The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-05-12
BRIGHAM YOUNG.
From the Washington Union.
Position of the Opposition

Against all the boasts, all the c~alcula-
tons, prophecies. and hopes of the re-
publicaus aud South Americans, their
Kansas policy has utterly failed them.
Raised up to the highest expectations,
they have fallen to the lowest despoud-
ency. Kansas was opened as the visible
organ of anti slaveryism. The republi-
cans, upon the strength of the practical
issue of slavery or no slavery-thesF
ewn issue-haye fallen uponethe measure
adopted as a means Of effectiug a deci.
sion, and have been utterly Frustrated
and degraded upon the main point
that political anti slavery is necessary
to stop the progress of slave labor in
the Territories If, in the regular
course of population, it should be shown
that the people Of the place desired
slavery, they would unquestionably estab
Flish it, and thus render any action in
Congress fruitless and unavaiimg. If,
on the other hand, it should be shown
that the people thus forming the new
State should be opposed. to slavery, it
would be wholly impossible to maintain
chat relation.
In Kansas we have bad a trial upon
this poiat and it has been so conclusive
upon the folly of political anti slavery
as to drive the republicans themselves
to the adoption of another issle, even
before the affairs of that Territory had
reached a legislative solution. Thus
has political auti-slavery been practically
condemned as utterly powerless to effect
any epd one way or another, SO far as
the destiny of new States is concerned.
We regard this question as one of
t-ranscendent Importance to the country.
1t involves the whole policy, character,
aud purposes of, the opposition. Iu 9th
er words, they have established or or
ganized a sectional party for the distinct
purpose of opposing slavery. If cxpe-
%rience has shown US that politics cannot
reach the end desired-if it is seen that
anti-slavery beyond a mere opinion
amounts to nothing-that, though all
the members of Congress and senator's
should be opposed to slavery in any Civ.
en- Territory, they could not prevent its
establishment on the one hand nor au.
thorize and sustain it on the other, then
it will be apparent, that the republican
organization is absolutely useless as a
force operating against what is famil-
iarly called "the creation, of more slave
States
And what else Dies the history of
Kansas prove than that anti slavery is
the most arrant presumption i; that while
it proclaimed freedom as the end of its
lIbors, it had not the least power in the
world to control the subject in particu-
lar place? In seasons of epidemic and
pestilence communities which are entire
Ily free from disease become nervous aud
agitated lest its poisons should be ex
tended to them. In the midst of the
! excitement every n feols, or thinks he
feels, the premonitory symptoms of the
fatal malady aud he resorts to medi-
cines to keep himself in order, aud ward
off or reduce the blow when it shall
come. This has been the case with a
large portion of the people of the North
within the last six or eight years in ref
erence to the proclaimed approach of
siavery- They have been receiving rem
edies and preyentives till the public
mind became nervons and agitated, and
in the mean time deeply excited and
p~rejudiced against what many honestly
believed "the aggressions of the Slave
Rower.n
Right on che other hand, the South,
even more sensitive because their prop
efty and their pride and independence
were directlya Involved, have been led
By the formidable and threatening blus,
ter of northern men to believe that there
was in Organization a power, an irresisti.
BILE public sentiment in the North pre-.
pairing to invade and beat down the rights
of the people of the South. And it
must be confessed, that inasmnch as the
Halter section had all her great interests
involved, that she had no power. insa
controversy against slavery, to be az
eressiye--that is, that there is no inter,