Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-10-30
VOL. VI, NO. IS ns1ns VOL XII, NO. 500
The True Issue.

/ The True Issue.
Believing there yet remains consid-
cradle number of reading men who remain
under the influence of demagogues, we
copy the following plain and sensible ar
tlcle from the Chicago Democratic Press.
la paper that adheres to ancient landmark
democracy. 1t assuredIy gives the posi-
ton Of the Republican Party, SO far as
the Slavery question is concern
led:
It has not escaped the memory of most
of our readers, that for several years, es-
Ipecially during the great notification ex-
lcitement, whenever the South wished to
lcarry through Congress some favorite
scheme, the speeches of her politicians and
her newspapers teemed with threats of dis
union. Had it not been for the patriotic
Ifirmness Of jackson, it can scarcely be
doubted that these disunionists might have
made serious troubles for the country
These threats for time produced their
4ettfaet and enabled the South to bully a
bers and retain, as in former wears, al
most the entire control of the govern
ment. & a3
He has read the history Of his country
in vain who does not know that for most
Of the time since the adoption of the con-
stitution the controlling influence has been.
a Southern influence. They have always
had a large majority Of the offices and
lsome Of their journals only a few months
since boasted that all the Northern people
were tit for was to manufacture and traffic in
such articles as the South needed for their
consumption. @
The people of the south demanded that
i Missouri should be admitted as a slave
State, and it was granted. A line, how
lever, was established, beyond which that
dark blighting institution was not to 90.
We have the authority Of Mr.. Douglas
himself for the important fact that Kit had
: an origin akin to that of the Constitution
itself that it had become canonized in
the hearts Of the American people as a sa-
Icred thing which no ruthless hand would
lever be reckless enough to disturb" The
patriots and statesmen of the whole coun-
try till the last Congress regarded the ques-
ton as to the freedom of all the territory
belonging to the Union, north of thirty-six
thirty, as settled for ever. ''No ruthless
hand would ever be reckless enough to
disturb it."
i The South wanted more slave territory
land more slave States, and the nation was
lplunged into a war to obtain it. It was
acquired, and Texas was received into the
i Union as a slave State, with the provision,
i that four other States might be admitted up
on the same basis.
/ Again, the old laws in reference to the
lreclaiming of fugitive slaves had become in
Operative, and something more efectual
was required to bring back their ''proper-
ty,'' and the fugitive slave law was passed
lin 1850. Much dissatisfaction was ex-
pressed all over the free States, the North
{ yielded, aud all was peace and harmony
/ The country, tired Of the ceaseless agita-
: tons was glad to find repose, and had not
the South become intoxicated by SO many
successful aggressions upon the feelings and
| rights Of the North, and its politicians de-
manded the repeal of the Missouri Com
promise, SO far as we can Judge, all angry
discussion on this yexed question had ceas-
cd forever
The Compromise was repealed, and the
: whole country was thrown into state of
wild excitement and alarm. The South
| begins to feel that it has overstepped the
, bounds of prudence, and by this comman-
ding breach Of faith may lose more than it
lis likely to gain. clustering and bravado
are now laid aside, and most of It's papers
set up most piteous whine, and fill col
umns with doleful complaints about the
aggressions of the Northern people upon
Southern rights.
The object of all this is too palpable
Ito be mistaken The South is aware that
the Free States are becoming conscious of
: their strength. The fourteen millions Of
: lfreemen who inhabit them, can no longer
be influenced by threats and bravado and
a lame attempt to excite sympathy is the
only resource.
Much as we have lost by the chicanery
of political knaves, we can with confidence
5 assure our Southern brethen that the
Northern people, with the exception of a
few fanatics, are content that they should
enjoy their "peculiar institution" so long
as it is not sought by breaking solemn
compacts to enlarge and extend it. They
shall have all their rights to the fullest ex-
tent of the compact but duty to them
selves and to the Union require that the
people of the free States should say to sla-
very ''hitherto mayest thou come, but no
further, and here shall they big hting in
fluences be stayed"
gg The New York Express thus hap
PLY hits off the fallacy Of the doctrine OF
popular sovereignty as a tangible prin-
, Iciple:-
"The Nebraska bill disowns this nrinci-
Iple of popular sovereignty. One General
), Pierce, whose home is in New Hampshire,
and who happens just now to live in Wash
ington, makes the executive and judicial
! powers, the very greatest Of all powers Of
!. the government, for the popular sovereigns
that live in Nebraska.
"This Gen. Pierce makes his governor,