The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-03-18

of producers and consumers, not capitalists
Their demand was, liberal commerclai pom
cy tending to open the foreign market fo'
their agricultural products, and allowing 'n'
competition of foreign labor and skill 10 cheap
en- the price of necessary articles OF consumP'
ton
Another bond of connection has been tounC
in the policy of Territorial Extension Tim
has always been favored by the Democratic
party at the North. Its instinct points to ma
tional ACKNOWLEDGMENT and the propagation o.
free institutions. The well-settled, hrmiy-es
tablished Colonies of great Power on ouI
North. have obstructed expansion In that quar-
ter and when the Democracy has betrayed
disposition to overleap them a restraining
hand has been uniformly laid upon 1T by the
Shareholders. But. on our Southern border
no such obstacles have existed, and here the
Democratic passion for territory has not only
been tolerated, but nurtured by Southern poll
ticians What their leading motive was, is
to be Inferred from the fact, that the whole OF
Florida, nearly all of Louisiana, and all OF
Texas, have been converted to the uses OF
Slave Labor, and to the Strengthening OF the
Slave Power. while California and New Mexi-
co, acquired by war originating with them'
have thus far been secured from the same desc
Grafton, only by the most extraordinary efforts
and agencies Both have sought territorial
extension, the Shareholders for sectional, the
Democrats for national aggrandizement Their
motives have been different, but the self-inter-
est of the former falling in with the generous
instincts of the latter they have acted in con-
cert
With this brief explanation of the nature
and causes of the intimate political connection
between the Northern Democratic party and
the Shareholders, let us for moment advert to
its consequences With the former, thequestions
just passed in review have been considered Of
paramount Importance and no cherished sec
tional interest has been allowed to interfere
with them with the latter they have been con-
sidered important, but subordnate-subOrdi-
rate tn 9 Seetionsi Snierest, ieaioas a2ssniSz,
always apprehensiye of danger,
always greedy of power What have been the
results! The Democratic party of the North,
intent upon great national questions, has suf-
fered itself, sometimes uncOnsciously, sometimes
against its incinations, sometimes with will,
to become subseryient to this Sectional Inter-
est. Its object was not to strengthen or en-
courage Slavery, but, with on eye fixed singly
upon questions respecting the commerce, the
finances the territorial extension of the coun-
try, to which it attached, perhaps, an exagger-
lted importance, it either failed to observe the
nsidious encroachments of Slavery, or submit
led to them rather than hazard what at the
time seemed more grave and urgent On the
other hand, the Shareholders assigned the first
place in their political calculations, to Slavery.
1t was their peculiar, cherished Interest An
anomaly among free institutions, it required
special vigilance to guard it against their con-
slant and inevitable action A bond of union
among them, it became source of political
power. Acting with the Democratic Party of
the North, they assumed the leadership they
prescribed the general course of policy they
defined the limitations on the operation of the
Principles held by them in common, they used
their influence to abate the prejudice Of their
Northern associates against Slavery, and to
induce them, ip disregard of their own funda-
mental doctrine of equality of rights, to sup
press any movement or even expression of
opinion against it. Hence, the Democratic
Party OF tho North, instead Of mpressing it's
radical doctrines of human rights upon Slave
holders, became itself impressed by their false
notions, and imbued with their prejudces We
find it acquiescing without Il struggle in the
extension of Slave territory; cooperating act
lively in the suppression of the right of petition
and freedom of debate in relation to Slavery
waging war against Aboltionists, and under
taking proscriptive Legislation against free
people of color submitting without murmur
to the monopoly by Shareholders of the first
offices in the Executive Department of the Gov
eminent, the first places and the principal
committees in the Federal Legislature, and to
their supremacy in all National Conventions
Our remarks apply in full force only to the
Past in relation to the Present, they must be
taken with qualification for every careful OBJ
server Of political events is aware that the con-
necton between the Democrats of the North
and the Shareholders of the South. has within
a few years been greatly endangered, and at
his day is weaker and less intimate than it
has been at any former period while there are
grounds for believing that it cannot much
onger be maintained, unless upon terms quite
litferent from those which have hitherto gov
rned it. The reasons are obvious. The great
questions of financial and commercial policy
which have enlisted them in common cause
.re either settled, or are now presented in such
shape that they can hardly be said to consti-
ute party issues. Nobody proposes to re-es-
ablsh National Bank; that is "an obsolete
dea.' The question of Internal Improvements,
which we forgot to notice in our review of the
causes of the political connection under con-
ideration) has been decided, once for all, in
accordance with the Democratic view, that to
he States and not to the Union belongs the task
# carrying on such improvements As to q
Tariff, even the Wings do not now pretend to
mge the principle of high protection, but
simply ask for certain notifications in the ex-
sting system of duties, in which they are sus-
aimed by portion of Democrats, with James
Buchanan ut their head; so that the Tariff can
hardly - said now 10 constitute great party
ssue. Only two subjects are left, of all those on
which the Northern Democrats and Southern
Shareholders formerly battled together-those
relating to the construction of the powers con-
Ierred by the Constitution, and to Territorial
~~o . ~a ,v,ora dnctrino al Than ,ro,