Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-11-14
NUMBER III.
fro~ ths Lo"do" T~es, October 20,

ahhnitAN
country every one Of whose oBccr. from the Prc.-
ident down to the constable including Oh. J.rr ol thu
superior Court - elected by suffrage 20 o.ybt
not Ia be astonlshed 1t very considerable ,,,o,n, n -.
'io' OF violence and abuse pre.un. too ,,.hiv
ron the very hreibe expression OF very decided .rc,
ces OF opinion that iis institutions subi-ct.d to mar.
than ordinary tension. D.tng gushed fmexurr. .. AL,
to have visited England in times of political eommo,;
and to have deliberately expressed their conviction ,h,
was utterly impossible fur the frame OF government To
survive amid so much discord and turbueoee There ia
o"e reason to suppose that Engishmen in the habit
OF committing towards Amerc. the same error which 9th
er European nations 90 frequently With rrs.rd To
Engand-thc error Of confusing the healthy and n,c..
~ action popular government With ~d excess and frantic
disorder democracy Is often like Jack C.d-'. .,,,x
most IN order whe &c Is most in disorder; this ov
ion has taken, as might be expected frm root a,u,y
Considerable class OF the American people themselves
They used 10 the aring and creakng of th. po
cal engine, To vast threats attended With slender ,.u
and sti mor- frequently with result all to every
species oi ehAggerauon s~agger, and hoo~ ~ness that
they have lost their belief ity Of political .
aud aiopt their creed in all seriousness the
OF the sa'iris who would represent principle as bnp-hd
IRON the world and public lite n u,cre scramble, 6,
place. power and patronage. There many re..ons
that lead part OF mankind ate and ,no,
u depreciae the true Importance and of con
tst Ike that at present going United St.t-s
tiiAt De worth while furnish rez.rrs
some iacs the knowledge o which may place them lee,
al the mercy Of Others by enabling With some CON-
hdence To form aud pronounce jsgment for tbe.-v..
The present Presidential contest the last phase OF
question old the foundation o the Republic of IN.
United States which has reappear-d under great v,.t,
o forms AMI undergone vast number OF changes b, in
reference To principle and to party. Nothing ~e .pprs
hend Is more certain than that the tune OF the .ien.
ture OF the Declaration OF Independence its Al.
hrmaton that all tree and equal and h,v. :,
equal right To le liberty, and the pursuit oi happiness
led not mpr Drinr rtnia hfrh
To urge against Great Britain, but which expressed the
sincere and heartfelt conviction uf authors and ~
noters OF the revolution Slavery did that exist
We b-ev-, in State OF the eoufeescy but il would
be To prove from the writings of Washington Jer
and every distinguished OF that day thar IL WAS
regarded exceptional blot escutcheon of Amer
ea, to be wiped out surely aud speedily soon A. the
new Poy should have obtained any share OF dey
ment and maturity. IL broadly conceeded and has
nSver since been serouy denied by any person OF nu
ence or POSITION that the abolition continuance of sla
very in each State a question not delegated To
Congress but left exclusively the decision o its own
local Legislature. But To admit State into this uni
TN o reeinen tainted with the vice oi slavery 10 allow
its existence in those territories ncpienl States which
are Immediately governed by Congress- seems To have
been contrary the views OF the founders of the
kevoiunen As to the text OF the Declaration by
which that Revolution inaugurated Under
the first Influence OF this spirit slavery expelled from
the northern part Of the Union and confined 10 MARYLAND
Delaware, and the provinces lying the OF them
Thus arose that division which has reached the full
dimensions OF Importance and significance between the
slave States chase of
expulsion OF the Indians from the bloody battlefield Of Ken
lucky recruited the number o slave States but the set
ucmeni of the Northwest than counterbaanced this
advantage and the slave States tet themselves in danger
OF being completely outvoted in the councils OF the nation
This, indeed, woull long ago have had IL not
been for the artificial regulation by which slaves ure
allowed count equivalent to three free in deter
mining the census upon which American representation
il based IL would hardly be much that tor the
last hve and thirty years American politics have turned
mainly eadeavour preserve the balance of mower
1 and lhe SOuth and
for every free State admitted into the Union sav. State
whose vote mg ght exactly counterbalance it,
In these struggles the North had the advantsg. of
better cause larger and more intelligent population and
more rapid natural however which
the south found means to eounerba~nce greater uni
oi design more perfect dcipne, greater political sp
IRON the situation OF the seat OF government the midst
OF community OF masters and slaves. The matter
apparently settled Tor all by the Missouri compromise
which admitted that State, emneutly qualified by its eli
mate and position for freedom into the Union slave
State, on the express condition that slavery was never
henceorth be allowed penetrate hther tsn what ia
called Mason aud Dxons line, corresponding pretty
y to the thirty-sixh degree o north latitude IL very
possible that this arrangement which substed
Tor thirty years might have been perpetual had il not
been for the and dupcy OF the leidrrs Of the
North, and more especially Of the hte praised Dam
iel Webster Up to 1850 the efforts Of the slave States
had been directed towards acquiring new south
OF the thirtysixth degree OF latitude rather than to any
attempt 10 ransgress the line which separated the do
miuons of freedom and bondage Il mainly with this
Oh ootalnnS new slave state, which might
when more fully peopled be divided into Eve and thus
neutraze In the senate the Of the whole Of New
bngand,-that Texas vas annexed and a war With
Mexico provoked. IL with similar view OF redrcs.
sing the balance OF in favour Of the South that p
ratea designs and still fostered against Cuba
and that California object OF ambition while man
kind yet ignorant OF her golden treasures the dis
coVety OF which thwated the scheme and gave tree
DON the land which bad been marked the chosen do
main OF slavery The conquest which was ultimately
sought was legislative rather than military Cuba a.
coveted and Texas annexed for the sake Of Cub. o.
Texas but OF the votes which they would confer in Con
gres and 10 whatever point Of the compass arms d
the Republic were turned the victory she sought
ally over the North The tactics Of the South
ed With success the nation suffered itself TO be caught b,
the lure OF foreign conquest and the South might have
succeeded in all its designs bad the rashness
ted oy impunty, together with the Of is uos
prominent political antagonists excited to pitch o
presumptuous folly which has reused free States To
sense of their danger Jipated the visions Of conquest
and glory, aud excited sentiment the strength and
OF which will never be truly known untl has found ul
utteranee in the coming Presidential election