Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-09-18
1F6r the Delta Press.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, July 9th, 1856.
EDITOR DELTA Press On the eve of
nv leaving home, l was informed that by
the partiality of some of my Democratic
friends of Fulton county, and other portions
of our Congressional District, my name has
been announced in your paper and Others,
subject to the approval of the Democratic
Convention. While | feel grateful to the
Democracy of Fulton county, ia more in
lelligent and patriotic Democracy no coun-
ty in the State can boast and other por-
tons of the District, for their confidence,
the present attitude of political parties in
the United States, forces upon me the con
viction of the improperly of my beng a
candidate for Congress, as proposed. AL
though | am satisfied that majority of
the Democracy of the Fifth Congressional
District, agree with me in sentiment, on
the all absorbing subject of Slavery Exten-
sion, vet am equally satisfied, that there
is minority who would expect candidate
so nominated, to approve and defend all
the means of the present Administration,
and the Cincinnati Platform on the sub
iect of Slavery, and also the inconsistent
and unprincipled course of Mr.. Douglas,
backed up by the U. S. Senate; and to
vote for the admission of Kansas as Slave
State, should she present a Constitution
recognizing it, even though such result
was brought about by fraud and violence,
as it now appears will be the case. These
things l could not conscientiously do.
l have become satisfied beyond all doubt
that the Democratic organization is now
used by ambitious and unprincipled men
for their own aggrandizement, and to eff
feet their object, they have (as far as in
their power) thrown the Democratic party
into the hands of the Slave Power, to be
used as they may direct. Believing, as |
do, that their measures are calculated and
intended to make Kansas ..Slaue State, |
cannot sustain them without doing violence
to my own principles. Is
The late acts of Mr.. Douglas, sanctioned
by the U. S. Senate, have removed every
remaining doubt and hope, upon which |
rested my justification in adhering to an
organization claiming to represent the DEM
acratic party of the country, the only party
to which have ever for a single moment of
my life been attached, and an organization
from which | could never be separated,
while it represented Jeffersonian Democrat
ic principles. s,af
What has been and what is now the as
pect of the Kansas. question? Mr.. Doug
las and his followers, after claiming popu-
lar sovereignty as the great virtue of the
Nebraska Kansas act, and the justification
for the repeal of the Missouri Compromise,
pretended to adhere TO that principle, while
all the fraud and violence was being, com
mitted by the Border Ruffians. By such
means they forced upon the actual settlers
an illegal Legislature, which passed laws
not only unconstitutional, but of the most
unjust, oppressive and cruel description, ten
fold worse than all the enactments of the
British Parliament, from which the fathers
of the Revolution revolted; and so odious
that even a Southern Senator declared
they would Justify a revolution, and Gen,
Cass characterized them as disgrace to the
present age. Yet the Senate, of which
those gentlemen are members, has been in
session seven or eight months, without do
ing anything to relieve the actual settlers
from those cruel grievances, but on the
contrary sat silent and saw the President
proclaiming that those laws should be
obeyed, and to that end he would Use all
the means at his disposal, while Mr.. Doug
las was asserting that the Free State men
s'must be subdued" All this was done
under the plea of carrying out popular SOW
ereignty. ~
But now a different card is to be played
for the benefit of slavery. Popular sover-'
eighty is to be abandoned. 1t appears to
have served the purpose CT those who used
it as justification for the repeal of the
Missouri Compromise. -
Under the pretence of carrying out its
principles, the U. S. troops were allowed to
disarm the Free State men, and the Border
Ruffians permitted to drive them out of
the Territory, destroy their presses, burn
their houses, steal their property, murder
their men, indict and imprison their leaders;
and now when all the practicable avenues
into Kansas are guarded by Missourians to
prevent the entrance of Free State men III
to the Territory, and after Atchison, String
fellow d Co. have got every thing prepar-
ed to have majority of Pro-Slavery men
in Kansas, ON the 4th day of July, Mr..
Toombs, an ultra Pro-Slavery Senator,
(who boasted on the floor of the Senate
that he would yet call the roll of his slaves
at the foot of Bunker Hill Monument,) IN
troduces bill into the Senate. MIR. Doug
las adopts it, and the Senate passes 1t with
Gever's and Adams amendments, which
abandon and override the principle of pop
ular sovereignty, and contrary to all former
precedent in the government of fTerrltorles,
depripe all foreigners Dho hare declared
their Intentions to become citizens from
voting, although the organic act organizing
the Territory secures to foreigners the right.
This bill however is made to appear
plausible upon its face, but when closely
examined in connection with the circum-
stances, its design is apparent, though it.
even to this late day nullifies portion of
the Border Ruflian Legislation, the attemp-
ted enforcement of which has caused all
the anarchy and bloodshed in the Territory.
The passage of this bill would make Kan
sas Slave State beyond all question: