Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-10-08
ANOTHER OLD.LINE DEMOCRAT FOR
FREMONT.

- - -
FREMONT.
letter from = MeasDev sfsseneraI Jack.
SENS Cabinet
At the very large and enthusiastic Republican
meeting ia Phiiadeiphia on Monday, the Hon.
Charles Gibbons stated TO the meeting that the
Hon. Samuel D. Ingham, formerly a member Of
Gen. Jackson's Cabinet, who had been invitedto
address them, bad replied to that invitation in a
letter, regulating the false democracy Of the
day, and sustaining the principles and candidates
of the Republican party. The son Of Mr. Ing
ham read the letter. as follows;
TRrsTox, Sept. %, 1856.
CnARLEs GfnBoSg, Esq., Chairman Repatticasa
State Committee
DEAR SIN: have duly received yours of the
18th inst, inviting my attendance at Repub-
lean meeting In Philadelphia on Monday even.
ing next, or If cannot be present, TO send you
. few words OF encouragement to those who are
laboring TO promote the return of the Federal
Government 10 the principles of Washington
and Jefferson. The infrmities of age will pre-
vent my compliance with the former part of the
request, and no doubt weaken the force OF an
attempt TO comply with the latte- Although
have long ceased to take any active part in pol
i,ical affairs, yet, in the momentous issues now
presented, should be unfaithfui to the dictates
Of my judgment, and the conscientious convic.
ton of solemn duty, If withheld any aid that
might be thought useful in the trial OF the great
cause before the American people. Our ances.
tors formed and transmitted to us one of the
best governments known to the world, and it
has pleased Almighty God to bless this nation
apparently more than any other; we are there
a 4. a.,
preserve our institutions as they have been hand
ed down TO us, and to resist on the threshold
every attempt 10 interpolatc ON the settled Con.
stitution of our political charter, false or cor.
rupting doctrines and principles.
On one side of the great issue before us the
right to hold slaves in all the Territories of the
United States is claimed by virtue of the Con.
stituton of the United States This claim sug.
gests constructive power ola new order; it has
no basis az an incidental power, in the class OF
those necessary or proper for the execution OF
the granted power, nor have its advocates per-
sisted in an attempt to derive from it an express
ed or implied term or meaning of the Constitu.
ton. They saw clearly that this would be impos.
sble and have rested their claim on a "higher
law" endcavoring to prove that slavery is the
normal and natural condition Of the tdboring
man, whether white or black J" and as neces-
sary corollary from this: problem, they deduce
that the great evil ofNorthern States will yet
have to introduce it !" their theory of free soci-
ETY. is that it is burdened with scribe set of
mechanics and kaborers, unfit for self-govern-
ment j; master and slave is their relation in So
cety, as necessary as that of parent and child,
and the Northern self-government is delusion."
Such are the doctrines and principles now at
work undermining the very foundation of po-
litical system devised by some of the wisest aud
best men the world has ever seen, to promote
and secure the happiness of all within its do
minion.
will not insult your understanding by init
mating the other side of the argument in this
great cause it is familiar to all. The whole
doctrine of Freedom, as defined in the political
institutions of Free States, is founded on sem
timent that requires no argument to support it !;
but there are other incidental issues which are of
not less practical Importance than the abstract
doctrine above referred to. Before the election
of President Pierce, the great question which
had SO often threatened 10 disturb the harmony
of the American people was settled SATISFACTORY
ly to n large majority of them, North and South.
National Conventions of both Of the great polit-
ical divisions, convened before that election had
pledged their constituency against all future ag-
itation of the Slavery question. The Presiden-
tlat cleCtlOu VI looA was piaCSu oh ILLS Aouilua-
ton by both parties, and President Pierce
was specially chosen under the influence of this
imposing compact, and in accordance Herewith,
when about to make his appeal to God as a
witness to the sincerity of this oath of fidelity to
his trust, he pledged himself to the whole Amer
lean people that his power should be exerted to
prevent all further agitation of this distracting
question. Can any one conceive pledge more
solemn, or that could be made more rrevocably
binding than this, voluntarily agreed upon by
all parties, and universally approved as meas
ure of public good and great national blessing
The promise of Charles l. to maintain the
right of petition, the violation of which cost him
his head, could not compare in imposing solem-
nifty with that which President Pierce made on
the 4th of March, 1858.
Can the history be credited which will record
the fact that, in less than nine months from that
time, he had engaged in conspiracy to accom-
plish, in its most obnoxious form, what he had
thus promised to resist? That he not only used
his official power to effect the repeal of the
Missouri Compromise, and carry Slavery into
Kansas by lawless violence, but that he entered
into conspiracy for that purpose, is susceptible
of incontrovertibe proof.
David Atchison was President otthe Senate,
S. A. Douglas was Chairman of the Committee
on Territories. The first bill reported for the
organization of Nebraska was silent as to the
Missouri Compromise. The conspiracy was not
then organized. The second bill contained a
declaratory clause that the Missouri Compro-
mise had, by means of some previous legsla-
ton became imperative. This frivolous dis
guise was, no doubt, the suggestion of some tim
id member of the conspiracy-probably Gen.
Pierce. Conscience makes towards of US all. u
But it was soon exposed ana the acting mana
GER Douglas, was obliged to give the offspring
n new dress.
Then, for the first time, the doctrine OF
Squatter Sovereignty was introduced, and a
new clause repeating the Missouri Compromise
was clothed in mincing phraseology, full of
affectation of great regard for the inhabitants
of Territories to make their own institutions.
The plans of the consprators seem now to
have been settled, and they threw off the mask.
Atch ison having left his seat in the Senate, was
busily completing his organization of Blue LODI
ges of Brgands in Missouri, to force Slavery
upon Kansas by violence.
The President of the United States was ex-
erting all his power to aid Douglas and his asso-
ciatcs in repeating the Missouri Compromise,
with protessed desire to establish Squatter
Sovereignty in all the territories The move
ments of Atchison, so far as the truth could be
drawn out of reluctant witnesses, are fully de
tailed in the report of the Congressional Com.
mittee to Kansas.
II may be well to notice some of the connect
ing links, between the movements in Missouri
and those in Washington. The Governor Of
Kansas, true to his trust denounced the nva
sion of Kansas by Atckison and his banditt
driving off by violence the Judges of Election
taking possession of the polls, making new
franchise laws to suit non-residents, and bring
ing voters from a foreign State to choose legis
lators for Kansas.
Atchison in turn denounced the Governor &c
the President, and demanded his removal The
President, perhaps still trembling under the bur
den of his pledge, or alarmed by Atchson'S
practical illustration of the Senatorial panacea,
"Squatter Sovereignty hesitated, and sought
to avoid the responsibility of an act so bold, by
getting clear ofthe Governor by other means
He tiattered, coaxed, tried to intimidate and f.
nally to buy him off with better office; but all
in vain-his integrity was infexible. But Atch-
ison must be obeyed, and a frivolous pretence
was seized upon to carry out the plan
ofthe grand conspirator. The direct co-opcri.
ton between Washington and Missouri-Pres-
ident Pierce and Vice-President Atchison-did
not stop here. Work had been prepared in
Kansas for the courts. The Territorial Judge
was suspected of being too higt-mnded and
independent for the business Atchison required
and was also removed and another appointed
who fully answered the purpose for which he
was chosen, and whose name viii fill a niche in