Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1856-11-01
frons tie ,9p.,7.t q .Iaf.trssa.
hln. James ". 1Ea Co., Gnfses1,

ty upon the politics Of the day, on Monday
q meeting was held at the Court House for
that purpose. Col. Davenport was called
to tie chair.
Col. Mason then hogan one of the< ablest
speeches Of the campaign. We shall not,
of course, attempt to give more than mere
synopsis Of the principal points of his re-
marks He began by drawing vivid pic
ture of the present alarming state of public
affairs, of the dark hour which had come
There is no canvass said he, in any of the
Southern States--the canvass Is elsewhere
There tTas bit one issue-fh:at issue to be
decided elsewhere The question is outside
of our limits! But, as dark as had been
that hour which had come upon us, a new
day was about to break-a brighter day was
about to dawn upon the Republic. He was
satisfied that it was most fortunate for US
that it was now to be tried. Thst The con-
servative Democratic party at the North had
been swept almost away in lS54--State by
State had fallen. There was a combination
of every sect and every clique and every ism
banded together under the Know Nothing
standard to break down the Democratic par
ty. They succeeded in electing their Con-
gressmen from almost every Northern State
And what did they do? Why, every man
of them turned up al Aboltionist . But
Virginia arrested the tide, and presented
her usual Democratic majority.
Bit, lie continued, it is fortunate, that
the issue is to be made noe For if the Fed
Government is to be made a great political
machine, to impair and destroy the insttu-
lions of the South, the sooner we know it the
better. If that machine - 70 be used for
this purpose, it must be broken! It shall
be broken. Why said he. if may use the
expression, we are in an increasing ,satndr
ty. And if the contest must come, it were
better that we be tried in our manhood, than
when we have arrived at the imbecilty of
old age. But, he believed, that "a good
time was coming" The sound, conserva-
tive, public sentiment of the North was a
Harmed. The recent elections proved this
The Democratic party, the only sound party,
lad rallied. And though in a minority
that minority had been improved by fire =
They see the danger, and those who are
elected will come now with a determination
to abide by their Constitbtietaa Obligations
But, he said, ali ret here 70 make par
tisd:a speech.
The division between the Wings, aornacr-
ly Federaists, and Democratic party was a
healthy division. Then parties differed up
on questions of constitutional corstraetiors,
&c. how diFefenA 5fste 6f things exist
We have no canvass in the South the whole
contest is at the North. We can take a calm
survey Of our position. In consequence Of
climate, of productions, slavery haakecome
an institution Of the South From these caus-
es alone, has it become q. Che wise men
of the Federal Convention saw what was to
harmon. They took measures, therefore, for
TIE rejection Of their property hence this
, element Of ralit;cal por or IN the Gonstitn-
tien. they asfoed to the proposition, that
only three-Gfths of their slave population
should be included in the representative
numbers. Now the North would take this
from us.
They charge us with breach Of faith;
with some laundering, in rapealing tie Mis-
soar Compromises, y re passage OF the
Kansas bill. a'he Missouri line, said he,
was ohliterataa by the North. not by US
Mr.. Mason hen went into detailed History
of the slavery agitation, from the period
when Missouri made application 10 ~ ad
mittcd into the Union, in ioi3 TO tae pres-
ent time He gavo 1 saec,nct account Of
the struggle which eh.ned, and the final
passage Of tho Missouri Compromise which
was agreed to By the Sch in spilt of
Cancellation Many Southern men though,
it unconstitutional Yet it was agreed 10
as Compromise It was dicidtnq q
Joint property between two sections of the
Union. Louisiana was the only territory
we had. Slavery was restricted North Of
the parallel f36 degrees and 80 minutes
and South Of that line the people were left
to decide for themselves This whole con-
troversy, said he. was admitted by Rufus
King, tt Re a struggle for political pow.
er." The country remained in state Of
comparative repose until 1915, when Texas
was annexed. II was an inderehdens Re-
public, outside of orr limits IL vas also
sla'ie 1crrl.ot i. a'iie North claimed, that in
coed faith, the Missouri line should be con-
tinued, and that slavery should be prohibit
ed North of 36 degrees and 80 minutes.
The South agreed to it, in the same spirit,
which passed the compromise. Ihcn by the
treaty with Great Britain the boundary of
/ Oregon was settled, aud shortly after. in
1915, BY tie treaty with, Mexico, new ter
ritory was acquired What was done in
reference to this ''line of peace z" Che nor
thern and southern States igore ostal in
number. Why that epirit which never
Sleeps, that eternal desire forpolitica power
prompted Wilmot, before the treaty OF peace
was yet signed, to propose as condition to
the appropriation to be made thai any ter