The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-01-18

DHAUfIIs q THE NEssAaE.
The recent message of Mr.. Pierce pre-
ssnts the 6rst instance in our history OF the
chief magistrate Of the country prostituting
his high station to electioneering purposes,
and unblushingly bidding for votes by the
most discred,able appeals to sectional pref
udicss. The great and little organs and
supporters Of the Administration, falsely
and foolshly charge that the Republicans
And other opponents of the present pro-
slavery government are disunionists, but
here We have the Presidents message itself
clarifying the southern secession party, and
heaIing all manner Of abuse upon the large
majority of American citizens. All that
portion Of the message which relates to
slavery il - false in fact as it is insulting
in its tone. History is deliberately misrep.
resented in order that slavery may be cloth.
ed with meekness bordering on the mirac-
uious. and according to the Presidents pro-
nunciamento the Free States have been IN
state Of semi-treason against the const
tuition fer the last thirty years. For the last
enyesrs there have been frequent meetings
in the South, by those who are now the
Presidents supporters, to plot the dissolu-
ton Of the Union; but these meetings, and
oil the outrages which have been perpetra-
tod in Kansas by Missouri mobs, and ap-
Piauded BY Southern orators and newspa-
pers, are pailiated or passed over. Mr..
Pierce can find no aggressive act on the the
part Of the South, oil the sggressions come
from the North. He has no words of disap-
prevail for the shameful and utterly disgrace
full acts passed BY the sham Legislature of
Kansas, but he can indulge in any amount
OF abuse of Massachusetts. Nothing. in the
Presidents estimation, has been done in
Kansas to justify the Intervention of the
Federal Executve,-it was not so when
United States troops were ordered out in
Boston to send miserable fugitive negro
back TO slavery.
The gross and psrvadng Inconsistency
of that portion of the message which relates
to domestic affairs, is that while it affects
to condemn sectionalism, it is itself most
intensely sectional. On this point we copy
the following paragraphs from the Boston
Atlas
Sectional differences are doubtless to
be deplored. But We cannot see that their
probability or their feryor is in the least
likely to be diminished by the one sided
stand which the Executive has taken. Has
the North been altogether wrong in the
discussion which has arisen, That 10 thu
only ground upon which the President can
stand, nor does he stand very firmly even
upon that. From various able and patriotic
Southern men we hare had the admission,
forced from them BY the facts, that the re.
peal of the Missouri Compromise was an
unnecessary wrong; that it was bad policy,
bad morality, bad statesmanship. In cast.
ing about him for something TO say, could
not His Excellency find single word for
the North. Have we had no wrongs
Have we suffered no aggressions! Did We
set the example of violent ASSAULT Were
we the first to forget our constitutional oh.
legations! We believe not. Georgia Of
fered price for the heal OF citizen Of
massachusetts; South Carolina began the
bad business, BY enacting statute which
her own Courts will not pronounce consti-
tutional; there were lynehings and mail
burnings. andhoggngs long before we pass.
ed our Personal Liberty bill. We do not
mean to say that two wrongs make right.
Bot we do mean to say, that if one class of
wrongs is to be specially dwelt upon, the
other ought no, to be forgotten. We do not
fancy this one-sided censure
H.
before-fhere is no doubt of the Presidents
position now And We suppose that his
party, as such, goes with him We think
that the free States have been grossly
wronged. There may be sbou. this a diff
Terence OF opinion; but there can be none
about the locality of General Pierce. He |
il With the South II may be right, il may
be wrong; but be is with it. He presents
the scandaiouss spectacle of sectional Pres
ident. For no Republican or Free Soil
magistrate, elected by the exclusive votes
OF Northern men, could be more thoroughly
devoted TO single section of the confede-
racy. We offer no comment, nor does anv
seem TO be necessary. The thought, opiu-
Ion, conscience of the North is worth some
thing II has not arrived al its present /
conclusions without conscientious refec- /
Ton, and II Will moi abandon them hastily. |
we have already had an intimation Of the |
probable result OF struggle involving these |
great differences. We believe that the
victory will be upon the side of intelligence, !
wealth and population The President
may please to be upon the other side, but |
ne VIII indulge that strange fancy at the |
cost OF defeat without single feature to
redeem il from ignominy.'