Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-10-03
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4,
and denounce their invaders. In place Of
encouragement and sympathy for their out
ragged fellow-citizens, from the North, there
is little else than jeers and ridicule for their
oppressed and suffering condition-misrep-
resentation of their motives and conduct,
anda pretended incredulity of the state
ments and appeals which they send their
brethren of the States.
find their speakers exhibiting the same
spirit-some Of them ignoring the ques-
tion entirely; others of them treating it
with perversions, misrepresentation and
/ false issues; and Others taking openly the
side of tho oppressors; but no one of them
advocating the cause of Kansas, or favoring
her admission under the Free State Cousti-
tuition adopted by her people.
In the public demonstrations and process
sions of the party, 1 find banners and devi-
ces containing brutal insults, in response to
the appeals of the people for protection
against unparalleled wrongs calculated, as
no doubt they must be intended, to prepare
the masses for a continued refusal of justice
and protection, and a relentless persistence
in outrage and oppression.
I find all the Democrats South and apor-
ton of the Democracy of the North, boldly
repudiating the Kansas-Nebraska bill, BY
insisting that slavery has right to go into
the Territories in spite of Congress or the
people; and that the inhabitants of the
Territory have no right to pass Territorial
laws to forbid it or exclude it. Democratic
Representatives from Pennsylvania even,
in the Senate and House, hold and proclaim
these opinions; while other Representatives
from Pennsylvania, with democratic leaders
from other States, declare themselves pub
licly to be non-eommital upon this heresy F;
the inevitable tendency of which, it is easy
to show, will be 10 prevent almost entirely
the formation of any more Free States.
Having originated a movement myself TO
aid our people by sending them men and
money, and having prosecuted it with the
strictest avoidance of party characters, and
studied neutrality as to the political can
vass, and having earnestly asked the co-ope-
ration of men of all parties, l have failed to
enlist in it, to my knowledge, single dem
ocrat In the Conventions of Cleveland
and Buffalo, called without distinction of
party, in furtherance of this enterprise, there
was not democrat present but myself
This cannot have been from any want of
generosity or of MEANS but only in defer
ence to the prevailing tone and sentiment Of
the party, which is enlisted on the other
side of the question. And not only have
they abstained from aiding the movement,
but in their presses and by their private In
huence they have endeavored to cripple and
retard it by sneering att, warning the COM
munity against it as reasonable, and declar-
ing that the money would be misapplied,
thus preventing contributions even from
friends of the measure.
might go on with this catalogue and
enumerated indications, if necessary, show
ing that the prevailing tone of the party is
hostile to Kansas; but l consider it only
necessary to add that what have said re-
Iates but 10 the North. The South where
the great mass of the party is to be found,
makes no pretension, as whole, to the ad-
vocacy of anything but pure Border Ruff
ianisfn.
What then, have the Free State men of
Kansas to expect from Democratic Ad-
ministration, even if presided over by Mr..
Buchananl If he could be left to act upon
his own impulses, unaffected by external in
Iiuenccs, and free from all pledges and OBJ
legations, express and implied, the case would
be different. But, unfortunately, this is not
so. His election would rightfully be con-
sidered decision against us, whatever may
be his own private feelings. His officers at
Washington, in Kansas, and elsewhere,
would necessarily, to large extent be filled
with our enemies. His information would
come through distorted medium; and last
", he could not aid US without having first
made up his mind to be abandoned and war;
red upon by his own party. The South
would charge him with violating his pledges
and turn upon him with the bitterest hostil-
ity, and at least portion of the Northern
Democracy would follow their example,
He would thus be left without a party to
support his Administration, unless he should
cast himself into the arms of the Republi-
cans. We cannot, it seems to me, either
ask or expect him to do this upon question
where party lines are so plainly drawn be-
fore his election. Like all other men in the
Same situation, he must obey the party SEN
timent on which he is elected.
That there are democrats in Pennsylva-
MIA who are full of indignation against the
conduct of the South in regard to Kansas,
am we'll aware, and that they would use
their influence to redress her wrongs l am
well satisfied; but they are too few in pro-
portion to the whole party of the Union to
sustain his Administration in a war with bis
party. They have as yet been unable to
make their opinions appear and be felt in
the party, and of course, cannot do so here
after. Ihonor their good intentions, but l
cannot believe in their power.
| Irepeat that l have been forced to these
conclusions after no slight struggle with my
feelings and inclinations. Should Mr. Bu-
I chanan be elected, and his administration
be different from what my judgment COM
pels me to believe, shall give it my cordial
appreciation, and my feeble though willing
support. As l believe now, l must regard
the Democratic party as fully committed to
Southern Sectionalism, toward which, for
some time past, it has been rapidly tending,
and quit it, well assured that my duty to
my country demands at my hands this sac
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