The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-31

pICtcDI
gyrate new era in legislation, and they have most
efectualy succeeded. They have insugurated an era
Of rufhanism and brute force in Kansas; they have
sown distrust and i'll feeling among the States OF our
Confederacy; they have kindled the flames OF civil
war; and they now ask that their arts shall be en-
dorsed by the people Of the Union or they threaten
still worse consequences to follow. They have muir
dered mon in Kansas because they were for Freedom
and not for Slavery; they have harsssed peaceable
settlers to drive them from the Territory they have
imprisoned men for the high crime of treason which
consists IN refusing to recognise laws which insult the
manhood OF freemcn; they have blockaded great
passengers of their goods and their liberty all, all
to prove the great principle Unpopular sovereignty
and to uphold tho "rghts of the South" The cheek
of every true lover of free institutions must man
tie with shame when he reads of these outrages and
when look to the past the days of the Honrys,
the Hancocks, and the host of worthless who inaugu
rated our Revolution must hang our heads with
grief for the degeneracy we have suffered. Men,
citizens of our glorious Republic now in prison
in Kansas for tho crime of treason for having dared
to speak, and Print, and act. rs freemen; and the
party under whose auspices these audacious DEGREES
have been issued, has yet the erontery to present
itself to the people OF the North as the National
party of the Union and to talk of dissovng it unless
it is permitted to 90 on in its work of crushing ou
liberty in Territories 1t has repeated the parrot
cry of popular sovereignty" in the platform OF
Cincinnati, and it goes into the canvass with all the
arrogance of the Border Ruffians" into Kansas,
sneeriDg at Free State at Republicanism, at all
that is good of the past 1t is playing bold game
for supremacy having the united support ofthe great
Interest of the South it seeks to intinidato enough
votes at the North to give it victory, With a
tionai interest its capital stock it mpudentIy talks
OF ssctonslism and threatens the dsunion
if 1t is not kept in power. Such is the Democratic
party ofto-day.
appeal to my old Democratic co-workeIs if this
is the party considered ourselves honored in
being attached to- Can you continue to give your
support to party which has prosttuted it elf to
such uses and purposes? Can you continue your
connection with party which has forgotten its mis-
sion in wild hunt after power? Can you look
around you. at the thrift and prosperity which the
absence of Slavery has given US, and not desire
the same for Kansas? Is the tie Of party too
strong for your patriotism to break You know
that il is the design that Kansas shall be slave
State viii you aid that design by again giving your
votes to what is falsely called the Democratic party
What element of true Democracy is left to fight for
within that party? The issues of the past obso-
letc, and your party is being by your former
opponents who naturally flock to Federal standard.
Tho only principle left you to contend for, is "pop
ular sovereignty, as exempli1ed in Kansas, where
you would not dare go and speak your Democracy
Of the past and even this is repudiated by the
Democratic Senate, led by Douglas himself 1t has
been at last discovered that tho people are indig
nant and frightened at the prospective loss of pow
or, more than at their fOlies and crimes these
popular sovereignty" doctors have repealed por-
ton of the Draconian Code of Kansas being a SOP
to Cerberus to lul the watchfulness of the people
and to accomplish what they desire, by another po-
ltical trap. If you can swallow the platform as
it now stands; if you can shut your senses against
the damning wrongs endured by your brethren in
Kansas, and continue with tho party, which upholds
and seeks to perpetuate them though your loyalty
cannot be doubted, your Democracy may well be
questioned. 1 am Democrat; L want prouder,
no othor title; but am not of nor with the party
which has stolen tho bat does not possess the
spirit of Democracy.
Far back in the dim records of the past, VIC read
IN xuh iah shryxl L<-I G..
they are full of instruction and worldly wisdom.
We there see the whole life Of nation spread out
before us, and We can trace infinitely the RISE PRO-
gress elimination, and fall, of people. We can
analy carefully and, in mirror, see the rciec
ton Of our own growth time alone is to decide
whether our history is to be written as theirs We
soc the rigid simplicity the stern patriotism of the
founders. the rise of ambitious rulers, the supine-
ness OF prosperous people; the corruptions which
the lust for power brings and the degradation which
its en oyment inicts. Blind adherence to party and
factiens tho loss of individuality in that of mere
partisan the desire to be attached to to belong
some party are the real causes of the decadencs Of
nations which have tasted the fruits of Freedom
The boast of every partisan, that he has always
stood firm to the nominations of his party is only
confession Of bis AFFECT servitude. have no such
confessions to make, having endcavorcd at all times
to vote conscientously and to keep steadily in view
that my first fealty was due to principle I have
never boon the blind follower of the party gods or
lost my own judgment in obedience to their DEGREES
party may becoms-nay, has-a despotism more
debpsing and tyrannical than the institution of Sa
very itself; a vortex swallowing up individuality
reason, and self-respect. With its machinery of
hereditary committees, farcical primary elections,
humbug conventions, and deceptive resolutions, tho
masses composing the party are made the mere in
struments of power which rules with as much AFRO
gance any who do so by the "grece of Godn A
rebellion against the DEGREES of tie leaders is de-
nounced as viruently rs treason to our Government
We have proof Of this in Kansas Pierce Douglas Il
rea1f botgfx 81.
were new articles in the Democratic creed and Kan.
devoted to the Inauguration of the new faith
as natural result, brute force from tho adjoining
State OF Missouri controlled the ballot boxes and
acted as god father ct the haptism-a baptism of
blood, of popular sovereignty and Slavery in
Kansas; the power of the party was on the side of
tho Border Rufians;" they were permitted to 20
on with their work, in violation of the Constitution
and our Federal laws; the President Of the United
States acted the President of party enforcing its
DEGREES to the neglect of his duty Chief Magistrate
of this Republics those who had violated all law
were permitted to be law makers, and they formed
code which will be moro famous than that of Draco
those who doubted the propriety of the popular
sovereign thus inagursted indicted for tyea-
son. shd in prison, literally and wholly be-
cause they have rsbelIed against the decreos of a
party. They have not violated single law known
to our statutes, or grounded in our Constitution
They are simply rebels against the authority Of
Pierce, Douglas, Co, acting as the rulers of the
Democratic party. Even while write, the lightning
ofthe wires bFrg s us the intelligence that Iieuten
ant of our Cromwell has invaded the meeting hall of
the Legislature of the people of Kansas, and sur.
rounded with hedge Of bayonets has told the NOM
bers OF that body to dispense if not in the words of
Cromwell" Go, the Lord has NO further use for
you he has used those of equal meaning This
Napolconc act this dispersion Of Legislative body
representing the rights and privilege of freemen We
are asked to approve of Shall these facts not bear
their legitimate fruits, by making the individual
thought of the masses to resume its empire and its
natural sway!
Fellow-citizens, VIC live in a political era which
will be long remembered for its unbushing corrup.
tons. and its bold bad ambitions The heated maria
conflicts OF the past have generated rare poti-
cal exotics of the genus Little Giant and our
Democratic garden is about to be laid waste to
crafty the pride of these full blown flowers No
perfume bat theirs is to scent the field and no fra
GRANGE OF the past rse through the mephtic and
narcotizing influence of their newly invented oo.s
To quit the metaphor, and talk plain prose. our
Government is now in the hands of the veriest dem
agogaes that ever cursed nation They are triaipp
with the most sacred principles of our Republic, to
crafty their own selfish desires they arc playing
the tyants over public opinion and the conScicnces
OF men, at the bidding OF their own mean ambitions
and tho power behind tho throne" They have
forced an issue which the North sought to avoid ;
they have tramped into the dust the teachings and
doctrines of our fathers, and then with tho insoence
peculiar to osEr2stion, they brand those who resist
their headlong disregard o. justice and right as
" sectionalists" and " foes of the Unionp Like
cutie fish, they are dscoloring the waters to escape
pursuit and with all tho air of injured innocence
they ask, Why all this aommotion? They take it
for granted that all the North is like themselves
ready to yield the cherished convictions of the past
the hopes Of the future to crafty their luss and to
purchase present gains. They cry peace after rails
ing the strife; and they threaten with ali tho impo
tency of despair. They have browbeaten the repre-
scnaves of the people into consent to the passage
or . bill which has proven a Pandoras box of ills
and they are nov trying 10 browbeat the people into
submission They talk of seetioaiafisn,, when sAe.,
eyes have never been turned from the South and
they cry danger to the Union when their own
crimes alright their dull conscienccs Weak. venal
aaa ambitious. they have sown diseord, and they
dread the harvest tey srs to reap, if the Just ndg
nation of outraged people fipens Tn, rnafu.,sy