The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-10-30


opponents - men like w. n. Seward, Charles
Sumner, j. P. Hall, and others - predicted
Kansas being thrown open to competition be-
| tween Freedom and Slavery, the North did all
it could to make it free State, the South all
II could to make it q slave State But there
was this essential difference between the mode
| Of proceeding: Northern emgrants went there
as settlers to cote it Free but the South sent men
| there to fight it slave State. Thus, a Legis
lature was established by fraudulent voting
which enacted laws, under the shield of modern
Popular Sovereignty, introducing Slavery, and
laws which are in direct opposition to consti
| tutional Liberty, annihilsting its very corner
stones-Free Speech, Free Press, and Suffrage
By these laws, if sanctioned by Congress, Sla
very Is introduced into Kansas, not by the
| legitimate workings Of the Kansas act, but by
fraud and by violation of that very act And
all this is done, to say the least under the con
nivance OF this present Democratic Admins
tration ! Does Democracy and Buchanan re-
pudiate these proceedings I? 1t emphatically
endorses them. That same Democracy has now
forced through Congress q bill appropriating
money to enforce that law by military power
| by striking out proviso which was to prevent
that enforcemeut-th striking blow at the
very root of Liberty-thus reinstating the feu.
same Democracy has stricken down a United
states Senator-for words spoken in debate, and
has neither repudiated the act nor punished it,
put applauded it thus striking down Liberty
Oh speech, even in Congressional debate. That
same Democracy has refused to admit Kansas
under a Constitution adopted by a majority OF
ITS actual settlers-thus protracting a struggle
IN which the odds are fearfully against Liberty.
That same Democracy has told US, tauntingly,
to oppose Border Ruffianism in a constitutional
way while it sanctions and endorses Legis-
lature which, having already introduced Slavery
ana code OF laws under which even constitu-
tional opposition is punishable with heavy pen
aities, even unto death, while every Jury and
every court OF Justice is composed of the sup
porters OF that law. 1t is that same Democracy
that has declared and still declares the self
evident truth, that all men are created equal,
selfevident lie. 1t is that same ID ocracy
that claims slaves as being property, with the
right to introduce and hold that property wher.
ever II pleases; while, at the same time it holds
slaves to be men, when five slaves constitute
three votes-thus bringing you down on Level
with slave labor everywhere. l might thus
enumerate facts, which all show that the De
mocracy of today is but an empty name. By
its platform, upon which Mr. Buchanan has
placed himself, unequivocally,) it endorses the
whole catalogue of Slavery demands, or rights,
or whatever they please to term it. II knows
no North, no South; it is so intensely national,
that, for the sake of union and harmony, il
would make Slaverya national institution With
it, to believe in the Declaration of Independ.
ence and the Constitution, in letter and spirit,
Is political verdancy; sympathy for the condi-
ton OF the African is mistaken philanthropy;
and Freedom is nothing else but ,SOuther7,
ri haf .:.L
that Democracy? WILL NOT.
Second. What is the position of the Ameri.
can or Know Nothing party on the issues before
the country? Here is poser. 1t occupies, it
would seem, no position. is Nothing, kno,cS
Nothing, tores Nothing fears the Pope more
than God-proposes to instil love of Liberty into
foreigners by persecution and prescription; and
while flood of light is pouring down, in this
land of Liberty of Opinion upon every nook and
corner of religious prejudice, it proposes the
antiquated doctrine of Religious Prescription.
Having no decided out-spoken principles on the
political questions of the day, it glides between
your fingers like q fish, when you just think
Nothingsm tells you C. let alone. Speak Hbout
Border Rufhans-about outrages committed
Liberty trampled upon - Constitution revers-
edit does not justify it, but says, let 1t alone.
Slow to believe outrages committed against
Free State men, it without hesitation repu-
dates the measures of self-defence, to which
they have been compelled it does not endorse
the bogus Legislature, yet it urges submission
to 1t; 1t does not endorse Slavery extension,
yet it endorses Squatter Sovereignty in its plat.
form. The most glaring violations of the Con.
stitution, as, for instance, the slave code in
Kansas, do not justify resistance, yet it thinks
the Legislature there an imposture. 1t is nei.
thor nnft, Il =. O
and North, eminently national. There it hangs.
between heaven and hell, face in back, face in
front, smiling at both. But for il, Freedom
would be triumphant, beyond a doubt, As it
is, splitting the forces of Freedom at the North,
it is eminently fit to serve the purposes of Sls-
very aggression. 1t is also emphatically the
party of side issues. Speak of the Republican
platform as an argument in favor of Republi-
canism, Know Nothingism tells You that Mr..
Fremont is Roman Catholic, or a gambler,
or defaulter. Speak of the issue before the
People, it tells you that the triumph of Repub.
licanism will be the end of the Union. What
it cannot meet it lodges if argument fails, it
equivocates. Such is Know Nothiugism it's
name, an endorsement of its principles. Let
them pass.
And, third, what is the position of the Repub.
licsn party on the issues Of the dayP We
might briefly refer you to the platform adopted
by that party, which to any unbiased mind
might be enough to understand its position.
1t is the only party in the field, that, while il
does not propose the immediate abolition of
Slavery in States where it exists, thus declining
to interfere with State Constitutions, it never.
theless is unfinchingly opposed to the extern.
sion OF Slavery into territory now free,
1t holds that Slavery is sectional, but Free.
dom (Republicanism) national. 1t repudiates
in unequivocal language the Kansas fraud. and
arraigns its perpetrators, and will not submit
to it's unconstitutional authority 1t will not
vote money into the hands of despotic Ad
minstration, to enforce laws by military power.
laws that are unparal eled in the history of re.
publican government, and q sarcasm on Lib
erty. 1t holds that Republicanism means Free
dom, and not the liberty to put down Freedom.
1t holds that the American Constitution is
made for the express and only purpose to in
sure to Us the blessings of Liberty, to protect
us in our lives and property, and insure to us
those rights which are essential to preserve
those liberties. 1t repudates the idea of South.
ern rights, to introduce Slsyery wherever it
chooses. Il Yepudiates sduatter Sovereignty.
but, not interfering with Slavery where it ex.
lists, it trusts that progressive humanity will
outshame Slavery, which it holds to be incon.
sistent with true Republicanism.
/ have thus represented 70 you the three
parties ia tue held. Before you decide with
what party you shall vo'e, pray, consider the
responsibilities you are under, not only as
adopted citizens, but also as Germans. Con.
slider that the majority Of Tou have left home
and kindred, 20 enjoy the blessings of Liberty
which you did not enjoy there. Consider that
here, BY your vote, you are an aoiual par
ticiPator in governuiens Consider that the
cause of american Liberty is the cause of uni
versal Liberty; its failure, a triumph of Des-
potism everywhere. Remember that while