The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-05-09
pemocratie rnconsistency.

We have time and again shown by the re-
cord the position of the Democratic party in
this State, in 1S49, on the subject of the ex-
tension of slavery. We have published the
platform of the Democratic Stale Convention
of that year, and the letters of prominent
Democrats of Indiana, all strongly opposing
the extension Of slavery, and declaring Con-
gress had no right to legislate on the SUBJECT.
No Democrat can truthfully deny, that these
documents placed his party in directly an
tagonistical position few years ago to that
which it now occupies-thus proving the gross
and unparalleled inconsistency of that party
which is now stigmatizing as abolitionists all
who occupy the position they did in 1919.
In 1850 the Democratic party IN Ohio occu-
pied precisely the same position as that party
in this State. From an editorial in the Gin
c matt Daily Enquirer Of that year, leading
Democratic paper, we make the following ex-
tract:
"What does the South want? Her rights
in the Territories? Size has them? Her citi-
zenS are as free to go with their wives and
zens of the North. VIII that not satisfy the
South? Has she some peculiar right which
the North does not posses, and does not wish?
has she the right to take into free Territories
species of property which the free labor of
the North regards as pestlence, and which
! it knows TO be its natural enemy? Most GER
;ainly not. There is a right stronger than
that claimed by the South-the natural right
OF man 1t is right which overrides all 9TH
ers. 1t is omnipotent, irresistible. 1t &C.
knowledges an equal right, but no superior.
1t goes hand in hand with is equal, but not
with the slave. 1t breathes and lives in the
pure air of freedom, and sutfocateS in the at
moSphere OF slavery. 1t only asserts the
great principle of llie-that OF self preserva-
tion-when it says, the fertile plains and smil-
| ing valleys of our new lands shalt be free. If
the South is content with slav ~ where it
now exists, we are. All we ask is, that it
shall remain where it is"
| The resolutions OF the State Conventions of
Ohio were precisely similar in tone to this,
and non-ertension was the motto of the De-
nocraoy of Ohio as of Indiana What has
brought so great change in the principles OF
| Democracy on this question? Who doubts
but the Democracy would be occupying pre-
cisey that ground now, but for the springipg
of the Nebraska Bill upon the people by Doug
las, and the endorsement of it by the Pierce
Administration, and right in the face of that
resolution of the national platform which said
The Democratic party will resist all attempts
at renewing in Congress, or out of it, the agi-
tation of the slavery question, under whatever
shape or color the attempt may be made?' No
one can doubt the fact. They followed under
the blind lead of those demagogues Douglas
and Pierce, both maneuvering for the Presi-
dency in 1856, and following them, forsook
their old principles If they contented them
prlnciped conduct and gross inconsistency
both might be treated with the silent contempt
Tor firm rebuke which they merit. But when
these Democrats shamelessly charge those
citizens with being abolitiouists, who occupy the
position the Democracy SO recently forsook in
ollowiRg the demagogneism of two unprincipl-
ed partzans-they should be dashed with the
singing scorn of the honesty and deceney Of
every party, and the earnest rebuke of the PEG.
pie. What more is any party demanding than
they demanded few years ago? What nearer
approach to abolltionism is any party now max,
ing than they made in 1850. the same position
they sustained till the introduction of the Ne
braska Bill? Shame on these Democratic
leaders for their neutrality-suspicious. OF
them for their course of political rascality ant
infamy.