Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-03-03
The AmericaIi Party.

its thorough conservatism and national char
acter. The question of slavery is the great
disturbing element at the present time. 1t is
owing to the senstiveness of the public mind
on this subject, that selfish demagogues and
mischievous agitators, both North and South,
seize hold Of 1t as the instrument wherewith TO
assail their political rivals AT the North, when
man is in the way of his enemies and they
can urge nothing else against him, the cry is
raised, "He is not true to the North ne is
under the influence Of the slave power; he is
tho ally of slave-breeders and slave-hunters"
&c. AT the South, on the other hand, the
usual method of assailing political opponent
Is, by denouncing him as "a traitor to the
South--as leagued with Abolitonists. in their
warfare upon Southern institutions" &c. Many
good man and true, in both ends of the Union,
has been politically destroyed, because he would
not pander to this wild spirit Of fanaticism, on
the one extreme or the other
As is usually the case with brawlers and blus-
terers, an examination Of the peculiar character
and calling Of those who are most clamorous
and rampant on the subject Of slavery, proves
they really care very little for the ques-
tion, disconnected with their own selfish aims,
and have the least real interest In the subject.
Go to the North, and inquire for those who are
constantly croaking about slavery at the South,
and affecting to shed crocodile tears over the
wrongs Of the poor, suffering, down-trodden,
slaves. If in political life, instead Of states
men with broad and comprehensive views Of
national policy, you find them to be mere
housing politicians, aspiring to be nothing
higher than village oracles and chattering Cos
sips. Do you find them to be men of liberal
dispositions, and charitable heartsP Far from
it. They allow the poor and the needy in
their own ncighborhoods, to languish and die
for the want of food and clothing and hus-
band their resources Of beneyolence to be ex-
pended in feeling sorry for southern slaves.
Do you find them to be men Of proud and lofty
feeling, and Of defiant bearing towards south
ern bloods and millionaires, who annually go
North to spend their surplus cashp So far
from it, they are the most cringing sycophants
to southern men Of wealth and position. This
shows that in reality they care nothing about
slavery, except SO far as they can use it for the
purpose of acquiring little Fictitious impor-
lance.
On the other hand, go to the South, and
whom do you find to be the most noisy and
indignant about northern sentiment on the
subject of slavery Not the wise and discreet
portion Of the population-not statesmen of
enlarged views, who justly appreciate the con-
aicting views and feelings of different sections
not the men who own the largest number of
slaves, and who have the deepest personal in
tsrest In the subject-by no means. But you
will find that the loudest brawlers are either
shallow-patcd sclfsuficient swaggerers, who
are fond Of telling how much they are inter
ested by Wanting of the number Of their
slaves; or, as is more usually the case, they
are crossroads heroes, and BARRON dema-
gogues, who own not . negro in the world
but who are SO sensitively jealous in regard
10 the peculiar institutions of the South, that
they are ready to shoulder their muskets and
fight it ont. II Is q common thing to hear
such fellows denouncing the owners Of hun
dreds OF slaves, as being traitors to the South,
II they express doubt about slavery being =
blessing. Such men care just about as much
for the rights Of tho South, as do the philan-
tAropists Of the North for the sufferings Of the
slavs. They seize on 1t as an exciting subject,
for the purpose Of prostratng political rivals,
who are better mon than themselves
And II Is to be noticed that those noisy pa
tr1oh at the South, who happen to be men Of
wealth, are tho very men who cannot find any
institutions Of learning in the South good
enough to educate their children at They
cannot And mechanics at home good enough to
mako the boots and coats in which they strut
or the bedstcads on which they sleep. All
these must come from the North. They can
not find air anywhere in the South, after the
breathe; but must HE of to Saratoga and New
port, and the White Mountains Of New Hamp-
shire, for health and pleasure.
Let any one notice the social relations at
Washington betwixt these northern and
southern fanatics, who obtain seats in the SEN
ate and House Of Representatives by the appli-
ances Of cant and hypocrisy on the subject Of
slavery You will see ultra "hgher-law" dis
unionists, who talk, in their speeches, pub
Hshed for the purpose Of deluding their simple
hearted constituents, Of contact with slave
holders as being contamination itself; yet
playing the toad-ester and sycophant to south
ern men. And on the other hand, you win
eco these fre-eating southern gentry, whose
stereotype speeches breathe blood and carnage
against northern aggression, yet testing and
cajoling, drinking and smoking and indulging
all the convivialites Of social intercourse, with
men, whom they represent to the credulous
people at home as rufiians and bandits, who
would subject them and their children to the
horrors Of servile instruction.
These are the purposes to which slavery agi-
tation, in Congress and out Of It are now APP
Piled There never was question in this
country on which demagoguism has so run
riot 1t is Of this kind of demagoguism, as Of
al oth 49, L. .a