The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1856-03-08
TIE PRESIDENTIAL ISSUE.


with consequences of fearful interest to the
people of this Republic. The Black republi-
cans have elected their issue. It is abolitionsm
against and over the Constitution. Already
the preliminaries Of that struggle are to be
in the territory Of Kansas, and the
Mp Yo4k Tribune is open and impudently
advocating resistance to law, and calling upon
the monied Aboitionists Of the East and the
North to send into that territory cargoes OIL
Sharps rifles, by means Of which officers Of the
Jaw may be intimidated or murdered if they at
tempt to discharge the duties Of their stations.
The imminency Of the danger that threatens
the Union Of these states may be judged from
the tone Of the Proclamation Of the President.
On this, as on all other occasions when General
Pierce has been called upon to act, he has been
guided but by one light, and that is the Cou-
He now holds up that sacred instru-
ment to the view Of those wicked and misguided
men who are violating every principle Of justice,
and willie pointing out the error of their course
warns them Of the consequences that will fol-
low If they persist in it, The doctrines laid
down in this special communication, like those
enunciated in his Annual Message, and that
upon another portion Of the Kansas difficulty,
are such as will command the appreciation Of
the conservative citizens in oil sections Of the
Union. The constitutional and legal authori-
ties Of the territory are to be indicated and oil
interference with the just and due administra-
ton Of law, whether by persons residing in the
territory, near its borders, or in the remote
States, rebuked as snbversive of all right and
justice and direct violation af the constitution
Of the United States. The tone of the Proc
is commanding and statesmanlike. 1t
does not discriminate between offenders. ALI
unlawful combinations against the constituted
authorities Of the territory are denounced, and
their originators and abcttors justly stigmatized
as enemies to the peace and perpetuity of the
Union As a starting point in this contest,
the President has set forth in bold, unmistake-
able language, the great Democratic doctrine
of popular soyreignty-the right of the people
of the territories to manage their own affairs,
subject only to that supervising power which
is to be found in q strict construction of the
Constitution. Let the people Of Kansas settle
their own difficulties in that way which the
law prescribes, and there will be no disturbance.
But when Aid-Soeicties are established, and
the doctrine advocated and acted upon Of send
ing bands Of men armed with Sharp's Rifles
into territory, for the avowed purpose of in.
terfering in its organization in hostile, bloody
what can be anticipated bnt anarchy,
riot and misrule Against this monstrous
attack upon the principles of free government
the President protests, and calmly but firmly
avows his intention to vindcate the constitution
and the laws, by all the power placed at his
disposal by virtue Of his Office as President of
the United States
In this scheme of the Black Republicans is
fore-shadowed the principle upon which they
intend to found the Presidential issue 1t is
to elect Northern President, on geograph
ical division, and thus divide the Union into
two opposing factions. The Nsw York 1ri-
5une, in exuting over the election of Mr. Banks
as speaker of the House, thus alludes to the
Presidential struggle:-
'"fhe first great victory attained, at least
within the memory of the living, by freedom
over slavery, comet fail to have great results.
We look upon it as the commencement of a
new era in our history. II a speaker can be
and in spite of strong cohort of northern
chosen without the aid of single southern vote
doughfaces, ayowed and secret, arhy mag mot a
President be chosen in like manner? The North
is no Longer a terra incognitq achich mocks the
effects Of political narigators 10 fnd II. Hprores
al last, TO be firm laml-a stand paint aohenee
ii is possible to leap into the Speakers chair
achy not into The President'sW .#
This is the issue the Democracy has present
ed to them in the coming election for Presi-
dent. It'll Aboitionism and Sectionalism, arm
ed interference with the rights of the people of
territory to manage their own home questions
against the doctrine Unpopular sovereignty, the
supremacy of the Constitution, the Union Of
the states, and the just and Constitutional