The Kanzas news., 1858-10-09

space allowed them before they ind them
selves plunged into war With Nexico. that
new fields might be conquered. where the
bondman should be driven to his unpaid toll.
Then arose the Wilmot Proviso rebellion
among the Democracy of the North. and it
spread faster than the late mutiny of the Sc
poys in India Nearly every Free State in
the Union, and at least one of the Slave
Ststes endorsed it and pledged themselves
to abide by it TO the bitter end. And what
was the Wilmot Proviso? 'sTbere shall be
no slavery in the new territories We may
acquire from Mexico, by the expenditure Of
our National blood and treasure" That
was the whole of it. Simply that and moth
ing more. 1t was so just. SO reasonable, so
consonant with every right feeling and i'm
pulse of the human heart, that it swept the
country like whirlwind. The Democracy
and everybody else swors by it. But in
1880 came the dread command once more,
''RIeHr ABOUT FAcEl' DOWNWARD
MARCHP'
To hear was to obey, and once more they
turned their backs upon what they bad call
ed their principles, and plunged down. down.
deeper than unaided total depravisy could
go. They passed the Fugitive Slave Act"
and again they thought to rest. The whole
slavery question was settled, they said
They hated slavery as bad as anybody, but
then the Constitution and the rights of our
Southern brethren must be respected
Slavery could never be extended any farther
never should be.
| "R1eHT ABOUT FACE - DOWNWARD
MARCH !" rung out from the Senate cham
Der from the lips of Stephen A. Douglas,
acting as the Lieut.. General of the Slave
Power, and down they marched with ruth
less hands to remove the landmarks our
fathers had set up generation before, and
lay open the whole vast domain of the nation
hitherto the sacred Inheritance of Free
Labor-to the grasping cupidity of Slavery.
They ''took the children's bread and gave
it to-the dogs" but they gave us in exchange
that inimitable, inestimable, indescribable
boon called Popular Sovereignty" did they
not? All, yesl Indeed they did. They
solennly enacted that
"It was the true intent and meaning of
the act not to legislate slavery into any State
or Territory, nor to exclude it therefrom,
but to leave the people thereof perfectly free
10 form and regulate their own institutions
in their own way-subject only to the Con-
stitution of the United States.''
''What can be fairer than tbat?' said the
Democracy, 'Let the people rule Liber-
ty and slavery are both good enough in
their places. Let Uncle Sam stand aloof.
Let TEEN settle it for themselves Now
surely the question is settled at last. Time
passed on and emigrants passed into Kan
sas. having the plighted faith of the nation
that Free Labor should at least have clear
field and fair fight, but no sooner did they
attempt to avail themselves of their "sover-
eighty than it was rudely snatched from
their grasp by Missouri mob. and code
of laws enacted for them to which that of
Draco was mild and chistian. More than
that, the Democracy looked on and laughed
while their towns were sacked and them |
selves murdered.
To crown all, the Supreme Court by their
Dred Scott decision solemnly adjudgeG that
though they could establish or protect slave
~, they could not exclude OF abolish it;
and Stephen A. Douglas, the father of Pop
ular Sovereignty. was the first to endorse
Dred Scott, the assassin of his hapless off |
spring. But, satd the Democracy, Kansas
shall hold the web of her own destiny;
she shall frame Constitution to suit her
self, and if she DEGREES the extinction of
slavery by that Constitution, so mote it be.
RIGHT ABOUT FACE DOWNWARD MARCH,
said James Buchanan. and the Lecompton
Constitution, redolent of fraud, perjury,
ballot-box stufing and usurpatton, was
swallowed at one gulp by the very men who
had SO recently shouted themselves hoarse
in honor of fair play and the peoples rule
From the Jeffersonian Heights of Month
cello to this Buchonan Slough of Despondi
30, what fall vas there my countrymen ="
"Sina, misnamed the Morning Star
Nor men nor friends have fallen so far."
But the end is not yeti
"Even in this lowest deep Loaoey deem.
Still threatening to devour them, opens wide;
To which the He'll they suffer seems Heaven"
Foiled in all their attempts upon Kan
sas. pro6ting but little from the Fugitive
Slave law, the Black Power has now deter
mined to throw off all disguise and demand
the absolute establishment of their Pecu-
liar Institution in all the Territories
away with nonintervention !" is now their
cry. "Give us positive pro-slsvery legisla