Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-10-22

Church in the United States
fear that have wearied your patience by these
extended remarks. Yet there are some other
points to which would gladly allude, should you
grant me Your consent. Cries OF go onl 60
oni Don't stopl
In the year 1850, the people Of the United
States were greatly agitated respecting the dspo-
sition which should be made Of the territory which
was acquired from Mexico during the war Of l846,
AT This agitation became SO great that the lead
ing statesnen Of the United Stetes really feared
for the safety of the Union. We saw distinguished
men of the Democratic party, and distinguished
men of the Wing party, joining shoulder TO shout
der, and hand TO hand, forgetting their political
differences In the accomplishment OF what they
believed to be a final settlement of a vexed ques-
ton. That settlement was brought about and the
people believed that the agitation had ended, and
we were again secure.
In the election which followed, one party nomi-
mated for the Presidency veteran chieftain--one
who had been closely connected with the events
which preceded the annexation of the disputed
territory-one than whom no man was more enti-
tied to the confidence, respect, and gratitude Of
the American people. The other party placed in
nomination a man comparatively unknown And
yet although the acts Of the brave old soldier
well known to the American people, and all felt
that he deserved nothing but gratitude Of his cou-
| try, because they entertained mere suspicion
that he was too closely connected with those who
opposed the Compromise of 1850, they elected
over his head by an overwhelming majority,
Franklin Pierce, Of New Hampshire.
Franklin Pierce was inaugurated President Of the
United Stairs on the 4th Of March, 1853. He de-
livered his Inaugural Address, which, although
perhaps amenables to some criticism, still was OF
such character as 70 give general satisfaction to
the people, and bctokencd well Of his future action.
And what was the result? Let US see Franklin
Pierce was elected as the representative and expo
nent Of a great principle, which he was expected
to sustain and carry out. And yet he had scarce
y got safely seated in the Presidential chair be-
| fore he abandoned this great principle. He left
the main column of his army, TO rrn after desert
ers. AT the South he threw himself into the arms
Of disunionists. He selected for the head OF the
| War Departments gentleman who gloried in being
secessionist We are informed, upon what
should be considered good authority, that in case
Of dissolution Of the Union resulting from the
| agitations of 1850, Jefferson Davis was to have
been commander-in-cbief of the Southern forces.
And while Franklin Pierce thus took to his arms
a nullifer Of Mississippi, he turned to the North
| and began TO pay court to the men who, in l84S,
stood upon the Buffalo platform. He resolved that
they should be admitted to q full share Of the
Offices; and because Greene @. Bronson, one Of the
most pure and upright men and learned Judges
that ever adorned the Supreme Bench Of hesitate
of Collector Of Customs to subserve his insane pur
pose, he visited him with the might of his official
displeasure.
If ever President Of the United States had
marked out before him, plainly and distinctly the
path which his duty to his country required him
to travel, that man was Franklin Pierce. The peo-
pie elected him-so the Presidency, because ear-
ed, tired, disg1sted with constant agtaton--they
desired peace and quiet. They sought to obtain
1t by overwhelming the opponents Of the Compro-
mise Of 1850. And yet this Democratic PRESIDENT
forgetting the solemn responsibilities of his high
position, lent himself to the scheme Of Northern
Senator TO reopen the agitation which had shaken
the government to it's centre. 1t was a crime
against tho nation. In the terms Of the French
aphorism, lit was worse than crime, 1t was a
6laader." |
The Missouri Compromise was, in its day, an
honorable settlement of difficult question, by hon
orable men. There were, at the time, just doubts
as to its consttutionality. But both Houses Of Con-
gress containing such men as Clay, Pinkney Ran
dolph, Macon, and Lowndes, passed it, and the
President, Mr. Monroe, and Cabinet consisting Of
Adams, Crawford, Calhoun, Thompson, and Writ,
unanimously concurred. 1t was time-honored
compact For more then 80 years the nation had
sacrcdly guarded its observance as solemn duty.
know that Mr.. Clay 50 regarded it. The Compro-
misc Of 1850 lent an additional sanction TO it.
How amazing then was the faulty Of Franklin
Pierce and Stephen A. Douglas to reopen this
question, and Get the nation aaoat again on ra-
ging sen of agitation, without chart, compass, or
rudder.
This Northern President and this Northern
Senator, with the aid of forty -four Northern MEM
Northern Senator'S repealed the Missouri Com
promise, an act Of unparalleled folly. 1t has not
| only destroyed the Wing and utterly demoralizcd
the Democratic party, but it has alarmed all the
conservative mon Of the nation, and placed In inn
minent jeopardy the integrity OF the union of
these States. To my mind Southern statesmen
! made a mistake, scarcely TO be retrieved, when
they accepted this paltry bid from the hands of a
Northern Senator and Northern President II
can be Of no practical advantage to them, and may
lead 70 fearful results. Had they refused It, the
American people would have been relieved from a
vexed, disorganizing, and unnecessary agitation,
and the South would have been entrenched in an
impregnable position. Perhaps IL IL not too late
| to retrieve the error. The conservative men Of
the nation, North and South, have It In their
power to do 20, II they win join hands in spirit
Of moderation, good faith, and patriotism, on the
basis of the Apaerican Organization What else
can they do? The living body Of Americanism
cannot be bound down 10 the corses of the defunct
Democratic and Wing organizations. The course
Of a Democratic President has rent in twain the
great Democratic party. 1t Is difficult TO find, in
the State Of New York, a Democratic party II
not so, where Is itY Is II in the convention which
met at Syracuse a few days since, and approved Of
this one act of q Democratic President, while they
hurled bitter dcnunciations at his Democratic adj
minstrationf Or Is IL IN that other convention,
which met at Syracuse and discarded the great
distinguishing act Of Democratic President, while
they approved Of the financial policy Heaven save
the markD Of bis Democratic administration
There Is no distinctive Democratic party. Through
out the length and breadth Of the land the Demo-
cratic party, or all that Is oft are attempting
to shirk the responsibilities Of this Democratic adj
minisiraton. But say II is responsibility which
cannot be shaken Off II viii cling TO them like
the shirt of Nessus. They have given us this adj
ministratios. To them belongs the responsibility
There was once alasl there ia now no more, a
great, glorious old Wing partyl Where is It