The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-07-22
For the Republican.

Gal - 49, eAS3ACeA y o@oSuJ WHICH,,
it seems, was Intended as sort of a
revieso of the general politics of the
whole country, and areiteration of the
thousand and one stale ISLANDERS of the
pro-slavery press against our State Ad-
administrations. The opening paragraph
of the letter, is peculiar" To nay Re-
publican friends who voted with. me for
Fremont for President, in opposition to
James Buchanan, [ have word to say
in relation to the State Administration"
The opening sentences are unmistaka-
bic evidence of the duplicity and dis
honesty of the writer and a fit prelude
for the slanderous and lying asserva-
tons which follow. We would not
have it inferred that " Jefferson {" is to-
tally unacquainted with the political
history of the country, as We think that
would be gross Misrepresentation of
the man, knowing the fact, that he has
at times and for short periods only,
been very prominent member of every
party, and we might say fraction of a
party, which has had an existence,
since he arrived at the age of one and
twenty. With such capabilities for
illustrating and defining party princi-
pies, and following the devious wind
ings of party history, it would seem
/" Jefferson was thus amply fitted for
the duties of a political historian, did
we not remember, that men who turn
about so often, politically, as has "Jef-
ferson," are apt, like the man who has
whirled too long in the giddy waltz, to
become slightualy naired," and thus
acquire the habit of looking too many
ways at once-for office.
We have no doubt that " Jefferson !"
is very sincere in the definition he gives
to the political term :" intervention"
but when he states that its supporters
believe that /" Congress has power to
legislate slavery into any territory of
the United Stases,a he not only states
what is not true but what he knows to
be perversion. The term intervention
is technical, and was adopted political
ly, to express opposition to the Demo
cratic pro-slavery principle that slavery
was vested property right, and pro-
tected under the Constitution in the
Territories, the same as in the States
where it existed. By q" Intervention "
the opponents of this Southern theory
mean the supremacy of the common
law, and the right and power and daety
of Congress to enforce it by its enact
ments in prohibiting the spread of
slavery into Free Territory. The very
term, the word, implies the unlawful
and injurious peryersion Of the powers
of the Government, or it would not be
styled an Intervention"
| We cannot doubt that Jefferson u
is equally well fitted from his long res
idence, his hunting and fishing excur-
sions, and his active and influential,
though very diverse political associa-
tons, for the task of historian; but
the writer of this is also an old resident
of this "most lovely and beautiful
State-indeed we have resided within
its borders for nearly ten years longer
than jefferson" and have been, though
not so prominent as man or fuctua
ting as politician, an attentive observ.
er of the politics, progress and the per-
sonale of her public men; and we are
constrained to agree with jefferson .
when he says, 81 have da66led toe
much in National politics." and he
might have added with equal truth
"too much in Michigan affairs for the
prosperity of the State, ~ or for his rep
utation as an individual. Were there
occasion for showing up this interest
. ing portion of the political history O.
the State, there are yet evidences thai
there was once a "Spy in Michigan
whose argus eye more than once noted
the acts and characteristics. of thi.
| 4
! 1t is not our intention now to reply
specifically to the trade against thu
present State Administration, which
Jefferson " has revamped from the re
ports and wholesale lies of the Borde
Ruffian press-siich a task were 81
much time thrown away. The peopl'
all know that so far as the finances O
the State are concerned, they were new
err in better condition than at present
Beginning their administration with
surplus of less than five hundred thou
: sand dollars, the revenues of the Stat
crippled by the forced sale of all tn
school and other public lands which
could be forced upon the market, witt
an immense debt of over four million
of dollars, and interest accumulate
and compromising at the rate of nearl.
two hundred thousand dollars a year
with all these disadvantages and draw
backs, the present Republican admins