Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-06-12
THE FREE PRESS.
BURLINGTON
FRIDAY MORNING, JUNE 70, 1857.

p
wealth, influence, AMI virtue. In a paragraph
which we recently copied from the Newburyport
Herald (oppositon). it is stated that large part
Of the prceminent talent Of the old hig party Of
Massa 'husetts has, on the principle Of electiv.
affinity, become merged with the Democrats, and
will hencciorth act with them President Bucha-
nan has shown his appreciation of the movement
by appointing ex-Whigs to several important Of
fees. When the American party disintegrates,
the best portion of it will ] in the Democrats
while the Abolition radicals and extremists will
affiliate, as they ought. with the Republicans. On
the whole, the prospects Of tho Democratic party
were never better than at this moment; and in
some important respects, SO good The on
ly valuable materials which were lacking to them,
circumstances over which they had no control have
supplied and are supplying in great abundance -
J2urnai o' Commaee.
The Government of the United States in all
Its departments, has been in the hands of
the Democratic party for many years. The
Whig party began to disintegrate and dis
perse in 1870, and was finally extinguished
In 1852 In 1880 the Democratic party
succeeded in its great Object Of merging all
| other issues in that Of Slavery, which had
been smouldering within the two great rival
political organizations since the annexation
! Of Texas, five years before y small South
ern faction arose which distinctly presented
/ the alternative of dsunion or the adoption
OF policy Of active aggression in behalf
1 Of Slavery. 1t was led by such men as
Toombs, Stephens, Clingman, and Gov.
/ Jones Of tennessee TO this faction the
Democracy, as party, surrendered, and
thus became completely scctionalzed.-
( Southern Wings could offer no cffectua. re-
sstance to the movement. and dsbanded.-
\ large portion Of the Wing party Of the
/ North succumbed to the threats OF the
traitors. and for the sake Of the Union
] . a, Zee. 11tt.. Il
/ other portion iDiucd the Democrats, in the
hope, probably, Of being able to moderate
/ their couLs.l>. and iniuse something Of con-
servAtlSm into that party which o5-
yiously to rule the country. In this way,
organized opposition was crushed. But
the great mass Of the Wing party Of the
North, and very large minority OF the
Democrats, toreslw that nothing but de-
moriliztuon and disaster could proceed from
this coalition, for its very germ and essence
Were treason to the Union and the CJustitu-
ton, inasmuch as it had IN reality no other
foundation than menace Of breaking up
the Union in case its sectional schemes and
pretensOns were not carried into execution
For length OF time no successor APP
peared to the Wing party. rhe league Of
sectional fanatics was everywhere Veto .
riouS. Gen. Pierce was elected by it in
could boast that about every State Legisla-
ture was under its control, about every
Executive chair of the Union was Occuuiel |
by one of its ttyorites. The elements Of op-
position, however, at length combined 1t .
the North Republican party was formed,
at the South a know-Nothing organization
was Effected. In the Presidential election
of lNjG the former prevailed in most Of the
Free States, and the united vote in all the
States showed Il grea. majority against the .
sectional party Of the South. But the .
compactness of the Democratic party secured .
to it the victory, and its power in the fede-
raj government continues unchecked.
All parties must in the end be Judged,
like individuals, by their acts We have
shown how criminal was the origin of the
Democratic party in its present form and
spirit The occasion is a proper one for
enquiring what il as doHe. \ brief expo
sitlon will show that during their tempo
partly unrestricted career, the Democrats
have inaugurated and carried forward the
most stupcndOus system OF incendiary agi-
tation that ever shook the institutions of
the country, and have committed crimes as
atrocious as those by which the tyrant of
Naples has excited the disgust and hatred
of all Europe.
We begin with the conspiracy for raising
the standard Of ciyilwar and dsunion in case
California should be admitted as Free
State The conspirators went with their
scheme to Gen. Taylor, and sought to
trighten him into concurrence by threats of
insurrection. The old soldier and patriot
met the conspirators with fierce defiance,
and they shrank from his presence, con-
founded but not ashamed. lie died, and
their hopes and plots revived.
In 1872 - g. tbo
overthrow Of the Missouri Compromise.
which had been adopted as a sacred compact
between the North and South in l>20, and
had been solemnly re-atfrmed in 1850
This infamous example OF treachery aroused
the Indignation of the country, which cried
aloud for peace. Fully forewarned of all
the consequences. the Democracy pressed
forward the agitation, although in addition
to the conviction Of the innate depravity of ,
their action they saw that they were exciting |
the passions Of the people to degree of bit
terness and icrocity never before witnessed. t
lhe Compromise was repudlated, and then
commenced that bloody border struggle {
between the North and South which had |
been toreseen by all, and intended doubtless
by many of those who had initiated the ,
measure. AtchiSon, the chief OF them left l
his place in the Senate and repaired to the a
MS rioyers and mosstroopers into " blue
odges, and cquipping them with knives
n their belts and hemp in their button 7
loles, he proceeded to execute the mission +
)t his party that is in brief, tl bully, to
murder, and to rob. Individually, and bv
lid of auxiliary societies. the settlers i
moved into the Territory simultaneously
with these desperadoes. These latter
mmediately established the rule of terror ~
which was u part Of their system. They .
,egan by denouncing the settlers us a
Ibolitionists, seized the polls, forced upon Q
he Territory a false and spurious legisla- h
urc, in electing which the inhabitants l.
we're allowed no part, and proceeded to +
ecord and put in force body of enactments :,
10 ylllainous that even the basest organs of
'ro-Slavery agitation were compelled to a
Ienounce them as an outrage upon ciyiliza- =
ion and republicanism. But the usurpation
lad been chriStened with the name Democ- |
acy, and its baptism was sealed in +
onlagration and blood. 1t would be as
lseless as disgusting now to go through the
ickenlng and horrible details Of the conflict
which followed In all of it there was seen
'ut one party-that of the recognized Y
democracy For fully tweve-month /,
'lylL WAR was waged by the Government,
through gang OF infuriated partizans and
iotous mercenaries, upon people as loyal n,
md peaceful, and worthy of protection, as h
yer went forth to confer upon a wilderness a
he blessings of industry, religion and cult h
ated society \
We shall not swell the catalogue of crime a
" repeating descriptions Of corrupt and W
yrannical prisons filled with men N
onfned upon political charges, and consum-
d by disease, famine and yermln, of towns Il
'urned-oi females outraged-presses des- Il