The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-09-16

acquisition of territory, some portion of which
is already occupied by slaves, and two-thirds OF
which is laid open to slavery by law
And now what has been the effect of that
war upon both the Democratic and Wing CT
villains who either vigorously sustained it, or
opposed to it only feeble resistance? 1t made
the Caesars who have come back to rule over
Rome. But for the Mexican war, Gen. Taylor
would have remained frontier Colonel as
Mr.. Webster sneeringly called him, and not
even lunacy would have conceived of him for
President. But for the Mexican war, General
Scott though in honor and in bravery retain
ing his invincibilty, would have lacked, to po-
itical wOoers the more potent charm of avail
ability, and would never have been nominated
And but for the Mexican war, the shades of
oblivion would soon have perfected their easy
work OF hiding the name of Gen. Pierce from
the world forever. And now behold the civil
ians-Cass Buchanan, Marcy, and the rest
who stood sponsors and godfathers for that
bloody deed Defeated in l84S by the very
man whom the war they supported had raised
up! Gen. Taylor discounted only one Santa
Anna in Mexico, but half dozen at home.
Look, too, at Mr.. Webster, whose giant blows.
had they been struck at the fitting time, might
have broken the helmet and pierced the mailed
armor OF that Mars; yet see him thrust aside
in lSiS, to make room for one hero born of that
war; and in 1852 hardly allowed to enter his
name as a competitor against another. In
1852, also, see General Pierce, who had about
as much to do with the Mexican victories as
little lulus had with the Trojan war, yet pluck
ing the nomination from Cass Buchanan,
Marcy, Douglas, and all the rest. The camp
triumphs over Cabinet and Senate. The &C.
ddu drma togo is read backwards How many
Of these warriors will remain in 1856, and in
1860 to shoulder aside the civilians for the third
and fourth time because they were false to
their duty in waging or in tolerating that war,
remains to be seen But what a righteous
retribution for those civilians who, at first,
might have prevented, or afterwards might
have stayed, that effusiOn of human blood As
n specimen of poetic justice, romance or drama
has nothing finer.
| have, sir, but one topic more to present,
before | shall have sufficiently disobeyed and
dehed the Baltimore resolutions, for this time,
and shall be ready to sit down. AS said be-
fore, present omens forebode i'll to the cause of
freedom, in this land; but more searching
analysis throws cheering light upon our pros
poets.
Let us see in the first place, why it is that
the North, with almost two-thirds of the popu-
latOn and of the votes Of the whole Union, is
controlled on all questions pertaining to slavery
by the other third belonging to the South
The answer is at hand. We at the North are
divided into two parties-Whigs and Demo-
crats-who balance, and in all political con-
tests neutralze each other Nominally the
South is divided into the same parties, but in
whatever regards slavery it is undivided and a
unit-ndissoluble as the Siamese twins for
where you find Chang you are sure to find Eng.
On tariffs, river and harbor improvements, and
80 FORTH they carry on feeble and somnolent
warfare among themselves; but whenever the
tocsin of slavery is sounded, they awaken to
seize their arms, and form in solid column for
a quick-step march to the point in contest
Hence, by obtaining. the feeblest support from
the North-generally speaking by stealing
marches upon us, while we are engrossed by
our accustomed vOcations-an easy triumph is
won. The nominal division of parties there
fore, is very far from being the true one The
country is, and for a long time has been, for all
purposes aside from the spoils of Office, divided
into three parties of very nearly equal num-
bers-the Wings and Democrats of the North,
and the PrO-Slavery party of the SOuth-the
latter, with the slightest aid, or even with &C
quescence from either of the others, being
able to prevail. And this will continue to be
the case, until practical Anti-Slavery party
is formed at the North, to balance this Pro
Slavery party of the South, and to do battle
for liberty as they do for slavery. Such
party, in sufficient numbers to contend success
fully with its antagonists may not be immedi-
ately formed, and therefore | see before us a
period of struggle and trial. But the spirit of
God Is on our side in this work. The laws of
the moral universe, the laws of nature the laws
OF population and power, are our allies and
therefore we must prevail
Look at the amazing fact that the Southern
States, with more than double the area of the
Northern, after an experiment of more than
sixty years OF free government, have but about
half the free population of the latter | saw
the area of the former is more than double the
area of the latter but this is by no means the
only element of their natural superiority.
Their mider climate, their more fertile and
easily-cultivated soil, and its happy adaptation
for producing the great staples of commerce
which the whole civilized world will have and
are ready to pay for, gives to the South at
least twO-fold advantage over the North acre
for acre, or State for State. With their super
eminent and easily-understOod advantages the
Southern section of this Union might possess,
and but for its slavery would to-day possess,
three-fold the population of the Northern sec
tion-all free, all blessed with more Astounding
comforts and competence and with all the
means OF establishment education, and univer-
sal culture. AS compared with the North in
all that gives individual independence or social
strength, instead of being as one to two, they
should be as three to one. Ohio and Kentucky,
separated only by ribbons width of water,
illustrates this problem, even to school-boys. 1t
is slavery and slavery alone, that has struck
them down from their lofty prominence that
has dwarfed their gigantic capacities, and
driven them to maintain an ascendency-ult-
matey worthless, and worse than worthless
by suborning Northern politicians, instead of
exulting in the legitimate superiority of home
born and undecaying vigor.
And this is only the fulflment of an eternal
law which always has been, and always will
be, exemplifed in the history of mankind-the
law that all error is weakness; that all wick
edness is dementa. By law, fixed as gravi-
tatiOn, error tends to rum and moral wrong to
imbccity. Let any individual act upon false
theory, and in that his hopes will be dsap-
pointed and his fortunes manned Let com
munity legalize false principles Or adopt evil
institutions into its organic law--which is ITS
sensorium-its strength becomes faintness, and
its glory turns black. False notions. or even
ignorance about the laws of health, bring dis
ease upon an individual, or epidemics upon IA
country. False conclusions in political economy
bankrupt a city or the treasury of nation
False metaphysical or theological dogmas
cramp the faculties, vitiate the knowledge, and
repress the aspirations of their possessors and
the schools or the sects that adopt them dwin-
die into weakness, become contemplate, and
perish God kills out error by the meanness
of its results Neither caste, primogeniture