Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1858-12-02

: tiOns. but, the PeOpie oil the u. State
). had seen this principle of self goyernmen
:. trampled upon in Kansas; the Lccompto,
tConstitution framed in contempt Of tb
will Of the great majority ofthe inhabitants
. and the Administration publicly pledge,
. by all the means at its command to secnr
!, its recognition by Congress. Had Mr.
Douglas, in such crisis, sustained thi
8 policy, he would have proved himself to b,
without consistency, without self respect
traitor to himself and to his constitu
z ents, and fool for he never could hay,
been returned as Senator from the Stat,
{ of Illinois. c' e'Haeiea - - v4l8
Now. Mr.. Douglas, like other Publie
men, would prefer to maintain consistency
for there is strength in it; good faith. fo,
: there is honor in IL; but he is not sinrula,
in this respect. Such preference does no,
, deserve special laudation-does not con.
stitutc patent to nobility. In his posi-
tion, on. the Lecompton Question, he did no
more than simple honesty required at his
hands-and in doing this, he best consult
ed his own interests as a political man
/ We do not blame any man for taking care
of his own interests in a legitimate way
but, he is not hero because he decs So
Do we sgnalize man as worthy a place
in the Calendar because he practices sobri-
ETY., takes exercise. and keeps his own bow
els open, for the sake of his health?
I MIR. Douglas, having taken the position
which consistency, pride, good faith, and
self-preservation required, maintained it
with tirniness, holiness, and ability.
All this we concedc freely and cordially.
But, does this give him any claim upon
that boiy of voters who are organized for
the purpose of taking the Federal Govern-
ment out OF the hauds Of the Slave Power,
aml making il an agent within the sphere
OF its own jurisdiction for the establish
ment of Liberty? He is not with them but
against them. He docs not recognize the
necessity of any such reformation. He re-
CARDS Slavery and Freedom with equal in
dificrcnce-institutions to be settled hy eli
matte laws. He believes. with James Bu-
chanan and Jefferson Davis. in the Cincin.
natl platform. He is recognized leader
OF the Democratic Party, which we con-
tend Is the instrument used by the Slave
holding Caste for sectional, Pro Slavery
purposes He would seek the acquisition
OF Cuba, and maintain at the same time
ITS Slavery. He assents to the dogma ofI
the majority of the Judges of the Supreme |
Court, that Congress cannot prohibit Sla- |
very in the Territories, and that slaves are
regarded as property by the Federal Con-
stitution. fra ~
These are all fundamental points of diff
ference between him and the Republican
Party. and yet, Republican letter writes
and journalists, during the last session of
Congress, overlooked them al, in their
admiration of his antagonism to an in
Administration, Which brouSht
him into accidental CO operation with Re-
pabicans. iisi ie-
We would not do Justice to Mr..
Douglas, but his true position ought
to be kept steadily in view. He would
not surrender or qualify it to gain Rcpub-
Iican support; why should Republicans
surrender or compromise their opinions to
secure his alliance?
Similar views might be taken in relation
o Senators Bell and Crittenden. and
heir special friends in the House. The
Iecompton affair was believed bv those
gentlemen to be a base, an unmitigatcd {
'Iaud, and 1t VAS the measure of an Adj {
TO which they were hostile i
their sense of honor was offended; their 1
egard Tor justice outraged; they had the Y
ayacity to see that its tendency was to in y
rease the agitation of Question they \
Iisiiked to have Discussed; they had moth t
nS tn lose, something to gain. by defeat Ii
ng the Administration Generous and r.
Interested motives combined to place them d
DR. time in exceptional cooperation Ii
'ith Republicans and Douglas Democrats, |,
Mt these motives had nothing to do with O
ne frlnclples on which Republicans /
cted. They were commended for the ii
laInness and severity with which they de- Il
ounced the base administration measure. I,
hat was right. They were eulogized for $,
,eir extraordinary patriotism, nationality, 1.
oerai'fy courage. That was folly. The ii
andard OF public virtue must be low in. s
'ed where opposition to such an infamy fiji
thought to entitle a man to an apothe- h:
us. gis .s.,... ~ ~. i;
those gentlemen acted very well-like
nslble, and patriotic men: but are good III
nse and patriotism political priaripless pr
Id Protectionists in former days. vote ga
7 sensible and patriotic Free Traders? III
as 1t customary in former days for Dem pr
rats to rally under Whig leaders, be- w
use they happened to perform some gen no
ous deed? The world of politics has of
t hitherto been governed by the afiec- tn
ms. go -,
Alas! while Representative Marshall in co,
House was opposing the Lecompton cul
ii, ne was laboring to. vindicaie to his co:
nstitucnts his prc-eminent Pro-Salavery the
'hodoxy; and Senator Bell took care tio
liie denouncing the vile thing, to mag liil'-
y his loyalty to tho Slave interests Of of
} South, for whose benefit that very an.
ng was devised! Any of these gentle no,
n would have felt wounded, had he been no,
incl as harboring the slightest sympa- att,
with Republicans or their Principles. liar,
tTavagantly as they were lauded, their in
rage was not equal to their conviction lies
cy did not dare to vote for the rejection sta,
what they knew TO be a Fraud z Tho ma,
most they would consent to do was. toSl The
9 the people OF Kansasa chance TO re- ~
a,Constitution which they thcrnsel tes t,be,
,ht TO have branded as an hinfarnv.- tr,,;
IND when the Republican members af- ~ !
having voted dirarf1 q f<va; -, 81 ~. - =