Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1856-09-06


House of Representatives. No rational OBJ
server can fail to perceive that large pro
portion of the Northern people are determin
ed that the slaveholding States shall not en-
| joy, in respect to the institution of slavery
J those equal rights which we suppose to b.
essential conditions Of the federal compact
ard to be guaranteed to usby the Canstitu-
ton itself, Hostility to tie political rights
and domestic interests Of the South is SEN
timent of widespread infence in the nom
slaveholding section, and now for the first
time is made bore'of union for party COM
hination powerful enouo to control the pop
ular branch of Congress, and to enter with
confident hopes upon Presidential canvass.
Every enc who respects the character of the
Southern people must anticipate dissolu-
tiop Of the Union as on inevitable, and a
just consequence of the aseendency of such
a party. If we would MAINTAIN orr rights
and at the same time maintain the existence
Of the Constitution, we must destroy this
Northern party, organized upon The princi-
pie of hostility to our institution. We
must combat it on It's own ground. We
are IN q minority, and l'nion Of Southern
sentiment will not of itself avail to accom-
plish the double purpose Of maintaining our
rights and preserving the Union. =. This
great battle for the Constitution mr,3t be
fought in the non-slaveholding States. -
This grave issue must be fairly and boldly
met before the Northern public, and their
Judgment won to the cause of conservative
and constitutional principles. The only
power which we can find on that arena able
and willing to do battle for US is the Demo-
cratic party. That party now, as upon for
mer occasions when our equal rights have
been assailed, affords the South the only
material support it obtains in the non-slave-
holding States.
We are aware that northern men cannot
think and feel as we do on the abstract sub
ject of slavery. It is an institution which
from their position and the circumstances
which surround them, they cannot duly APP
preciate or fully understand. But we have
wright to expect that all true friends of
the Union, whatever may be their preferep-
ces and prejudiced, viii unite in indicating
the equal rights of the States as the only ba-
sis on which the eonfederaey can stand
We believe that the Democratic party in
the North, regarding a rigid adherence to
eiple of their political faith, are ready with
out evasion or reservation TO breast the storm
Of fanaticism and to preserve the constitu-
ton inyiolate iii letter and spirit. On that
party we confidently rely for cordial and
efficient cooperation in the maintenance of
those guaranteed rights which all other par
ties in the North, reckless Of consequences,
are striving to destroy.
The annexation OF Texas. the passage Of
the Fugitive Slave Law, and the establish
mont OF Territorial governments, have af-
forded the occasions when the most passion
ate and vigorous assaults have been made on
the rights Of the slayeholdiug States. On
each Of these occasions the power Of the
Democratic organization has been rallied to
the support of Justice and the Constitution.
A large majority Of the Democratic MEM
bers OF Congress from the non-slaveholding
States voted for the annexation Of Texas,
for the Fugitive Slave Law, and for the
Kansas y ebraska act Not solitary North
ern opponent Of the Democratic party voted
for the FIRST CT last of these measures; and
out of seventy-threc Wing mombere of the
House representatives from that part Of
the Union, only three could be induced to
give their support to The Fugitive Slave
Law. A Northern Wing president (Mr.
Fillmore, after the passage of the bill thro
Congress, pledged against the exercise of
the Presidential veto on questions of expe-
dieney, required an argument on its consti-
tutionality, from his Attorney General, he
fore he affixed to it his signature. Che
Democratic party now, as upon the other
two occasions, unaided, encounters the
storm of Northern prejudice, and manfu'ly
upholds before the noh.slnYeholding public
the constitutional rights of the South
If the principle of non-intervention by
Congress on the subject Of slavery in the
formation of Territorial governments was not
Incorporated in the permanent policy of the
Government by the Compremise of 1850, the
South suffered disasteroas defeat in the
great struggle which was terminated by that
compromise. The non-slaveholding MAORI
ity refused to execute the Missouri compro-
mise. and divide by the line 800 30i the ter
ritory acquired from Mexico by the common
blood and teasflre. California having been
admitted into the Union as State With an
anti-slavery Constitution, framed without
any legal sanction, the South was practically
excluded from any participation in the rich
extensive acquisitions of Mexican territory
Her only compensation was what was regar-
ied as an authoritative recognition OF the
principles Of aon-intervention in the acts es-
tablishiug governments for the Territories Of
Utah and New Mexico, IF that recognition
was to be confined in its application only to
those territories into which the introduction
was physical imposibility, then, indeed,
was The COMPROMISE of 1850 bitter moeke-
ry. If the principle was recognized as fair
! ly applicable to all the Territories Of the
United States when government should be
organized for them, tie honor and the equal
( ity of the slayeholding States was preserved
from sacrifice,
The North had repudiated the Missouri
Compromise when it confiicted with their
preuaices and their interests. The occasion
Of instituting government for some new
territory was to determine whether they
would execute the new compromise of 1856
in any better faith. The occasion was pre-
sented when the Kansas-Nebraska bill was
introduced into the Congress of the United
States. The startling fact was then disclos-
Il L., 80 l,a