Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1858-02-17
Correspondence.
SOUTHEASTERN Indiana,
Feb. Sd, 1858. {

4 cO. ou, 1000.
Reporter Our great Democratic
party is still progressing. From a Free
Soil party in 1850, and d party that en-
dorsed in all their platforms the. COM
promise of 1920, it became in 1854 op-
posed to the compromise of 1920, and
In favor of Squatter Sovereignty, for
the purpose of extending the glorious,
national institution of Slavery; but
when an honest and fair carrying out
of that doctrine will not bring Kansas
III as Slave State, our great party
turns pettifogger, and hunts. up techni-
ealities to force the Lecompton Consti-
tuition upon the factions majority of the
people of Kansas, (which is a slavery
constitution with or without the slavery
clause.) This morning the telegraph
announces the Presidents Message re-
"onriending the admission of Kansas
rs a State under the Lecompton Con-
stitution You ask, will the rank and
file of the party sustain the leaders p
We say they will They may be .t;rac-
t.ots at first, as they We're in 1854, but
couple of years will bring them all
right The Douglas branch of the
party is getting smaller every day. He
is not now, i'll this State, considered a
Democrat. Ha aats usu
A convention is called by the Doug
las wing Of the party In this State, for
the 22d of February. ! predict that it
will be fizzle, or it will be dodge to
gull honest men and keep them in the
party, by making another platform, and
allowing man, if he votes right, to
stand on either one. In that view, it
will be an ingenious contrivance to keep
the spoils in the party, The Republi-
ans may say what they please, and the
administration with the South may do
what they please, we cannot be divided
we stand upon one firm principle :
''Public Plmder-to the victors belong
the spoils." All other principles are OF
minor Importance. Platforms are not
TO be lived up to. We merely consider
them as traps to catch the floating vote.
and when that purpose is accomplished
they are ended. For instance, read
the Cincinnati Platform and then look
ut the course of James Buchanan
Hard currency has long been one of the
cherished principles of our party, but
in practice we go upon what may be al
the time policy. Look at our Demo
cratic Banks in most all the States made
byDemocratic LIE egislatures-banks thai
can and sometimes do redeem theil
notes, when presented 800 per day, il
fve-cent pieces, taking one bill at ;
time. Then again take a look at thu
Shinplasters, called Treasury Notes, is
sued and put out by our administra
ton. a.f nj. .s.r a-.F 4.
There is but one course for the sue
cess of any party, until great chang
comes over the people-and that i
policy, not principles. The vices of th'
people must be pandered to; free achis
keyniust be allowed and sustained, an'
every man must be kept in the hop
and expectation of obtaining Office
But will a change come over the peopl
of the country? Is there North?-
Will it always be that the South, wit
the assistance of Northern doughfaces
can carry every point, and that whe
an ambitious, grasping man of th
North aspires to high Office, that he ha
got to commit outrages against tn
North and against the nation, such q
the repeal of the compromise Of 1921
and truckle to Southern sectionaists.
live upon the borders of Shaver,
and know the people of the Slave State
and can bear testimony that there
more sectionalism, mors State pride
more pride for their institutions in an
one of the Southern States than thel
is in all the Northern ones. The SAN
pride for free labor at the North tn:
there is for Slavery at the South woul
soon settle the principle that Liberty
national that our government wa