The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-11-10


prosecute and degrade the free man in Massa
chusetts, or New York, or Ohio, or Wisconsin
} who dares breathe q word against the Balti.
: more Platform The Pope never claimed more
E despotic authority in spiritual affairs, than
Franklin Pierce claims in political. The creed
of Holy Mother Church is not to be more ga
credly observed than the Baltimore Platform
Believe it, and you shall be saved; believe il
not, and you shall be damned" So runs the
commandment.
What is it that has blown to so fierce flame
tho proslavery zeal of the Administration
What is it that drives it into this ruthless cru
SADIE against Northern Sentiment and Northern
Independence What is it that emboldens it
to the audacious attempt of debauching the free
States, crushing out their Anti-Slavery senti-
ment, and bringing them into submission TO
the dogmas and DEGREES of Slavery! We know
under what clap-trap phrases it wells it's sinister
purposes, how it talks about maintaining the
glorious Union" and "the guarantees of the
Constitution" and "good faith to the South, "
and the constitutional rights Of the States,
&c. Opposition to Slavery is not hostility to the
Union, or repugnant to the guarantees of the
Constitution, or inconsistent with good faith to
the South, or subversive of the rights of the
States What! is the system which subjects
three millions Of human beings to the absolute
will, and for the sole benefit, of three hundred
thousand of their fellOw-beings, 80 identified
with this Union and with our Constitution that
to oppose it is to assail thema The assumption
is libel on our institutions, and they who
avow or act upon it, are traitors to the cause of
American Liberty.
Gentlemen of the Administration, you are
fighting under false colors. Your diabolical
policy of presumption is instituted, not to main
tain the Union, for it is in no danger except
from such as you-not to preserve the guaraa
ties of the Constitution for we do not seek to
violate them-not to protect the constitutional
rights of the States, else you should put the
halter round your own necks: No. the real
purpose of your policy is, to give to the Slave
Power absolute, unquestioned supremacy over
the whole country; some of you, because you
believe in the accursed system of Slavery the
rest of you, because you fear to provoke its re-
sentiment or forfeit its support. BY committing
yourselves against Mr. Dickinson and his
friends in New York, who had signaized in
former times their devotion to the Slave Power,
and by favoring some who, notwithstanding
their present subservience to that Interest had
formerly opposed it, you began to be suspected
To vindicate your loyalty, and allay suspicion,
you first sacrificed John A. Dix, and appointed
to the French mission man dictated to you
by the Slave Power. You next made parade
of your devotion to its will, through a letter
written by tainted member of your Cabinet,
Mr.. McClelland, full of zeal for the enforce
ment of the Fugitive Law. Next followed
series of articles in the "organ," understood
to express your views, fercely denouncing an
imaginary plot for the Authorization of Cuba,
and declaring the resolute purpose of the Pres
ident to interfere by force to prevent in any
contingency the abandonment of that island to
negroes or to emancipation. And now we have
the "organ" and your Attorney General, and
the President himself, intcrmedding in the
States, in their State elections by threats of |
heavy pains and penalties, to prevent any CO.
alition, for any purpose whatever, between
Free-Soiers and Democrats and announcing
that it is the fixed purpose of the President to
crush out Abolitionism or Free. Soilism in any
form.
Is this alla Can your power reach no fur
Their? Can you not hit upon some new device
for demonstrating to the Slave Interest that,
despite your warfare against Mr.. Dickinson,
despite all he and his sympathzers may pre-
tend, you are just as efficient, loyal, and sub
missive agents as it can require! Do not de-
ceive yourselves. More will be required of you.
The Hards will bid above you for Southern
support. They will demand as condition to
Office, not only fidelity to Slavery in mans
present relations but in his anteeedents. They
will require, not only no opposition to Slavery,
but positive, active support of Slavery 1t will
not do to believe that it is an evil, although
you may have your faith to yourself; you must
believe, and act upon the belief, that it is, in
the circumstances, a good-not an evil to be
restricted, but good to be extended. The
Slave Interest will sustain the Hards in these
exactons, and you must endorse them or your
power is at an end.
So shameless has been the apOstacy of parties
at the North, so gross the treachery of North
ern politicians SO jealous have been the Union
Savers of our large commercial cities, so trucu-
lent some of our judges in administering the
Fugitive Slave Law, so yielding the masses Of
the Northern people, and 30 overwhelming was
the majority that brought General Pierce into
power on pro slavery platform, that the
Slave Interest is evidently under the impress
sion that its will is now supreme, and hence
forth there will be no restraint upon its pleas
ure
Shall this be so! What say the Anti-Sla-
very men of the country They have denounc-
cd the Slavery of the black man, and they now
which has riveted letters upon tho slave is
seeking virtually to dsfranchso them, and
make them outlaws upon their native soil
We rejoice at this, as we do at every revela-
ton of the detestable character of that Section.
al Despotism which has hitherto labored so in
} sdously for the supremacy. Abolitonists and
, Frees Sellers, as they are called are not to be
: inundated. Every fragrant act of pro-slavery
) aggression swells their ranks, by producing dis
: affection in the old parties, and arousing the
: indignation of moderate men, who have hither
to taken no interest in political affairs Yor
, may deceive the masses of the People by your
clamor about the Union and the guarantees o
: the Constitution, and thus draw them into tn,
support of an Administration protesting Nation
= atty but you cannot make them love Slavery