The Placer herald., 1856-03-08
AUBURN, MARCH s, 1853
The Party Of PROGRESS.

" PioNe tiiat tue OeiIlOcIallc party Is HOt
the party of progress, but has become the
exponent of fogyism. The Journal is one of
those red-mouthed Black Republican stand
ards which being edited with sufficient abil-
ity to become mischevous, for that reason
entities it to some notice.
This being the editors cast Of politics, we
are prepared to see many absurdites held up
to the public gaze as matters Of grave i'm
portance; but we confess ourselves somewhat
outdone at the assertion that, The progress
i've men find the democratic party too slow
for them, and are uniting with the Republi-
cans at the North, and the Know-Nohings
at the South, for the reason that the demo-
cratic party is no longer sufficiently pro-
gressive."
And still further on comes the bold declar-
alton that "the party Of progress if the signs
do not fail, will be the republican party. AS
a consequence, it will be the successful party
1t will represent the popular idea Of the day,
aud will take a strong hold on the popular
sympathies. 1t will not be possible for the
selt,styled democratic party to maintain its
ascendancy, when it is no longer the repre-
sentative of democratic ideas"
0, temporal. 0, mores
Of what great principle is this Republican
@ party the special advocate? what astound
ing development in the science Of govern
ment has its leaders promulgated, whereby
the world is to be regencratcd and saved? If
we are correctly informed OF this party it is
composed of the rank aboltionists and the
free-soilers, and their one great absorbing
object is to prevent the organization Of and
the admission into the Union of any other
State with the institution of slavery as a
domestic establishment, and that too without
regard to the geographical position Of the
territory of such new State.
For one we believe that the enslaving of
one man by another, whether white, red or
black, when viewed as an abstract question,
is wrong, and in that light cannot and ought
not to be successfully defended. We further
believe, that the institution of slavery, as
applied to the African race in the United
States, has been of incalculable advantage to
that race, and is now as race, improving
them. This, we believe, can be incontestibly
shown.
But it is not as moralsts or founders Of a
system of ethics that we are permitted to
act with relation to this matter, but as citi-
zens. Then, in that capacity, arraying our
selves under the banners of the two parties,
how do we compare. The Democratic party
places itself upon the comprehensive doe
trines embraced in the law Of Congress or
ganizing the territories of Nebraska and
Kansas. The spirit of that act is, to recog-
nize all sovereignty as existing in the people;
it insists that the inhabitants of said terri
tories, considered as an inchoate State, are
entitled, in the exercise of seltgovelnment,
TO determine for themselves what shall be
their own domestic institutions, subject only
to the constitution Of the United States and
the laws of Congress duly enacted under it.
This doctrine, you Mr.. Journal, and your
Republican party deny; and yet you are
willing to concede that the people of every
State in this Union enjoy this power as an
inalenable right. Your progressive () party
dsfranchises man when he becomes resi-
dent of territory where there is no law. Ac-
cording to the tenets Of your political creed,
unless the people Of future States manage
their domestic affairs to suit your peculiar
views they shall not come into our family of
sovereignties.
This is by no means a new doctrine you
have espoused, and if we improve our under
standings by the teachings Of history, we
shall find it the very reverse of progressive.
More than fifty years ago the people of
France arose in their might and discarded
the line of Bourbon kings, adopted consti-
tutional government and designated by an
almost unanimous vote who should admins
ter their laws. These transactions were not
suited to the tastes of Great Britain Russia,
Austria, and other surrounding nations. For
twenty years the people poured forth their
blood and treasure to establish for themselves
the right to regulate their own domestic in
stitutions-the very doctrine Of the Nebras-
ka and Kansas act. At last these banded
monarchs, acting upon the progressive doc
trines of this Republican party, headed their
legions Of mercenaries, and wading through
seas of French blood bivouaced in the streets
Of Paris, and with their cory hands placed a
hated Bourbon upon the throne. A fine set of
fellows were those monarchs composing the