Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-12-11
The boot ON the Wrong Leg.

tor Mason, says:
SAT this very moment through the machine
tons Of the Abotonists, civil war RACES in Kan
sas and the House Of Representatives is in state
of complete Reorganization"
The agitators of the North, have sins enough
to answer for without being made responsible
for the folly, stupidity and treachery of the
present administration, its aiders and abettors.
| We are opposed as well to the ultraists of the
/ North, as to those of the South--we defend
neither of them, nor offer any apology for
them. But we do not intend that this admin
istration shall shirk the responsibility which
Justly attaches to its own crimes, by attribu-
ting to others tho results Of its own reckless
ness.
i That civil war RACES in Kansas, and that the
House Of Representatives has failed to organ
ize, is unfortunately true to the letter. The
whole country is in state Of ferment and COM
motion. To what cause is this state of things
| Justly attributable? The Richmond Enquirer
answers, to "the Vaccinations Of the Abot-
tionists ~ We, on the contrary, say, to the
imbeciity, recklessness, and Vaccinations"
Of this miserable administration. Here is an
issue Of fact On which side is the truth?
Is the present distracted condition Of the coun-
try chargeable to any other cause than the re-
peal of the Missouri Compromised We have
heretofore said and repeated, and wo again say,
that the Compromise measures Of 1850 had
been acquiesced in by the country, In the, cleo
ton Of Franklin Pierce to the Presidency in
1862. Peace was restored; the raging ele-
ments Of discord which had disquieted the
country had subsidized; calmness and serenity
prevailed, and Pierce was inaugurated under
circumstances favorable to the continuance of
quiet, concord, and harmony.
Will any man of truth deny, that the whole
country had settled down TRANQUILITY under the
operation of the Compromise measures Of
1850? viii any man deny that Pierce came
into the Presidency surrounded by circum-
stances favorable to permanent peace and
quiet? Will any man deny that President
of ordinary sagacity and common. prudence
could easily have steered the ship Of State safe
" and securely on to the port Of prosperity
Though ignorant himself, and wholly unskilled
in seamanship, if he had " shipped on board
homogeneous and harmonious crew of officers
and pilots, they would have found safe chan
mel between the breakers on either hand, whilst
their captain might have slept obliyious. in his
berth
The first great error Of Mr.. Pierce was COM
mitted in the selection Of men Of antagonistic
political inclinations-men who differed as
widely in opinions and antecedents as the poles
are assunder. In,less than year the Demo
cratic party was SPLIT into factions and frag-
mentsl The Union party whose strength had
mainly contributed to Pierce's elevation, was
rudely treated-ignored- repudiated- the
opinions of the ablest and wisest men Of the
country were disregarded and despised by
Frank Pierce, of New hampshire In this
state ofthings the bill for organizing the Terri
tories Of Kansas and Nebraska was presented.
A proposition to repeal the Missouri Compro-
mise was incorporated, by amendment into
this Territorial bill Pierce was vascillating-
unsettled in opinion-wavering- as usual,
unfit for the emergency.
If Jackson had been in the Presidency,
he would have throttled it in moment, and
taught the mischief-makers in Congress to let
,eeu enough alone Had any man Of sagacity,
of penetration, and Of 6rmness, been President
instead Of Pierce, the country would have been.
saved from sectional contention, strife, and
contest by the defeat Of this most unfortunate,
uncalled-for, and unwise abrogation Of le-
gislative compactbetween the, North and South
But with the approval Of Frank Pierce, the
Z; rf
and the foodgates Of mischief and discord
were opened From the moment Of this repeal,
agitation commenced, and from that moment
to this hour has agitation been continued.
Is there man Of truth in this nation, who
win, upon his veracity, deny, that this repeal
Of the Missouri Compromise was the sole cause
Of the present distracted condition OF the peo-
pleY Not one. Then lot not those who aided,
abetted, and encouraged the President thus to
open the foodgates Of strife and contention, of
elimination and recrimination, let not such
/ presses as the Richmond Enquirer, attempt to
throw upon any other party or set Of men the
responsibility which Of right attaches to Frank
Pierce and his co-workers in mischief We
have always opposed the action of those Ultra
ists Of the North, who originated crusade
upon slavery, but is due to the truth of his
tory, that the administration Of Frank Pierce
should bear the odium, the censurc, and the
disgrace, of reopening the agitation of slavery,
without the sembhnce Of an excuse for it,
and without the slightest palliation for his con.
duct being found, in the circumstances under
which the act was committed
But whilst we thus Ak the paternity of pre-
sent agitation upon Frank Pierce we are not