will, by acts
done both openly and coyertly, render the part
for the delivery of fugitive slaves utterly null
and useless for all practical purposes, it requires
no prophet to foresee that the hopes Of every
patriot and every friend to human freedom must
soon be extinguished in the destruction of our
Constitution and the utter dissolution of our
: Union.
The Fugitive-slave law which is but the ex-
preston of constitutional injunction, must be
honestly enforced The constituted national
authorities must see it enforced. The true
owner of slave must be permitted to proceed
without harrassment to produce his proof before
the proper judicial tribunals, and, If Judgment
is rendered in his favor, he must be permitted
without any molestation, to return to his own
domicil with the property which has been finally
adjudged to belong to him under the Constitu-
ton and the laws of the land
Every calm observer must see and feel that
the question of slavery must be withdrawn
from the political arena, or that the preservation
of the Union will become an impossibility. To
accomplish this sacred object, it shall be my
constant endeavor to place before my fellow
citizens such statements and views as will be
calculated to disarm those fanrtics who imagine
that the institution of slavery. though recognised
by the federal compact. can be modified or an
nulIed by political power unknown to that
compact.
The first two reasons assigned by Mr.. Dos-
ALDsoN for cordial support of the compro-
mise, are that il is necessary to preserve the
Union, and that it was the joint work Of both
the political parties, and may be referred to in
all time to come as a monument of patriotism
which towers above the ordinary spirit Of
party" This is paying very poor compliment
to the two great national parties-to the De-
nocntic party particularly. For that party was
tho strongest in the last Congress. On the
great measures of the compromise, the two
parties were each extremely divided Hence, if
the preservation of the Union depended on the
compromise, the Union would have been lost if
it had been left to either Of the two great
parties.
If Mr.. DONALDSON were to succeed in giving
the entire control of Congress to his own party,
more than one-haf of it would be for annutlng
the compromise, If they should be no better
than they were last Congress. And, in giving
it cordial support, he separates himself from
that half of his party, which voted against the