The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1858-11-24

expected that within a short period slavery
would disappear forever. Moreover, in or
der that these notifications might not alto
gether defeat their grand design Of Republic
maintaining universal equality, they provided
that two-.hrds OF Ne States might amend
the Constitution.
IL remains to say on this point only one
word to guard against Interpretation. IF
these States are TO again become universally
saveholding, | do not pretend to say with
what violations Of the Constitution that end
shall BIO accomplished. On the other hand,
while do confidently believe and hope that
my country will yet become land Of univer-
sal freedom, do not expect that it will be
made SO otherwise than through the action
OF the several States cooperating with the
Federal Government, aud all acting in strict
conformity with their respective constitu-
tIons.
The strife and contentious concerning
slavery, which gently disposed persons 30
habitually deprecate, is nothing more than
the ripcning of the conflict which the fathers
themselves not only thus regarded with ia
vor, but which they may be said TO have in
stituted.
1t is MOTTO be denied, however, that TINS far
the course of that contest has not been ac-
cording to their humane anticipations and
wishes. In the field Of Federal politics slave
ry, deriving unlocked for advantages from
commercial changes and energies unforeseen,
and from the facilities Of combination be-
tween members Of the slaveholding class and
between that class and other property classes,
early rallied, and has at length made stand
not merely to retain its original defensive po-
sition, but to extend its sway throughout the
whole Union. 1t 10 certain that the slave.
holding class Of American citizens indulge
this high ambition, and that they derive en-
courag ment for it from the rapid and effect.
i've political successes which they have al
ready obtained. The plan OF operation is
this BY continued appliances of patronage
aud threats Of disunion they will keep ma
jority favorable to these designs in the Sem
ate, where each State has an equal represen-
tation. Through that majority they will de-.
feat, as they best can, the admission Of free
States, and secure the admission of slave
States. Under the protection OF the judca.
ry they will, on the principle Of the bred
Scott case, carry slavery into oil the Terri
tories of the United States now existing and
hereafter to be organized. BY the action of
the President and the Senate, using the treaty
making power, they will annex foreign slave
holding States. In n favorable conjuncture
they will induce Congress to repeal the act
Of 1908, which prohibits the foreign slave
trade, and so they will import from Africa at
the cost of only twenty dollars head slaves
enough to Eli up the interior of the continent.
Thus relatively increasing the number Of
slave States, they win allow no amendment
to the Constitution prejndicial to their inter
est; and so, having permanently established
their power, they expect the Federal Judca.
ry to nullify all State laws which shall inter-
fere with internal or foreign commerce in
slaves. When the free States shall be sufi
cicntly demoralized to tolerate these designs
they reasonably conclude that slavery will be
accepted by those States themselves. shall
not ston to show how speedy or how complete
would be the ruin which the accomplishment
of these siaseholding schemes would bring
upon the country. For one should notre-
main IN the country to test the sad expert
ment. Having spent my manhood, though
not my whole life, in free State, no aris-
tocracy of any kind, much less an aristoeracy
of shareholders, shall ever make the laws OF
tho land in which shall be content to live
Having seen the society around me univer.
sally engaged in agriculture, manufactures,
and trade, which were innocent and beneh.
cent, | shall never be a deni1en OF a State
where men and women are reared as cattle
and bought and sold as merchandise. When
that evil day shall come and all further effort
at resistance shall be impossible, then, if
there shall be no better hope for redemption
than | can now foresee, | shall say with
Franklin, while looking abroad over the whole
eurth for new and more congenial home,
"Where liberty dwells there is my country.o
You will tell me that these fears are ex-
travsgant and chimerical. answer they are
so, but they are so only because the designs
of the shareholders must and can be defeated.
But II is only the possibility of defeat that
renders them so. They cannot be defeated
by inactivity. There is no escape from them
compatible with non-rcsistance. How, then,
and in what way, shall the necessary resist.
ance be made? There is only one way. The
Democratic party must be permanently dis
lodged from the Government. The reason
lie, that the Democratic party is inextricably
committed to the designs of the Shareholders
which have described. Let mo be we'll un-
derstood. do not charge that the Demo.
cratic candidates for public Office now before
the people are pledged, much less that the
Democratic masses who support them really
adopt these atrocious and dangerous designs.
Candidates may, and generally do, mean to
act justly, wisely, and pa,riotioally, when
they shall be elected; but they become tho
ministers and servants, not the dicsators OF
the power which elects them. The policy
which party shall pursue at . future period
is only gradually developed, depending on the
occurrence Of events never fully foreknown.
The motives of men, whether acting a. elect
ors or in any other capacity, are generally
pure. Nevertheless it is not more true that
"hell is paved with good intentions" than it
10 that earth 10 covered with wrecks resulting
from innocent and amiable motives.
The very constitution OF the Democratic
party commits it to execute all the designs OF
the shareholders, whatever they may be. II
is not party Of the whole Union, OF all the
free States and all the slave States nor vet
is it party of the free States 10 the North
and in the Northwest; but it 10 sectional
and local party, having practically its seat
within the slave States, and counting it, con.
stitaency chiefly and almost exclusively there.
OF all iss representatives IN Congress and in
tho Electoral Colleges, two-thirds uniformly
come from these States. Ito great element
OF strength lies in the vote OF the slavehold.
ers, augmented by the representation Of three.
tfths of the slsves. Deprive the Democratic
party Of this strength, and it would be help
less and hopeless minority, incapable OF con-
tinued organisation. The Democratic party.
ha,.. 49,. An~ 49,. y