Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-10-07
GEN. cAss AND HIs POSITION.


Gen. CAss in recent speech before the Demo
cratic State Convention of Michigan, took occasion
to repeat sentiments often hitherto expressed by
him. that, viewing slavery a social and political
evil, le had no sympathy with that institution and
hoped for its extrpation, at the same time that ne
accorded to it the protection afforded by the Con-
stitution These remarks induced the Richmond
Enquirer in an article of considerable bitterness
to denoun the veteran Senator and proceed to read
him out of the affections of the Southern wing of
he party y this the Detroit Free Press" has replied
With some decree of vigor rspeling the Enqurers as
Salts upon statesman and defining his position
On 1e question referred to- 1t says:
i ue, CAssias lived to little purpose If, after half
century pubic srvce and the highest confidence of
.Ie Democatic arty, his good with any consider
Aoe Poruon OF be American people can be affected by
any aSsauits the Richmond Enquirer can make upon it,
The Free Prss' then recites !" the apparent mme-
aiate cause Of theEnquirers ebuition founded upon
the expression Of gen CAss that he did not consider
slavery good luton, and continues:
what Gen. CAssiid say was, that slavery is great
social and political e' He also said that he thanked
dod mat ne lived in free State And what Northern
man GOES not! we ask He took the view attributed to
him OF the Nebraska-la act contendng as every
IePutape statesman AID every respectable urist does
slavery can have existence except by force of
positive law, and that huce it cannot 20 to Kansas and
Nebraska until permitted by the Legislatures Of those
territories This is not The first or second or third
time Gen. CAss has uttered the same views on this point
ne neid them and had expressed them when he
minated Tor the Presidency in S48 aud has upheld them
scores If not hundreds Of times since. The Richmond
Enquirer should know this.n
Inc Free Press next quotes para graph from the
speech Of Gen. CAss in February last upon the Nebraska
BILL wherein he reiterated his opinion that slavery
great evil social and POLITICAL for which, however, he
care ef h hod The South responsible the Norn @ de-
determine every question Of tbs Sort FOR themselves
These sentiments, the Free Press says are substan-
italy the same as those recently uttered by the
General in the State Convention. 1t then proceeds
III the Richmond Enquirer, or anybody else in the
South, supposes that Northern Democrats will think
otherwise than that slavery is great social and poli
cal evil the the impression is got rid OF the bet
ter. IT IS great social and political evil dreadful
incubus But the South and the North is the great
est sufferer from the evil If the South wants it. il she
is willing to travel with the weight upon her. it her
own affair." her own right; right the North has agreed
to respect and protect, and The North u do it, But land
let the Richmond Enquirer mark i'll the Democracy of the
North know how to reconcile devotion the Constitution
with sense of common proprety, and common decency
and common intelligence. They distinguish between
devotion to the Constitution and submission to blind
intoerant anatical spirit which demands of Northern
men that they shall say that slavery is right 1t is the
sincere. constant, patriotic devotion of the Democracy
of the North to the Constitution that has so often made
the party powerless before the surges of abolition fana
csm which have rolled over it and swept many Of its
best men to oblivion and forgetulness The Democracy
of the North devoted to the Constitution They will
maintain it and all its compromises every sacrifice
in the face of every danger None our men have suf
fered in the North from single devotion to
the Constitution than Gen. CAss, and better knew
the consequences to himself whenever he took his posi-
the Nebraska BILL delivered in the Senate on the 10Th
Of February strkingy confirmed by this article in
the Enquirer"
The speech of Gen. CAss in the Senate taking decid
eddy conservative ground is here again quoted to show
that the Generals opinions the State Convention were
in way different from those held by him last winter
Referring to the charge made by the Enquirer of
timdity want of moral ntspdity, the Free Press
gives instances to prove the Of all this and to
show that Gen. CAss faltered, never hesitated
moment to his duty in the great preceding the
adoption Of the Compromise Measures.
We give the summing Of the spirited defence on the
part Of the Detroit journal that readers may see the
gst Of the controversy:
And this ID the the Richmond ENQUIRER accuses Of
directing his course by varying and deceul landmarks
Gen. Casss whole life has been in keeping With the two
events We have adverted to- and he is enjoying one
Of the greatest trumphs permitted to living
man-an almost universal acquiescence in the principles
he first laid down in great emergency; and upon no
other principles it is clear the Union be preserved
We Will close this article by briefly stating General
Cass position for the benefit Of the Richmond ENQUIRER
and of every body else who is ignorant of it. He main
tains:
g That Congress has no power to pass the Wilmot
proviso |
That Congress has constitutional power over slave
either in the States Territories except to provide
for carrying into execution the fugitive reauision
That the Territories entitled to self
in all respects not controlled by the Constitution
slavery can only exist by virtue of the law of
place.
THAT there is provision in the Constitution which
slavery into any Territory where it did not exist
at the time Of the acquisition
That can only exist there by virtue of law passed
by the Territorial Government
All this Gen. Cass has steadily maintained And this |
right Of government from which these results flow has
been ncknamed by Its oppoRents squatter sovereignty
Let 1t be called what it may it exists in the principles
and in the hearts Of the American people.
Every man who voted for the Nebraska bill voted in
effect for the establishment of these principles for if the
Constitution gives the right take slaves to Territory
ture to take away this right.
And this Constitutes the triumph Of Gen. Cass that
the South which at first peculiarly opposed to the
view OF this local power slavery has come up
almost as man, to its support We will wager our
Democracy against the Emperor Nicholas and his adyo
Gates that the writer of the article in the Richmond En-
quirer has had to surrender of his extreme
opinions to the march Of truth and that has not the
magnanimity to forgive the who has contributed SO
much to the establishment of correct principles"
An OLD CHURCH DEsTRoYED-The old Lutheran Church
in Winchester, Virginia, lately destroyed by fire. was
built in the year 1894 1t occupied during the Re-
vouton by British Hessan prisoners and was one Of the
old relics which body desired see preserved Il
1aka hAA- r-.x..- - Il