Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1856-08-29
From the State Of Maine Of August o.
Disunion Openly Promulgat-
cd at tho North.

eth. 1856. at Portland, Maine, is destined
TO bccomc conspicuous in the history Of the
State. The olium which attached tn al
who took partin the "lIartrord Convention
will follow forever in a still greater measure
the men who participated in, or gave coun'
tcnance to the atrocious doctrines promul
gated at the disunion convention of Thurs,
day.
Time docs not allow US, in to-day's issue
to take notice Of any matters personal d
ourselves, which may become necessary on
account VI the manner in which this paper
had the honor to be referred TO, or rcyicw
at full length the various departures from
historic truth which Characterised the
speeches Of the occasion. Our purpose TO-
day is to state the case between tho North
and the South, or rather between the slave
holders and the Tree voters, ia reply TO the
spccchc, II senator Bcnnmin and Howell
Cobb. Ii is generally fclt to b, a matter Of
rcsrc, that public discussion wa. declined
by the Buchanan leaders. With the adyan.
tas' Of elab, rate rrcparaiions-wi,h the aid
or the abl,st defenders of Southern slavery
in their employ, the Buchanan leaders in
ihi. city shruuk from public debate, well
knowing that all lovers Of liberty, all tho
friend, Of tho constitution aud the Union,
were against their disunion schemes, and
.hat public Judgment would have hCcn all
but unanimous against scccs,ion, disunion
and the further extension Of slavery. As it
is, the duty is dcvolyci on the press TO cor.
rcct those mis,,atcmcuis, and 10 unmask the
prc;Cnccs Of love 10 the Union, - artlully
crnccalcl under the drrcry Of reasonable
words, and to di'rroyC by an appeal to lis
tory the statements Of the advocates or
southern slavery extension.
Tho statesmen Of the North as Car rs we
know, AMI the people Of Maine specially,
ar, law abiding citizens, earnestly attached
to th, Union aud the Constitution. II they
had de,olycd on them to-day, the duty Of
framing the Constitution anew, they would
sav, take it sit j., without change, altcn.
ton or dimiuutlun 1t the Constitution
remain, and l,t the G,ycrpmentbc admins.
tcrci a. 1t was In tho day. Of Washington,
Jefferson and Madison. W. ask M morc-
W. will submit to nothing l,s "lr thi. he
treason" let southern .la,ghollsr, "makc
the bet Of it,"
The constitution of the United State. was
Sls,I upon the idea that negro slavery was
temporary affair, no, liable 10 extension
or prrrc,uiiy. Mr.. jefferson in rasc - Of
bis autobiography, says
Nothing j. more certainly written in the
book q fate than that these people ar 10 be
lrcr."
In lis note, on Virginia, he aN
"T The whole commerce between master
and slave is a perpetual exercise Of the mos,
haisterous passions, the most unrtmlt,lng
dcsVntisn 0u the one part AMI degrading
SUBMISSION on thc other. Our children so
this aud learn ,1 initiate it-i0r man is an
initiative animal. TIL, quality j. the germ
of all education in him. FROM hi, cradle 10
his grave he j. learning O. dl what be 'ccs
Others 40. The parent storms !;
the child looks on, catches tie lincamcnts of
wrath, puts on the sane airs in the circle
of the smaller slaves, gives lobs, rein 10
the won't of passions, aul thus nur.Cl, c,lu-
Gated and daily ,vcrci.Ni in tyranny, cIuuot
hut b. stamped by IT, oli,u. pcculiaritics.
trrmhlc fJr my conntry when |
rrloc, that God is jus,, aud that his justice
cannot sleep forever
Mr.. Madison held similar views Refer
ring TO page 1879, Madison Papers, it will
be seen that Mr.. Madison thought it wrong
10 admit in the Constitution the idea that
there could be property in men.
In 1855, writing from Paris TO Dr. Price
Of London, who hal s,ut him an abolition
pamphlet, he gives the following opinion as
to IL reception in America
Southward Of the Chesapeake will find
hut lew readers concurring with it In scnti.
ment on the suhrc, of slavery. From the
mouth o. the head Of the Chesapeake the
bulk Of the people will approve It in theory,
and il will find a respectable minority ready
tn adopt it in practice minority which,
for weight and worth Of character, prcpon-
dcrltes against the greatest number who
have not the courage to diycst their families
Of a property which, however, keeps their
consciluccs unquict. NurlhwaId of the
Chesapeake, YOU may find here and there an
opponent 90 your doctrine. a. YOU may
find here and there rohbcr or murderer.
In Maryland. DO not lind the same dispo-
sition o. begin the redress Of this cnorinity
~ in Virginia. This is the next state %
which we may turn our eyes Tor the interest
in: spectacle or justice in conflict with ay-
aricc and Opprcssion-a conflict wherein the
sacred side is daily gaining recruits"
II Is an established fact t,-prOyablc by his
toric evidence aud not deniod.-that the baF.
gain or compact, entered into at the adop.
ton Of the Constitution, was, that the slave
States were to rclinqui.h all claim to extend
their institution into the common territory,
and that the free States agreed to suffer the
reclamation Of fugitive slaves. This was the
foundation on which the Constitution and
the Union were made 10 rest.
The principle agreed to was. that slavery
was wrong, an evil which should not be
allowed to spread, but that within the limits
Of the States where it then, and previously
existed, no interference should be allowed.
This is and always has been the doctrine of
the North, or the non-slavehOlding portion
Of the Union. The few men who made war