Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-12-18
From tho Ohio State Democrat
The Cause Of our Defeat.
~ wc have whispered the truth,
NNhispn no longer, ~



XII erERSER md STRONGER" fti
THE Trumbull Democrat, n paper with which
we do not exchange, and whose editor we DO
not know, has an article dedicated TO an edto.
rial OF ours, giving the causes OF the late de-
feat Of the Democracy, in which the writer, al
ter attempting by bald assertion To combat our
facts. casts iutimaton on our Democracy--talks
hip2antly of theAbohtionism Of those who pc.
lcve the Introduction Of the Kansas and Nc
braskn dill an act OF bad faith, and this morsel
is. copied BY another sheet, with whose editor
we have no personal relations, and who knew
every word Of it, as applied TO us, false and ma
licious. lie does not feel free to attack us
| himself, but Kisses on others whose distance
and lnsgniGcance are their protection. Our
respect either for the slanderer or the retailer,
is about equal 10 the political honesty Of the
twain--nothing to brag on.
| II to have opposed the passage OF the Kan
sas. Nebraska bill and the re-agtation Of the
negro question make us an Abolltionist, why
then so be It. We sail IN company with the
best and truesl Democrats Ohio has ever pro
duced. We hold this sentiment in common
with the gentleman composing the State Ticket
al the late election, with but one or two solta.
ry exceptions, I've hold II in company with
Col. Allen and Col. Too, with the majority OF
the Democratic members of the last Congress
with the majority of the Domocralic editors
of the State, and with on orerwhelmIlng ma
jority Of the Democratic voters of the Stale,
who in their honesty of heart, believe that Tho
whole agitation was brought upon us by those
Who cared nothing for The party or its principles
but all for self.
| Those edi tors. who in their arrogance ar
raign us and those who believe with US. on the
charge of not being sufficiently Democratic 10
suit their fastdous taste, after averrns that
the cause Of the success Of the party IN 1881
was because the compromise measures ol 1901.
were acquesced in Wy the whole party, say:
"The reason why the Democracy suffered
defeat in Ohio in 1915, was because portion
of its press repudiated, in common with the
Abolitionists, the very doctrine Of non-lnier.
vention they upheld in 1850, as applied to Utah
and New Mexico. when il came 10 be applied
! to Kansas and Nebraska. II was this truck
ling to the spirit Of Abolionism, and an over.
wcening desire to gain the good viii OF 'hat
party, on the part OF some Of the tender Dem
ocratc presses of Ohio, that had such demof-
alizing effect upon the Democratic party. Had
the Democratic journals OF Ohio all nthc
right position upon the Nebraska question, In
stead Of a portion throwing their influence at
that time with Chase and Giddings, the pernoc
racy would not now be submerged in the slough
Of defeat"
These men are but little acquainted with the
political history or their country, If they do
not know that the great reason why the com
promise measures of 1862 were concurred in
by the Democratic party, was the pledge given
that it was TO be the last Of negroisn-that the
eternal clamor about slavery was to cease
that the country was NJ longer to be convulsed,
the Union endangered 10y the mad acts ar d
speeches of fanatics North and fanatics South
So strong was the feeling in the public mind
, so well were all convinced that such unpro,ita
, BILE discussion must be stopped, that the Dem
, ocratic National Convention which met at Bal
timore and nominated Pierce and King as the
st andard bearers in the then coming fight, re.
solv ell as follows:
g. "That Congress has no power under the
Constitution to interfere with or control The
domestic institutions of the several States, ant
that such States are the sole and proper juuges
!, of everything appertaining to their own allalr'
r not prohibited by the Constitution that ALI
EFFORTS or THE AgoLlTioNIsrs or OTHERS, MADl
= TO INDUCE CONGRESS TO INTERFERE WITH CUES
4 TIoNs OF SLAVERY, or TO TAKE IScIPfENr STEP
IN RELATION THERETO, ARE CALCULATED TO LEAF
I TO THE MOST ALARMING AND DANGEROUS CoNsE
{, auEycEs and that all such efforts have al
inc vitable tendency TO diminish the happlnes
6 of the people, and endanger the stability ant
4 permanency of the Union, and ought not to b.
y conlenanced by any friend OF our political in
~ stitutions,
q "Resotred, That the foregoing proposition
:: covers, and was intended 10 embrace, tn,
: whole sub ject Of Slavery agitation in Congress
.s and Therefore the Democratic party of th
Union, standing upon its national platform
: will abide by and adhere 10 faithful execu
+. ton of the acts known as the CompromS
. Measures, settled by the last Congress--the &C
il for the recaming of fugilives from service o
labor included, which act, being designed L
h carry out an express provision of the Consiltl
ir ton, cannot, with fidelity thereto, be repeale
y or so changed as 10 destroy and impair lis eff
IS ciency
d "Resoiped, That The Democratic party Will
RESIST ALL ATTEMPTS AT RENEWING, IN Con
e GREss OR OUT OF IT, THE AGITATION OF THE SLA
e VERY QUESTION, under whatever shape or colo
d the attempts may be made"
e Here then was solemn pledge given by tn
|" representatives Of the party, in National Con
n ven,ion assembled, and the candidates in un
u qualified terms, endorsed the platform.
81 Deprived of agitation, Abolitionism lose
= the meat upon which II feeds. 1t sank back
e and for months after the advent of the preser
ID administration it was dead as a herring.
II During tne month of November subsequer
l. to tie induction of President Pierce into Office
N David r. Atchison of Missouri, now a leadin
K Know Nothing. in his efforts 10 head Col Ben
ut ton, and prevent his election TO the Unite
n States Senate, broke ground in Missouri in ft
,r vor Of the reagitation of the Slavery questio
d by repeating the Missouri Compromise, whic
; prohibited slavery north of the line Of 81 deg
ia and 30 minutes north latitude, giving as rea
/ son therefor, that without 1t, Kansas would
ST a free State, and Missouri endangered by ben
st surrounded by 'cordon of free States" Tn
es he did in public speech, delivered, il OF
. memory serves US, al Weston, Missouri. Cor
? gress met, and bill, drawn up by Mr.. Dous
3 las, was submitted, for the organization of til
OF Territory. Nothing was said in 1t about Til
~ repeal Of the Missouri Compromise. In
in written report accomp nying the bill, an arsu
j ment was adiuced against lis repeal. a.
ne During the discussion which the bill produt
"a ed, while pending in the Senate. Mr. Dixon,
}: Kentucky, Wing, submitted motion TO r,
he peal the Missouri compromise, and it was dt
ie nounced by The Washington "Union," in III
at measured terms, Soon after. Mr.. Douglas ha
ey the bill recommilted, and when reported bac
n he hadso changed its prominent feature as
n reopen the whole Slavery agitation, by PR
0 vidlng for the repeal Of the Missouri C1mpr'
y, mise, although the bill, as originally ntrodu,
at ed, in It's provisions was identical in "pupuli
We sovereignty" with the much lauded laws 1
Of the government Of Utah and New Mexico.
in Aswas to have been expected, this chanI
e. ot. programme, by which the Blltimore, pla