The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-07-10
From Mr N.m lorh Tay Book.
HE POSITION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.


right in itself, in the nature and necessity
Of things: that while there nrc defects or
in,rrlr,,i,ns of detail, ;,s in everything
else. and in aiI human institutions, there
are, perhaps. nn more evils connected with
sr;irln society than that ut the north
tla, negroes .:rc negroes and not white men,
and. therefore. the peculiar, domestic insti-
tu,io,s Of the South is no slavery at all,
hut, on the contrary. the natural relation of
The races, and the normal condition of So
.i.ty, whenever nr wherever whites and nc
.,r,"S are in uXtipoSilion. And IRE further
hnl,l that slavery extension, So-callcd, or
the free. full and unrmharrasscd movement
al southern populations. "r its perfect free
,inm oi rypan-i"n-ut ni~ralion-of de-
,.!oru,urmt souiiwarl and tropicwart, is
absolutely essential I" the peace, progress,
anil safety of American civilization, and,
indeed, to Tie very existence of the Amcri-
can Republic. And in our frequent articles
"n ths particular phase of the mighty qnes-
lion now nrnn us, and before the people
E,r their action, we have said, that the
northern Democracy, when the question
sna'1id he presrntc.! to them, would be in
favor "f the free expansion OF southern
population, or us the dupcs OF imposture
would terra ii, the cAt.nSi"n OF slavery
There is no question Of this kind now
presented or before the country; hui when
it is, rs it will le, sooner or Iatrr-when
the mighty interests of This great and free
Republic demand new acquisitions or tresl,
outlets for our increasing negro population,
then, IT'S We have often said, we doubt not
,!c northern democracy will be III favor Of
extension; ior TO saprose them otherwise,
is to suppose them .1"ois-too stupid to
comprehend their own wants {: or too base
and cowardlv to protect themselves against
the schemes Of European monarchists, or
vile iruros,urcs of domestic traitors. TO
>tanl still and permit England, France and
Spain, under the lying and miserable pre-
tencc OF philanthropy dcmoralizc anG
destroy the Island of Cuba-to make it
magazine OF free neg sm''-a very
.i::na OF all 'i:at is vile and l,ilrous to he
von!tcd OIL our country; or an instrument
~ accomplish the diabo.icAl and infamous
schemes of the enemies Of dcmncracy-to
permit this, we repeat, To- stand still and
look Oh willie a;l this vlliany is being CON
cncte;l, and afraid to move Il STEP or say Il
word, because these tools or dupcs OF these
enemies of democracy, the Summers and
Chascs and Gll,!IngS, say it Is wrong 20 d"
so, and that ii is the extension ot slavery.
and slavery is wrong, an evil de-, for the
northern democracy TO bc thus vile, thus
stupid. thus cnwar!lv, thus incapable OF
securing their own safety or preserving their
own liberty, is 10 suppose them utterly in
capable OF sc':-yovcrllncnt and the demo
cratic party, from the days Of Jefferson To
tie present momcnt, miserable hum
bug.
liut While We will 10, DOUBT, indeed, can
not doubt the spirit and intcli"enc. of the
Northern lll:.sseS, and when the time comes
for them to act, will show to the world their
entire capacity to deal with this particular
aspect of the general question just lis their
own safety and well hcing demands, the
question of slave expansion is not now in
issue and the position ul the democratic
party is *, 'rank, taken AMI plainly de-
fined ny the Cincinnati Convention that
man may rim anl read it, anI though Il
fool, understand il. |. simply says, hands
Off the f.leral government has 10
right to meddlc with this question: that re-
ligion, law, currency, manufactures, com
mcrcc, banking AMI agriculture, which in
cludcs socalcL slavery, shall be left to
themselves; in short, that government, cs-
rccIaly the federal government, shall not
Interfere with the social relations or buSi-
ness interests Of the people. 1t has re-
pealed the olious Missouri restriction,
which assumed [" discriminate against half
the States Of the Republic, and to conliscatc
tho property at nearly half of the Ameri-
can people, if they vcnturcd with this
property within Il certain portion Of the
federal territory. Aud it SAYS, when the
people of the territories take upon them
the rights and responsibilities of sover-
ciyntv. they may have negro slavery, If
they choose, or they may exclude "slavery,"
if their own lest interests require it.
This is the democratic position, not only
now, hut always. As = political party, it
can neither be for or against so,cal!cd
"slavery"-tor c.rrp. in the two especial
instances provided for and plainly defined
in the federal Constitution. it cannot touch
the subject. The provision for restoring
runaway or coaxc,l.awav negroes. and that
defining the ratio Of representation, covers
The wh"!. ground Of northern connection
with southern negroes, and beyond these,
Or beside these, the northern people are as
absolutely disconnected with the negroes
Of tho south as they are with those of
Brlzi! or OF Africa.
But the opposition claim the right, and
hold it to be duty to suppose this lessee
.t"irc policy Of the democracy. Their false
IDEAS Of government, peculiar to the old
federal school from which most of the
leaders spring, leads 10 this interference
with "slavery." just as they desire to do in
respect to the currency and other interests
of the people. but beyond this unsound-
ness of political IDEAS, tie opposition to the
democracy are Iaboring night aud day, and
with zeal absolutely dcvi!isI,, to array the
North against the South, and by the mere
power of numbers. TO carry the Prcsidcn
liaI election. And yet they have the I'm.
blushing audacity 10 charge the North will,