Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1857-08-13


The test principles on which the De-
mocracy fought the battle of lS56-wtth
the laggard and encumbering cooperation
of the ultra Southern politicians-was the
right of the people of the Territories to
form for themselves their State constitu-
tions, principle which the ultras plumed
themselves upon having forced the Nation
al Democracy to espouse; and yet, now
these mirrors oppose the submission of
such constitution as they would frame for
Kansas. to her people. because the people
~ould rote ii dorn! They thus proposed
a fraud not only mean and infamous in it.
self, but doubly SO, ia being expressly vi
oiative OF the most solemn public pledges.
We tell them. that, however they may sue
coed in misleading public opinion for a
moment the Democracy of the South, the
honest masses Of all parties in the South.
the honorablo, lawabiding. faith keeping,
chivalrous South herself will refuse to
countenance so monstrous fraud, so bald
apartizan trick, SO silly, paltry. wanton a
piece Of folly and bad faith, as that of en-
deaver;ng to impose upon Kansas consti
tuion obnoxious to her people
Ia;a republic where the will Of the ma
JOnty overrules, 10 be out voted is 10 dis
grace; but in what State or land could the
sons Of the south hold up their heads with,
out shame, if the south, after Piled gine
her troth and honor to abide By the decis-
len of the people of Kansas upon their in-
stitutions, finding she would be outvoted,
should succeed by artful jugglery and cum
ming trick in Guiding a compliance with
her pledges? Her rabid ultra politicians
may seek to blacken her fame by leading
her into such step; but her staid, ster-
ling. honest Democracy Will have no part
nor lot in the infamy ard will resist it to
the bitter end. Demagogues and charla-
tans may practice upon her sober Democ-
racy all the arts of sophistry and deception
they are master of; but her Democracy
will never repudiate the great Democratic
principle which they approve in their con-
sciences and to which they have pledged
their honor--of giving to the people the
choice of their own Institutions; they will
not repudiate the great State Rights prin-
ciple of allowing the people of each State
the free and untrammelled exercise of the
prerogative of choosing their own insttu-
tions Of self-government.
We feel a sense of humiliation in argu-
ing such proposition; but what adyan-
tage could the south derive from the fraud
and trick? How long would q Constitu-
ton last that was imposed upon Kansas
against the sentiment of her people? Not
ayear would elapse in the history of the
new State before new Constitution would
be formed by command of tile people, and
the fraudulent one repudiated amid the
scorn and execratiOn of an outraged public
sentiment. The last stale of the ",Souh-
ern cause" in Kansas God save the mark J
would be worse than the first The trick
and imposition, the broken faith and for
feited honor of the south, would be house
hold words of infamy in Kansas, which
would become for all time teeming hive
of our revelries. The south betrayed, in-
deed. by the opponents of the faud! On
the contrary, who will undertake to esti-
mate the injury, obloquy and infamy that
would be entailed upon the south, by the
achievement of the fraud which is media
ted by her ultra politicians? Richmond
{ Ia. )Exominer.