Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1858-11-04
Frcm the National Era.
THE REAL QUESTION.

4
While persevering efforts are made in the
free States to withdraw the attention of the
People from the Question of Slavery, in
one form or another it constitutes the only
Question in Southern Politics. The discus
sions of the Southern Press, the speeches
of Southern politicians, all the elections in
tho Slave States turn upon the single Ques-
ticn. AFederal Administration. subser-
Went to Slavery; Federal Legislation, pro-
tcctive of Slavery; Foreign Diplomacy to
promote the extension Of Slavery; Federal
! Courts, to administer for Slavery; Jealousy
of the growth of Free States; Acquisition
of Slavery; Annexation of Cuba; Fillibus-
tering in Central America; Absorption of so
much Of Mexican territory as may be adap-
ted to sla~e labor, from time to time, as
that unhappy country shall fall TO pieces;
Union of the South to secure the continued
asccndancy in 1860 of the so-ealled Nation
al Democracy, as the great agent of the
Slave Power-these are the controlling
Ideas of Southern politics. Shall the Pco-
pie of the Free States, and those of the
Slave States who prefer Free to Slave In
stitutions, shut their eyes to this state OF
things? Shall the Shareholders have it all
their own way? Shall we leave them at
liberty to mature all their plans for control
ling the Federal Government, and advan
cling the power Of Slavery, and resolve our
selves into debating societies on Tariffs,
Government Expenditures, schemes of Re-
trenchment and Registry Laws? Why at
tempt to shun living and momentous is
sues, forced upon us, and seek to evoke OBJ
solctc or subordinate ones. on which the
masses can never be rallied?
The Hon. Washington Hunt cannot u
mite with the Republicans; he says he is still
a National Wing, and hopes to sec Parties
SO reorganized that the Opposition in 1860
may stand united on great National Prlnci-
plcs-which. being interpreted, means, on
the Principle of non-resistance to Slavery
Propagandism. We are sick of hearing
this perpetual talk about Nationality. -
They are the greatest sticklers for Northern
Nationality who are the most humble SER
wants of Southern Scetionality. In this
great controversy with the Slaveholding Oh
igarchy we are national, they, sectional. Is
not Liberty the great Interest OF all sections,
and all classes? We would consecratc the
1 Union to its preservation and diffusion: IS
| this sectional? Arc not free institutions
exclusively prevalent in the States which
comprise two-thirds of the white popua-
tion of the country, and are they not the
rule even in the Slave States-and are we
sectional because we seek to plant them in
all our Territories? Would we establish
on Federal Territory. one rule for the Sou
thern cmigrant, another for the Northern?
Do we not insist upon the same Law for
both? DO we not seek to make Labor hon
orablc in both and for both? is this sec
tional? On the other hand. Slavery is ex-
cluded from States containing two-t thirds OF
the white population of the country. and
condemned by the great majority of them
on grounds of policy and conscience. In
the Slave States themselves, it is really an
exceptional institution, inasmuch as the
owners Of slaves do not number more than
four hundred thousand, in white popula-
tion of eight millions. The masses of the
white People, dependant on their own earn
ings for support, would naturally be bene-
fitted by general system of free labor
But, these owners Of slaves are laboring
without the slightest regard to the interest
or views of those who do not or will not
own them, to secure to themselves the mas
terry every whcre-at home in their own
States, in the Federal Government, In all
the Federal Territorics-so as to make the
masses of their countrymcn, in all sections,
tributary to their schemes for perpctuating
Slavery, for planting it in free territory, and
for acquiring new territory for its use. And
the Party which prostitutes itself to their
will, under the name, Democracy, glories
in its ''Nationality," while the People, who
through the Republican Party would resist
them. make the great National Idea and
Interest of Liberty all-controlling in the
Federal Government and Fcleral Territory
are ...Sectiona1'' The Shareholders who
would use the Federal Government to ex-
tend and perpetuate the sectional, Glass in
stitution of Slavery, arc rational and pa
triotic. We resist them, and therefore arc
sectional and unpatriotic; and to get rid of
this obnoxious charge, the North 1o,ericdn
and some other whilom Republican jour
nails propose that we.say nothing more a
bout the agressions of Slavery, bat resolve
ourselves into sort of General Reform
Party, to mend the Tariff, correct cxtrav-
lagancc, and save the country from ruin!
They have forgotten already the lesson
taught by the repeal of the Missouri Com
promise. They seem to have made up their
minds to acquesce in the dicta of the SUI
premc Court. which deny to Congress OF
the People of Territory the right to inter
dict Slavery therein, and affirm that by the
Federal Constitution slaves are regarded i'll
all respects as property. They ''sec the
Slave Power prepared to avail itself of all
the advantages it secured by that repeal, and
to force to the uttermost the monstrous
doctrine Of that Pro Slavery Court, and
then, discourse to the People Of the Free
States on tho Importance of building mp a
great National Party, to promote Homo
Industry. and secure a'purc Administra-
\ tioni ~ HnfHtt
The Republican Party wiltn6t be misled.
1t will meet issues as they arise, or shall
be forced upon It, and not sock TO eyade the
responsibilities it has assumed in its great
controversy with the Slave Power 1t will
iidecm no Legislation final, which rests upon
a wrong doctrine. Itswill surrender no
principle, abstain from the prosecution OF