Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1858-09-16

The following glance at the contest now
raging between the two political parties Is
copied from the Indiana Journal We com
menditto the careful perusal OF every man of
either party who wishes to vote at the com
ing cleation for ths best interests Of his
country. Itis faithful and honest re-
view Of the past and present position Of
parties, referring to facts which all must
admit TO betrue, who are acquainted with
the history Of the times:
Last fall the Democratic party stood ar
rayed to man ON the declaration that
Kansas should be, admitted into the Union
with just such q constitution a. the people
wanted President Buchanan had pledged
himself to carry out that declaration. and
the party was committed by its platform
and the pledges of the Presidential cam
pagn to support him. As the Free State
men had shown themselves to be largely in
the ascendant. the Republican party were
very willing that the Kansas struggle should
be thus ended. They had contended for the
freedom Of that Territory, and they cared
little whether they secured that point by
their own strength or with the help of the
Democrats. Everybody was weary to ap-
prove any plan that promised to remove
the tiresome topic from public attention
without doing injustice to anybody Con-
sequently all Mr. Buchanan AMI his party
had to do was TO carry out their pledges,
and admit Kansas with such a constitution
as the people had fairly enacted, and the
long struggle would have been over
This result would not have changed the
relative position of the two parties at all.
for the Republicans contended then. as now.
that slavery had no right in territory till
the people, through their lawful represen.
tatives. established it; and the Democrats
contended that the Drej Scott decision,
which establishes slavery in all territories
without any permission of the people, was
right Here are two armies drawn up ia
cling each other. and fighting on either side
of this question, ''the extension of slavery
into territory in spite of the people -
Right in the centre of the battle field, like
Hougomont in the field Of Waterloo. stood
the Kansas Bill. 1t was commanding
position and would give the party holding
il great advantage. 1t had been the GEN.
ter of attack and defence. ofmaneouver and
stratagem. for two years and more. Now.
as we have stated. the time had come when
the Republicans were willing to give it up.
if the Democrats would only do as they
had pledged themselves to do--that is,
leave it. and let it be controlled by those to
whom it belonged Neither force should
have il. but both should stand out in the
fair field. and face to face. on the vital
question in dispute. the extension of slave
ry. The ''agitations. and .dissolutions
OF the Union, and all that, which had tor
msnted the Democrats SO long. could now
be all ensled at once, and by process no
more difficult Though experience has prov.
el that it is the most difficult il the world, J
than the keeping of. their pledges. So
stood the contest last fall. The Leccmp
ton Contention was elected. Only one
half the Territory was allowed to vote for
that Convention. and that half was in a
good degree disfranchised by census ad.
mitted by Gov, Walker to be fraul--
Surely said everybody in the North,
/ "the Democratic party, pledged 10 permit
the whole people Of Kansas to have theil
will, can never sustain the action OF a con.
vention representing SO small portion Of
the people" And many Demoerats quite
distinctly said they would not sanction it
But the time had not come for the head O
the party to speak. The Convention met
and enacted Constitution. II was no