American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1856-02-28
TO Our Exchanges.

We have been seated upon the editorial
tripod some ten days. embarked in a bu-
siuess of which we have less knowledge
than any other that moves this busy
crowd. We must, therefore, claim the in
diligence of the fraternity until we shall
have cast about and acquired a facility Of
maintaining our seat against the missiles
Of the more dexterous in the profession.
Saying nothing about our inexperience
10 the business, the turmoil and confusion
incident to the entire change Of a printing
establishment. we have had barely time to
take a birds'eye view of our exchanges
and we are led to exclaim-Oh for some
power to purge the Press. and unite all
men in the pursuit Of thatknowledge which
embolies. truth, justice. and universal
happiness;-but as it is. we have entered
the arena, and whether for cool or for
evil, 'let time aud chance determine"
Among u exchanges we notice a good
ly number devoted to hat cause, denomi-
mated American;-to these we extend the
right hand of fellowship, and say. go on
Brethren,
"our cause, II is Just,
And triumph 1t must"
We claim no prescription for opinions sake
no interference with religious freedom,
from the Pope on his throne down to Brig
ham Young with his seventy wives, but
recognize as sacred, the doctrine taught
by the Charter Of our liberties, "That eve
ry man may worship God according to the
dictates Of his own conscience"
But we do claim the right to regulate
our W affairs, TO purge the ballot box,
that glorious medium, by and through
which our prosperity as a people, as a ma
iion, must. and Of right, ought to be CON
troled. This we propose to do, not by de-
nying to any the protection of our Govern
ment, to-life, Liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness, but by the abolition of all for
eign influence. and the restricting of the
elective franchise and official station to A.
meaicans, and Americans only. This we
hold to be, not only our privilege. but a du-
ty, which we owe to ourselves, our Coun-
try, aud the righteous cause of civil and
religious liberty.
There is another class of our exchanges
which is quite ~numerous-the advocates of
the so-called Republican party. They are
no doubt actuated by honest motives
Their aim is to place the great question Of
Slavery in the lead. or in other words to
makeit swallow up every other considera-
tion, and become the grand political idea,
upon which to organise a National Party.
While we are willing to believe that a
very large majority of the Republican par
. ~ are right upon the American question,
yet we believe their policy to be most de-
cidedly wrong. in as much as the ques-
ton of Slavery, is a local or sectional one
upon which the North and the South can
never agree.
We are Americans sand we, too, are op.
posed to the further extension Of Slavery,
recognising as paramount to all other in
terPretations put upon the Constitution,
chat, made by the first Congress that ev-
err sat underit. composed as it was, largely
of the Sages who had made it; they by re-
e~nacting the ordinance of 17s7 settled the
question as to the right to net IN the prem
ees. SD
We believe Slavery to be, morally, So
ally. and politically geographically
rong. because we are unwilling to allow
FAssa sambo, Misso Philssy. and three