The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-02-16

People of the North are too prosperous to be
long unhappy, and too practical to remain agi-
tated and restless about what cannot be help
ed. Repeal the Missouri Compromise, and you
will soon see them as quiet as if nothing but
the most commonplace event had happened
one going to his farm another to his merohan-
disc, another to his workshop, oil dcprecating
agitation, and trusting to Providence to repair
damages!
Besides, they say, our Party Machinery is
so perfect, that it can easily crush out" any
lingering spirit of discomfort Thus we man
aged in 1850. What had been forced through
Congress against the wishes of majority of
the People and their Representatives, only
by peculiar combination Of influences extort-
ing their reluctant assent, we adopted as the
creed OF the Party, and required adherence to
as test of Democracy We will repeal the
Missouri Compromise, thereby settle the Cues
ton Of Slavery and save the Union once more,
and then swear on the altar Of Party that the
settlement is a finalty and whosoeyer shall
presume to question it shall be prescribed
and doomed man--cut off from all fellowship
or hope of prefarment in the glorious Demo
cratic party of the country.
We have the patronage of the Government,
too at our disposal. That poor fellow, who
has voted With as in Opposition to hv consttu-
ents, shall find shelter from their wrath in q
consulship. That noisy editor, if he will eat
his own words and adopt our new Shibboleth,
shall have Post Office printing. Five hun
dred dollars will readily buy him. AS for that
smooth faced, busy, intriguing demagogue, who
has been agonizing over the plot of the Slave
holders to swindle the North, a fat contract
will turn the current of his thoughts to peace
and you may expect to see him soon the very
apostle of harmony and concord.
And in this way do these patriotic sehemers
in Congress, who do go love and reverence the
People, practically affront and dishonor them
THE GREAT APOsTACY-IT CONSEQUENCES.
Never was the power of the Anti Slavery
Sentiment, as an element in the politics of this
country, so formidable as in 1913, when the
Radical Democracy Of New York State avowed
their purpose to divorce the Government of the
United States from Slavery, and place it act
lively on the side of Liberty, and evineed the
strength of their purpose by defeating the
Presidential candidate of the National Party
with which they had been accustomed to act,
on the ground that practically his position was
favorable to the extension of Slavery. 1t is not
too much to say, that to this demonstration,
chiefly, Oregon was indebted for the establish
ment of Territorial Government, excluding
Slavery from its limits, and California for the
Anti-Slavery Constitution it now enjoys
Their position was lofty one, securing to
them, in our judgment, the power to decide the
conflict between Freedom and the Slave Inter
est, by setting bounds to the latter, and restor-
ing to the former its original influence in the
Government, with the certain prospect of the
speedy decadence of Slavery. Bearing legiti-
mately the popular name, Democracy "-pos-
sessing the Democratic organization and lead
ership of the State-casting majority of the
Democratic vote and commanding the sympa-
thies of many of the minority, as well as of the
Wing Party-invigorated by the absorption of
the dIstinctivciy Anti Slavery Party-repre-
senting the real views of q majority of the
People of the free States-with leader of
eminent position and capacities = had they
stood firm, had they consistently and energeti-
cally pressed the application of their doctrines.
they would have become the nucleus of q real
Democratic Party, informed and controlled in
all its policy by the Democratic Principle.
which would soon have arrayed the political
power of the free States on the side of Free
dom, and enlisted the co operation of men of
concurrent views in the slave States The face
of the political world would have been chan
gcd. Old organizations which have outlived the
issues which gave them birth, would have
crumbled away. There would have been an
end to compromise, evasion, Misunderstanding,
and fraud. The tribe of Northern Services.
whose pusillanimity and grovelling ambition
have SO long disgraced the North and debauch-
ed its politics, would have gradually be-
come extinct. Consistent devotion to the doc
trines of our Declaration of Independence
would have ceased to be an opprobriun and
the man OF honor, truth, and courage would
not have been denied political preferment on
account of his abhorrencc of Oppression
In an evil hour they descended from their
high position, and threw away power which
no Party had ever before possessed. They
betrayed the faith reposed in them by the
Anti-Slavery men, they violated their solemn
pledges, and stopped to reunion with Party
controlled by that tyrant Interest from whose
grasp they had ayowed their purpose to rescue
the Federal Government The prospect of
temporary & Tin outweighed all calculations of
the immense good to be occurred by enduring
devotion to Principle
Their descent was gradual; step by step
they surrendered their ground. At first, cold
re-afirmation of their principles yelled the in
cipient apcstacy-next even this was omit
ted-then, resolutions were adopted covert
ly endorsing legislation and a policy, direct
ly at variance with their professions in ls48-
finally, they settled down, squarely upon the
Baltimore PlatfJrm--a fat contradiction of
every principle and purpose they had formerly
avowed-and became the unhinching support
ers of candidate for the Presidency, selected
by the Slave Interest prominently subser-
Went to its will, and pledged to the utter and
final suppression of the movement, to whose
aims and interests only three years before they
had solemnly dedicated themselves in the sight
of God and man.
The principal agent in this work, was Mr..
Marcy, now Secretary of State, and he found
active coadjutors in few conspicuous leaders
OF the Radical Democracy. Since then he has