Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1856-03-14

eucg or in the midst Of their society, were
reduced To yassalag, Iiitle les degrading
than that Of the slaves themselves.
Even at thi. day, although the white po.
pulation Of the slayeholding States is more
than .ix millions, Of whom but 81 ,j2j, or
lc,, than one seventeenth, are the owners OF
slaves, none but STAKEHOLDER, or one who
will act with exclusive reference 20 slavery,
is ever allowed to rcpr,scnt the state in any
National Convention, in either branch OF
Congress, or IN any high position Of civil
trust and political power. Tho slaycholi-
Ing class, small as it il. is the governing
class, aud shapes legislation and Guidc' all
public action Tor the adyanosmcnto of its own
interests aud the promotion Of it, own ends.
During al that time, aud from tha, iiuo
even to the present, all sllvnholdiuS dele
gates m the National Conventions, upon
whatever olsr thcy may drGlr, always COM
cur in imposing upon the Conventions, as-
sent 90 their ryluisitions in regard tp slavery,
a. the indispensable condition OF thcr sup
port. Holding thu, in t,cir hands power
90 drc.dr the rrsul, or thcclcc,iou, and using
tha, power uuly,niinsly and stsrnIy for
,hc oEtorii1n ot their demands, they hayanl-
ways been able t1 control tho nominations
OF both parties, aud thus, whatever may b.
the issue, u -rcurr President who /, SURE
% ho ,hc instrument OF their bchcsts.
Thus has /, come % pas. that ior twenty
years 40 have never bal a prcsid,u, who
would appoint t, tha humblcst office within
bis gilt, in any section of the Jnion, any
man known 20 bold opinions hostile to slay.
cry, or 10 be active IN resisting it, agcrcs-
sious and usurTa,ions VI power. Men, the
most Upright and the most respectable, in
State, where slavery j. only known boy name
have been Ineligible to tie smallest trust,
have b.ru held unGtto letters fr,m
doe federal pos,-olirc % their nrichh1rs, or
tr.m tac lamp, ola lis't.hous' upon thsrc-
muic,t uUin; Uf oar extended coast. Millions
of our citizens have hccn thu, disiunchiscl,
Tor thcir oImipns concerning slavery. and
thr vast patronage OF the general govern
ment ha, hgrn systematically wirllsl in IL.
-ryis,, and Tor the promotion u il, designs
!, wa, by such a discipline, and under
such influences, ,ha; the government aud ,hc
country wor, prepared or the second srca,
stride OF slavery towards nca dominion, and
Dr thc a,oual Of motives by which it was
attended
ANIMATION or TN,s AND IE VAR WIN
MWop.
T.zas was admitted into the Union on the
4rth Of December, lSij-vith constitu-
ton lorbldiius thc abolition Of slavery, aud
q stipulation that four more State, should
become member. or the cjur,Icrlry, when.
ever they Nigh, b, formed within h.rlmit.
and with or without slavery, as ,h,ir iuha-
hiants Nigh, decide.
Tie general government thu. made virtual
provision lor the addition Of Csc new slave
State to 10, Union, practically soaring to
thc ,A,saollins intcrc,, ten additional mem.
b.r, ia the Synatn-rur.,.n'ins SAte', il
might hr with los tllu 4 million iulali-
taut.. and outygt,u- five Of the oll Satgs.
with an aggregate population of eleven mill
li0u.. The corrupt aui ;ymunial King, of
England, when votes Wgr, needed iu the
llpu,r or lorl. to sustain them aglin,, the
r,oplc, created peer. 90, the emergency rr-
qu.rrd. |, there in tli, anything in more
lasnut contradiction 90 the principles OF
republican freedom or moro dangerous to
ID, publ. Liberties than nth' system Trlc-
ti.,I by the ,'ay,hollius interest, represent.
cd in th, general government
Buta thirl opportunity aselosc at hand
and slavery made q thirl struggle for the eH-
tension or i,s domain and tLc enlargement
ofi,s power.
Tgc annexation Of Toxas involved us in
wa. with MNieo. The war was waecd on
our part with yigor, Kill AMI success. lt
rcsaltcl in tie cas.ion to the United States
Of New Mexico, California and Descrct, vast
territories over which was extended by Mex
lean law a prohibition Of slavery. The slave
holder, demanded access 70 them all-rcsi't-
cl thc admi~iono! Caliiorniaanl Now M'z-
ico, whicn the energy Of frccmcn, oui.;rip-
pin. in il. activity the government and even
the .laychollius iu,ercs, had already con-
ycrt,d into free States, and trlasguably
mcnaccl Congress anl tho Uuion with over
throw. irit, demands were not conceded.
The free spirit OF the country was reused
to indignation by these rretensions, and for
a time the whole nation rocked TO the tcm-
pest which they had created. Un,owarl
event. aided the wrong. Tic death OF the
President threw the whole power Of the Al.
miuistration into timid and iaithlc,s hands.
Party rcscntments and party ambitions in
,crposnd against the right. Great men, lead.
crs Of the people, from whom the better days
the hard learned lessons of principle aud
patriotism, yielded to the howlings Of the
storm, and sought shelter insubmi'sion from
is rage.
The slayeholling interest was again vic
torious. California, with her free consil-
tuition was indeed admitted TO the Union
but New Mexico, with her constitution for
bidding slavery within her borders, was de-
MED admission, and rcmandod to the condi-
ton Of a territory and while Congress re-
fused to enact a positive prohibition Of