Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-03-23
For the Telegraph.
Consistency Of the slave POwer--
The One Iden.


the last thirty yesls, would in all proba-
bility, produce the conviction that it is
guilty of great Inconsistency, ifnot of pal
pable self-contradiction. Closer and
more careful investigation, we are con
-vinced, however, will not fail to show that
this apparent inconsistency is but the
surface current, which hides, and thereby
strengthens, powerful under-curfent Of
policy, which for unity of purpose, and
capacity for determined and persistent nc
tion, has seldom, if ever, been realized in
the history of mankind. Its nature is
such that this is the inevitable result.
Founded in cruel, crying wickedness, The
central and necessary principle of its policy
is, the "end justifies the means" The
great end Of slaveholding craftsmanship
is to increase and perpetuate the influence
of the slave power, and this, regardless of
the effects which may fall upon its natural
enemy, freedom or Republicanism.
With these principles in view, we can
easily solve the enigmas of our political
history. We can understand why the
Slave power took the lead for Protective
Tariff from 1916 70 1924, and then ch ang-
ing guage, with facility to astonish, if
not command admiration, went from polit-
ical opposition in 82s, TO open and unds-
guised notification and treason in 1928.
We can comprehend how the prohibition
of slavery in our Territories was sane
toned and asserted by every Administra =
ton, from Washington TO Polk, and ap-
proved, tacilly at least, by the slave power
as constitutional and right; and how, sud-
denly, these things all became wrong
became "palpably" violation of that con
stitution which had been their support.
The Sldve poaUer demanded these things
and they a0ere done!
But another remarkable feature in slave
holding policy is, that when such thing
is possible, it invariably uses some "facile"
tool TO take the lead, or at least aid in the
accomplishment of its nefarious designs.
Hence we find it taking advantage of a
feud between Gen. Taylor and Millaid
Fillmore, in 1848-9, using the latter to
aid in the passage Of that libel on Chris
tiani:y and our National Constitution, the
Fugitive Slave Act. Also, in 1854, taking
advantage of rather too ardent Presiden-
tial aspirations, it succeeded in securing
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise,
thereby opening Kansas to the ingress OF
slavery, as well as to the Border Ruffian
forays and Federal expressions, which
have thus far characterized the History OF
chat unfortunate Territory.
1t is also to be observed, that no person
or party can command the confidence of
slavery, who does not succumb to it's tyr
annical dic,ation in every particular. H.
Illustrative of this, take the case of Martin
Van Buren, whose throat was cut, polti-
cally, i'll consequence of his refusal to go
in for an immediate annexation of Texas
in 1844-5, with the positive knowledge,
that it would involve us in war with
Mexico. Also Webster, whose anti-sla-
very record killed him, ever after full
conversion TO all that slavery then deman-
ded. last of all, Douglas, whose whole
pro slavery record is rendered "inopera-
tive and void," because of one move which
is favora BILE TO freedom.
The h cad Of the present Democratic ad-
ministration, the politically defunct Bu
chanan, evidently understands the instincts
of the slave power, as well as what is nee
essary to retain its confidence and appro-
baton. Hence he has surrendered him
self soul and body, to be transformed into
a political Automaton, for the purpose of
carrying out The designs of disunion sla-
very extensionists. In proof of this we
take case which has been generally over
looked.
All can well remember with what avid
i'y the President, in his Inaugural Ad
dress, indorsed the then unknown, but i'm
mediately forthcoming "Dred Scott de-
cision," and how lie also pledged the
whole power Of the National Government
to enforce it and all this gratuitously,
and simply because it is decision of the
highest Court known to our laws-the
Court of final resort. And, in addition to
this, after the decision was finally rem
dered, in his notorious " Silliman letter"
and more recently in his annual message,
he iterates and re-iterates these doctrines,
exhorts to "passive obedience" and un-
question ed submission, on all points de-
cided by the Supreme Court Of the United
States, and as we have said before, for the
reason that this Court is the highest arbi-
ter known to our Constitution and Gov
ernment.
Now, let it be noticed, that the whole
object and effect of the Dred Scott decis-
ion is to extend the area, and thereby aid
in Strengthening and perpetuating slavery.
This "element of political power" as SEN
ator Mason, of Va, terms it, has infused
into it new life and vigor by this notorious
dicta of the Supreme Court. The strength,
political, of the slave power, is proper
toned to the number of slaves, and :hey
correspond almost mathematically to the
extent of territory which they occupy
Hence Mr.. Buchanan, aware of all these
things, and instinctively apprehensive of
what is demanded by the slave power,
makes the decision alluded to, his politi-
cal God and fully aware that we cannot
serve slavery and freedom, any more than
"God and Mammon," he commends the
worship Of the former, even to the de-
struction of the latter.
From what the President has said in
o,.,14 11o,-,,o. oc 81 O..