Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1857-07-18
Slavery and Democracy.

With many of the professed principles
of the self-styled Democracy, as enuncai-
ted in their platform, concur. They con-
sist chiefly of declaration of those gener-
al principles which distinguished the De-
mocracv in the DAYS when the name Dem
ocrat meant something different from an
advocate of the expansion of Slavery. But
their professions and their acts are quite
different things.
They protested, in repeating the Nilsson
ri Compromise, to confer upon the people
of Kansas. while in Territorial condition,
the right to regulate their own domestic
affairs through Territorial Legislature to
lie chosen by themselves; practically they
have denied them the right to elect Leg
islature at all, and now openly repudiate
the idea that Territorial Legislature has
any right to regulate the domestic affairs
of the Territory by excluding Slavery
Protesting to love and revere the Const-
tuition, they have trampled under foot its
most sacred provisions; protesting to be
observers of law and the law and or
der party, they reign of anarchy and
tyranny in one portion of the country !;
protesting devotion to the Union, by their
acts they have put to hazard its exis' ance,
and many of their most distinguished lea J.
ers have threatened It's dissolution, if anna
iorlty of the people; in the constitutional
mode, should eject the President of their
choice; protesting TO place their trust in
the intelligence, patriotism and discrimina
ting Justice of the American people, they
have not only hung out false colors by
which to conceal their own actions and de-
ceive the people, but they ma!ign and
misrepresenl their political opponents, and
appeal to bad passions and prejudices
Of the ignorant, that they may enlist them
in their srevice; protesting not to cherish
ihe interests of one portion of the country
above another, they have built up sec
tional interest which now CONTROLS all the
powers and patronage of this great Gov
eminent; protesting to afford an equality
ofrights to every citizen of every section
Of the Union, and to protect his person and
property from domestic violence, they
have refused, when IN power, to afford
that protection, and have actually aided
and abetted, through their officers, in as
saults upon both: protesting to practice
economy in our public affairs, the Admin
istration of Franklin Pierce expended
more money than was ever before expcn-
ded during the same period By any Admin
istration, even in time Of war; protesting
to regard, as cardinal principles Of their
faith, the liberal principles embodied t,y
jefferson in the Declaration Of lndepend-
ence, they assai that instrument, attempt
10 explain away its plain words, and boot
at those who quote them, falsely attrbu-
ting to them desire for the amaigama-
ton of the white and black races, and to
place them upon terms CT social and poit-
ical equality.
This, my friends, is no fancy sketch. 1t
is all a sad reality. Every one of the
charges upon which have arraigned the
self-styled Democracy here to night, Is
susceptible of demonstration. Do you
ask when it violated the Constitution |
point you to Kansas, ruled over by the
seR.styled Democracy, through Legisla-
ture forced upon its inhabitants IN viola
ton of the the protested principle of self
government and of law, passing and en-
forcing laws abridging the freedom of
speech and of the press, by making it a
Penitentiary offence to speak or publish
anything denying the right to hold slaves
in that Territory. Witness the disarming
of the people of Kansas, when assembled
in self-defence against invaders and their
dispersion by Federal troops when assem-
bled for redress of grievances, in direct
violation of those clauses of Constitution
which declare that the right of the peo-
pie to keep and bear arms shall not be In
frinesd, nor the right peaceably to assem-
BILE for a redress of grievances be abridged.
Need [ remind you how many persons
in that Inflated Territory have been de-
prived of life, liberty and property, within
the last two years, in direct violation OF
the constitution and of law, by the assent
and connivance of the late Administration
How long is it since the Missouri River
was closed against travellers from one
half of the States of this Union .
The act of admitting Missouri into the
Union. as Wen as uuIlciOuo obhoi "Se" "
CONGRESS, declared that the Missouri River
should remain public highway, forever
free TO ali the citizens of the United Stat ties
vet this selfstyled Democracy being in
power, protesting to be the peculiar friends
oflaw and order, and declaring in their
political platform that every citizen OF eve
~ section of the country has right to de-
mand and insist upon an equality of rights
and privileges, aud to be afforded by the
Federal Government complete and ample
protection in his person and property, suf-
fered that great national highway to be
closed TO the immigration to Kansas from
the Free States nearly the whole of last
season. Numbers of persons from our
own Stats were last year deprived of their
liberty aud property upon that river, in di-
rect violation of numerous acts of Con-
gress, and yet the Administration raised
no. finger for their protection, or to pre-
vent the outrage. What an example is
this Of an ecuaiity of rirh+s q. :,;rvo