The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-10-10

OF HoTfAWATTAAIE COVNzs- t' |
For Representatives Of l4th Representatives Disf'ses
JESSE w. DENISON, -
uasH or CRAWFORD COUNTY. |
Political Landmarks.
.xen change with fortunes, manners change with
Tenet. With books. and principles scitA times"
These latter times are pregnant with |
change Of principles, involving great change
Of tactics. In seasons like these, when new !
issues are springing up, and taking the
places assigned them in the political frna-
ment-in this progressive age, where Of the
now things, none are new enough, it will do
no hurt to quietly and honestly scan the
political horoscope, and study the political
past. We propose here, to briefly notice
the growth of the nnti-slavery sentiment,
and to show the positions OF parties, and of
some of the leading statesmen of the day,
upon the issue now dividing the two great
parties. 1t is customary to date the anti
slavery sentiment Of the North from very
recent day, when the simple truth is. that
the present determination Of the North was
only reached by slow gradations, extending
from the formation of our government,
down to the present. 1t commenced in re-
luctant suspicion, always gladly abandoned
upon the least show of Southern comfy; and
nothing but succession of unmistakable
outrages could have driven it to its present
fixed and determined purpose.
The fathers of the Republic, looking upon
slavery as great social, moral and politi-
cal evil, framed the Constitution in that splr.
It, and with q determination not to recog-
nize property IN man in any form whatever.
In 1887, nm Ordinance was passed interdict-
ing Slavery in all the Territories then own
ed by the United States. From the time Of
the formation Of our Government, down
to 1920, the attention Of the people was
mostly taken up with the war of 1872, and
Slavery was permitted to wax strong, fat
and saucy, unmolested. But it was not
forgotten. In 1920, the Missouri Compro-
mise was formed-the North captivating
and surrendering its rights, for the sake OF
peace, and with the assurance that the
measures then proposed, were to be regard
cd, to all inten.s and purposes, as ytnality.
Up to the time of the passage of the
Missouri Compromise, Congress, it seems,
exercised the right to legislate upon the sub
iect of Slavery in the Territories. While
Indiana was yet Territory, the people
thereof, a majority of them, three several
times petitioned Congress to repeal the Or
dinance of. 1887. Congress refused to COM
DIV with their wishes. From these facts, it
is clear to our mind, that the fathers Of
the Republic did not recognize the princi-
pie of ssSquatter Sovereignty" and that
they did not believe, with JAMES BUCHANAN,
that Slavery exists IA all our territories by
virtue of the Constitution of the United
States.
After the adoption of the Missouri Com
promise, there was but little agitation OF
tho Slavery question, until 1885. From
this period, till 1874, the Northern wing
of the Wing party, had many advocates OF
non extension Of Slavery, among the num-
Der, JOHN QuIScY ADAMS and CALEB CusH-
ING. In 1874, both the Wing and Demo-
cratic parties were anti-slavery in the
North aud pro-slavery in the South. At
this time, the Abolition party ran JAMES G.
BlRNEY, for President. J. X. Polk was
elected President, followed by the annex
alton of Texas, war with Mexico, and the
revival Of the agitation of Slavery. In
l847, DAVID WILxor, then a prominent
Democrat from Pennsylvania, (now Repub-
lican Candidate for Governor of that State)
introduced the famous Wilmot Proviso,
which provided, that all the soil coded from
Mexico should become free forever. All
the Democratic leaders were in favor Of the
proposition-a and in all their conventions
throughout the countryside Democracy
took the ground that "Congrcss not only
had tho power to prohibit Slavery in the
Territories, but that it ought also to exer-
else that power" Gen. CAss, the veteran
Democrat, expressed deep regret, that he
could not have an opportunity Of voting for
the proviso. In lS4S, only one year later,
10! and tho Democracy have changed. Gen.
CAss was no longer Wilmot Proviso man
he went for "Squatter Sovereignty" aud
most of the Northern Democrats with him.
The Wings ran Gen. TAYLOR, without
platform and elected him. The Free Soil
ers ran Van buren,, and cast for him some
three hundred thousand votes.
Upto lS4s, we believe the Democratic
party had no settled creed upon the Slavery
question. The Southern wing was pro-
slavery and the Northern wing anti-slavery.
"Squattcr Sovereignty" was engrafted upon
the Democratic creed in lsiS--it didn't
win. .a.@r -.H
As we said before, three hundred thous-
and free soil votes were cast for VAN buren,
for President. In ls49, both the Wing and
Democratic parties in several of the North
ern States, passed strong anti-slavery reso-
lutions, for the purpose Of securing the
votes Of the freesoilcrs. After shining over
and swallowing the greater part of these
voters, in 1850 both parties again courted
the slave holding support. We cannot tell
how it was, nor how it come about, but this
VIC know, that the Democratic party sue
ceeded most admirably with the pro-slavery
voters. We suppose it must have reached
the slower deep" Of demagogism. In 1882,
both parties took sscudy" under their espe-
cial care, and swore eternal fidelity to
Slavery. Previous to this, difference Of
opinion upon the slavery question had been
tolerated in the Wing ranks, and fidelity to
Wing principles did not in the least consist
in 'ssoundness upon the goose" At length,
the party went through the operation Of
getting ssnationalizcd," but owing to the
potion taken to render the operation less
painful, it never recovered from the effects
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