Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-10-30
The Result..-Its Causes.

\ The democracy of Ohio is beaten, but
not dispiri.ed, overbrown but not van
pushed. They have sufficient vitality
to rally and try again. They will not
disband as the Wing party has done, but
they will now pause and investigate the
causes which have led 10 two successive
and disastrous defeats in this State
The unparalleled lriumphs Of the elec.
tons of 1888 throughout the country
had rendered the democratic party too
confident Of the permanence of its au.
thority. .......
The State policy Of the democ racy
since their accession 10 power in 1913,
has been eminently wise and popular
They have conceived and carried into
practice. many wholesome reforms, and
have reconstructed the constitution Of w
State. They have vastly enlarged the
Common School facilities. established
township Libraries, and done more than
we now have ability to relate. The go.
vernment, in all its departments, has
been administered ably, and with the
most rigid economy and the s,ric,est ac.
countabili,y.
Therefore, the domestic administration
has not contributed to the present defeat.
What, then. is the cause Of SO great
change as has come over the people of
Ohio within two years ? The answer is
in the conduct of the National Admins.
tralion. That, soon after its inaugura.
ton, became infdel TO the principle OF
democracy, and undertook too much
1t tried to control elections in the States,
and attempted to dictate 10 the democra.
cy in Massachusetts the kind OF men
they should elect 10 their own negsla.
ture. 1t interfored with the election Of
q United States Senator in Ohio, and is
held responsible for the defeat of VIII.
LIAM ALLEN. But, worse than all, it
| lent its influence to break down a time.
honored compromise between the North
and the South on the subject of Slavery,
by which all the territories Of the Union
are no,o opened TO the ingress Of slaves.
This, as mere measure Of political ex.
pediency: was suicidal in the extreme.
The free laboreis of the country, who
constitute the great body Of lie democ'
racy, felt it 10 be a STAB at their honor
and their dearest interests, because it
was laying down policy by which they
might be yoked in the same pursuits'as
the manacled slave.
The President and his friends say that
the measure was necessary in order to
give full effect to the doctrine of popul Of
sovereignty. and that Congress has no
power over the question Of slavery in
the Territories; that the people should
decide that question for themselves.
In reply TO this species of sophislry,
the most illiterate man in the country
will point 10 the Ordinance of 1881,
which swept slavery (rem all the terrific.
rics Of the Union, and prevented the peo'
pie from es,abishingit. In l776, liber'
ty was established as the affirmative
principle, and the faith Of the nation
The leading principle Of tine -Conslitu.
ton Of the United States, is Freedom
The great men who made it, and our ia.
theirs who ratified it, declare in the pre-.
amble to that sacred instrument, that they
"ordain and establish" that constitution n
Gin order to insure domestic tranquility,
to promote the general welfare, and TO
secure the blessings Of liberty to them.
selves and their posterity."
The national idea, then, OF the Amer.
ican people is the liberty Of all, and the
political equality of all, unless the Ian.
guage Of the Declaration of Indepen.
dence, and the Constitution are unnean. .
ing sounds. But the faith OF the people
is fixed and unwavefing as the North
star. They will be true to their faith,
and to the principle Of democracy
Since liberty was established in l77e,
there has been no power anywhere in
the government to establish slavery, be.
cause it is expressly forbidden. both in
the Declaration and in the Constitution.
Neither does the right exis. primarily,
in the people, but is forbidden by the
universal naturali law. Therefore, there
is no authority, anywhere, 10 establish
slavery. except the law Of force.
| The facts that have tfanspired in the
government, as we'll as in the territory
4 Of Kansas, during the past eighteen