The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-08-21
VOL. X.
CONSERVATISM.

:
the perpetuation of power and Office in thu.
own hands. To this end, they cling like drovr
ing men to what they regard as the stron,..
power in the country, viz: that of Slavery
few years back, to be Conservative wa.
oppose the acquisition of foreign TERRITORY. Is..
by giving rise to the agitation of Slavsrr
Congress, it might leopard the peace and .,
bility of the Union, and endanger our am,
BILE relations with foreign Governments n,
servatism, therefore, in the days of CLAW 81
Webster, was to oppose, at once, the exian.;
of Slavery and aggressions upon foreiur Co.,.
tries. Its spirit was eminently peaceful. o.,
it was this single virtue Of the system nl:
enabled Northern Anti-Slavery men. sucb
Governor Seward, to cooperate with Tho :,
Wing party, although dissenting from tho ~.
row msxims which in the main gover,ol
No men were louder in praise of Copsarv.,;.
than Pratt, Pearce, and Reverdy Jobnson :,
Maryland, John NJ. Clayton of Delawa,a D
Jus Choate Of Massachusetts, and Jama. .
Jones OF Tennessee. They denounced :.
Democratic party of that day, for its rsckla.'
indifference to the peace and stability &c =
country, and rode into power, in 1910 and =
lS48, upon the strength of that Copseyv,,;.,
feeling, regarding Slavery and foreign aeon;,;
ton, which they had themselves contributad !,
create.
But where are they at this day, when ii.
great measure of Henry Clay, the Nilsson,
Compromise, has been overthrown? Wbe,
are they, when the party which overthrew tb,
Compromise, with their aid, has laid Down
platform, and nominated Presidential card
date, with the avowed purpose, not merely q
sanctioning the admission of Slavery into Ks,
sas, but of taking the Island of Cuba. bv for..
or fraud, in order to extend and perpetuata Il.
power of Slavery in this Government? The.
are at the feet of the reckless and rascal,
party of Slavery extension and foreign apvre
sion, beseeching to be admitted as humble 8,
lowers of Pierce, Douglas, and Buchanan d
Wise, Toombs, and Soule.
The issues presented by the two great nsrt;.,
OF the country, the Republican and the .b,n
Democratic, are Freedom for Kansas and nsac.
with all the world, on the one hand and on II,
other, Slavery in Kansas, and the ACQUISITION
of Cuba, at the hazard of war with Sna;p
These pretended lovers of peace and consarv.
tism prefer the latter, and have publicly syov
ed the purpose of giving their support to Mr.
Buchanan. 1t is alleged by them. in sDoo,v
for the gross and manifest inconsistency Of ,bei,
conduct, that Mr.. Buchanan is not 80 bad q,
his platform-thst he is conservative. and will
avoid rupturing the friendly relations which
subsist between this and foreign countries. Now
we maintain that he occupies position worse
than that which is assigned him in the plat
form-and that his avowals in the Ostend Nam
festo, and in the conversation with the commit
tee authorized by the Cincinnati Convention to
apprise him of his nomination, are much more
Objectionable than the more vague and diplo
matte language of the platform. The ilibuster
ing language of the platform is as follows:
90. Res0!ced, That our geographical and
political position with reference to the Other
States OF this continent, no less than the inter.
est OF our commerce and the development Of
our growing power, requires that We should
hold as sacred the principles involved in ths
Monroe doctrine; their bearing and import al.
NIT of no misconstruction they should be ap
piled with unbending rigidity.
"3. RESOLVED, That the great highway which
nature, as well as the assent Of the States most
Immediately interested in its maintenance, has
marked out for free communication between
the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, constitutes
one of the most important achievements real
lied by the spirit of modern times and the IN.
conquerable energy of our people. That result
should be secured by timely and efficient ex
ertion Of the control which We have the RICH,
to claim over it, and no power on earth should
be suffered to impede or clog its progress by
any interference with the relations it may sui
our policy to establish between our Governmen
and the Governments of the States within whose
dominions it lies. We can under no circum.
stances surrender our preponderance in The
adjustment of all questions arising out of it.
"a. ResOtced, That in view of so command
ing an interest," the people Of the United States
cannot but sympathize with the efforts which
are being made by the people of Central Amer
lea to regenerate that portion of the continent
which covers the passage across the inter-
oceanic lsthmus.
as. Resolred, That the Democratic party
will expect of the next Administration that
every proper effort be made to insure our AS
tendency in the Gulf of Mexico, and to main
tain permanent protection to the great outlets
through which are emptied into its waters the
products raised out of the soil, and the commod
tiles created by the industry of the people of our
Western valleys, and of the Union at large"
This doctrine, though bad enough, and adapt
ed to any emergency, might be waived in any
particular case. A President and Cabinet stand.
ing on it might still keep within the pale of in.
law and comfy, by always pre-
tending that the occasion for its application had
not arrived. But not so with the more explicit
commitment in the Ostend Manifesto, and the
protestations of zeal in the cause of flibuster.
ng for Slavery extension, in the conversation
With Gov. Brown, of Mississippi. Take, for in
stance, the following specimens. In the Ostend
stter, Mr.. Buchanan and his confederates de-
clare that
The natural and main outlet to the products
Of this entire population, the highway of their
1irect intercourse with the Atlantic and Pacific
States, can never be secure, bat must ever be
while Cuba is a dependency of
Instant Power, in whose possession it has prov
I'd to be source of constant annoyance and
to their interests"
Indeed, the Union can never enjoy reposs
nor possess reliable security as long as Cuba is
not embraced within its boundaries"
Its immediate acquisition by our Govern
nent Is OF paramount importance
Considerations exist which render delay in
he acquisition of this island exceedingly dan.
gerous to the u nited States"
SCUBA has thus become to US an unceasing
LANCER and permanent cause tf anxiety and
alarm"
:" After we shall have offered Spain a price
or Cuba far beyond its present value, and this
hall have been refused, it will then be time to