The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-10-20

tons, dictated by the instructive fears
common to all tyrants. While they claim
to be an enlightened people, they do not
suffer the great leading ideas of the age
to enter their schools and colleges, for
fear they might engender thought against
slavery. While they claim to be moral
and religious people, they address even
their prayers to no other God, than the
black God of slavery. While they pre-
tend to be a patriotic people, they have
sacrificed the liberties OF speech and the
press, sacrificed even the liberty of con-
science, sacrificed the welfare of the nom
slaveholding whites, and the progress md
prosperity Of their own States, sacrificed
the peace of this Republic; and they will
tell you as often as You want to hear it,
that they are ready to sacrifice to the
perpetuation Of slavery even the union of
these States and the last remnant of their
liberties and republican institutions. No
body can deny tin the South slavery
overrules everything else, slavery rules it
all.
And what about the North? Look at
the party in power. 1t considered the
Missouri Compromise a sacred compact.
as long as that measere served to aug
ment the number of Slave States. 1t
advocated the extension of the Missouri
line to the Pacific Ocean, when by that
extension large territory might be acqui-
red for slavery. 1t became suddenly
convinced Of the unconsttutionality Of the
Missouri Compromise and repealed it,
when that compact was to augment the
number Of free States. 1t transmogrified
the face of the squatter-sovereignty ten
times, according to the pleasure of the
Shareholders. 1t considered the popula-
ton Of Kansas numo really sufficient for.
forming a Slave State, but sadly INSULT
Gent to form a free State. 1t layished
with unheard of profigacy the money Of
the people for the benefit of the slave
holding interest and treated the great
commercial Interests of the free North
with contempt. 1t applauded the most
fragrant violations Of the balIot-box. and
the most daring usurpations Of power,
when they served the interests of slavery
And low are all these amazing things
Look at the interior organize
ton of that party. No kingdom, no
hierarchy is ruled by more absolute
despotism than that party is ruled By its
leaders, AS have shown, their princi-
pies are shaped and remodeled according
to the arbitrary pleasure of the South,
and the masses have but to obey, and
they dc obey. They arc watched and
logged like dock Of sheep, turned out
to pasture to-day in order to be fleeced
tomorrow Look at the executor Of
John Calhoun's last will in til. White
House, who, like an Oriental despot,
hurls his anathemas and political death
warrants where he cannot debauch the
conscience Of a man with a bribo. All
his power and patronage he has trans
formed into a vast machinery Of corrup-
ton in the service Of slavery. Cast your
eyes wherever you will, II othing but party
despotism, nothing but the fiercest oppres-
sion OF moral independence, nothing but
corruption organized into q system, and
all this in the service Of Slavery. VIII
you deny it? Even in the North Sla-
very struggles to rule tall. ss7sfI
Where are we driftine2 | will not
dwell on our perverted commercial policy,
nor on the question Of internal improve
ments and the Ike will point out to
you the antagouism, in which our politi-
cal development is entapgled.
/ have often been told, that the slave
holders are right in restricting the liber-
ties of speech and of the press, ETC., on
the subject of slavery; for those liberties
unrestrained would be real danger to
them. No doubt, there would be a dan
ger, but is there more crushing argument
against slavery than this, more con
elusive proof of its entire incompatibility
with true democracy. When an iastltu-
ton in society caunot stand before the
tribunal of free speech and free press, the
question arises, Shall we sacrifice our lib
critics to that institution or that institution
to our liberties? gIhold that no interest
aohich IS incompatible eUith a free erpres-
sion Of public opinion can hare right
to erist IN democratic organization OF
society. And if it does exist, it will be
like chronic disease, or like an ulcer
lying underneath the skin, which will
leave no rest nor comfort to the. body
polite until it is finally extirpated and
extinct. 1t is in vain to palIiate the dis
ease bv artificial means. 1t viii break
forth again and again with increased fury
and will rage on and on to a final crisis.
Aye, Sir, your standard bearer is right
in spite of Douglas sophistries. A house
divided against itself cannot stand. 1t
mast fall unless it cease to be divided
BY the memorable, uncompromising logic
of things we must 90 either one way or
the other; not as Mr.. Douglas tries to
make YOU believe, but we must either a.
bandon the principle of equal rights even
among white men, adapt the whole devel-
opment of our political organization to
the paramount interest of a privileged
class of Shareholders, put the liberties of
speech and the press ct the mercy of the
ruling power, and sacrifice our democrat
ic system of government to the aristo-
cratic and despotic tendencies of the slave
holding system throughout, or we must
break the political power Of slavery in our
national concerns, and return to the org
insl principles on which this Republic Tas