Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1854-02-15

TONE OF NORTHERN I JOURNALS. 81

1t is most gratifying, after witnessing the hesita
ton and uncertainty evinccd by such Southern Wing
papers as the Raleigh Register TO turn to those Nor
thernj Journals which have taken bold and decided
ground in favor of the Nebraska and Kansas bills
The Pennsylvanian the old and trusted organ of the
Pennsylvania Democracy, closes long and able ar
ticle on the subject as follows:
"Thisis tissue that will once more test the tone
and temper our people The path is easy and
plain before US Demagogues and traitors will beset
it with their vile Vaccinations. The baled malcon-
tents of 1850 hurled then into most miserable and
merited minority, are already again at work. Hap
PLY, in this emergency, we have in Franklin Pierce
safe, cautious, and fearless leader On this grave
issue he will be found among the foremost in def:nd-
ing and supporting the principles of the bill report
ed by Senator Douglas Monday last To all the
clamor of those who have doubted his fcalty to the
great principles of the Compromise of 1850, he will
now reply by his actions in behalf of these same
principles, asserted for purpose less wise and
beneficial than that which aroused the public heart
less than four years ago.
We will answer for Pennsylvania She is sound
to the core. Her democracy-aye, and many of her
wings, too-wil not be gullcd by the trcksters and
jugglers of fanaticsm She has been accustomed to
such trials. She has won the nations applause by
her past fidelity by her early promptitude and cou
age in defence of the constitution and bv the vcto-
ries she has achieved local dsafecton She will
not forfeit her claim to universal and continued con-
fidence by any future departures from the path of
patriotic duty"
The Detroit Free Press, the organ of the Michigan
Democracy, says:
1--WE have no fears of the fate of Mr.. Douglass
bill; and we do not apprehend that the country can
be seriously disturbed by renewal of slavery agi-
tation. There is a democratic majority in both.
houses of Congress sufficiently large to pass the b
and At wiu be passea-and the objects of those in
Congress and out of it, who seek to open the old
sores between the North and the South are too we'll
understood to again deceive any portion of the peo-
pic. s"
We know of no Whig journal in the free States
which advocates the BILL "
The following article from the Washington Union
will put our readers in possession in few words of
the character and object of the measure under con-
sider.tion:
"The Nebraska bill assumes that the Compromise
of 1850 settled the slavery question, and recognises
the right of the Nebraska community to determine
its own constitution when it comes into the Union
and to clothe it with the attribute of selgovernment
The people Of an old State, Kentucky for instance
can abolish slavery they may retain slavery. In
either case the general government would have moth
ing to say to it. Would anybody say that, by the
constitution power is conferred Congress to re-
strain the action of State to its local affairs
Would not this infringe palpably on State-rights?
poses to regard Nebraska in from the start-on the
footing of equality with the States. They propose
to keep out the slavery question from the action Of
Congress-as in the compromise measures it is kept
out of the territorial governments of Utah and New
Mexico. Should this bill succeed, then Nebraska,
Utah, and New Mexico will stand on the same foot
ing and the policy will be fixed that the settle
ment of this question will be a finality.
The question, then, whether Nebraska shall tolcr-
ate forbid slavery is left for the decision of the
people-just the source where, in government Of
the people, the question ought to be left. The Com
promise settled the question in this manner, and the
people also settled it when they called the present
national administration, boldly svowing the doctrine
at.the outset, into power.
There ought, then, to be serious opposition to
the bill by democrats. The sentiments it contains
among the cardinal doctrines of the democratic
| party, reafirmng the principles under which the
democratic party rallied under the leadership of Gen
Pierce and gained q glorious victory"