The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-10-08

were generally introduced by Democrats, or
by committees in which Democrats bore a
leading part that in every case they receiv-
ed the votes of large ma ority of the De-
mocratic members while in several legis-
lative bodies the Democracy gave them its
undivided approval.
Democratic Conventions, Democratic
journals, Democratic leaders, in all the free
States. echoed the voice of the Legislatures
The Augusta Age, The New Hampshire Pot
riot, The Boston Post, The Hartford Times.
The Albany Argus, The Ohio Statesman,
went with the current. Not to Speak Of
Van Buren,, Wright, Rantoul, Dodge, Stu
art. and the men of that school, even Daniel
S. Dickinson, the personifcation Of Hunk
erism, declared on the floor of the Senate
that when the time for organizing the new
Territories arrived. he should be ready to
vote for the Proviso, " instructed or unin-
structed." Some States, temporarily lost
to the Dem scracy because of its completely
with Slavery. were lured back to fidelity by
loud and ostentatious professions of devo-
tlon to Freedom by party chiefs. New
Hampshire was one of these repentant prod
igals, Frank Pierce welcoming the wahdercr
home.
On this elevated ground stood the North
ern Democracy, nine and ten Years ago
uncompromlSingly hostile to the extension
OF Slavery; asserting the powers Of Congress
to prohibit it forever, by positive enactment
in all Territories of the UNion; enforcing
the duty of exercising that power whenever
organzinr governments for such Territories
the prohibition to be binding through ali
time upon States formed out Of such Terri
tories.
Seeing that the course of its natural
allies" would render the Mexican war q
barren triumph to Slavery and brilliant
victory to Freedom. the Southern Democrat
cy began to threaten dissolution Of the I'm
ion. The cIam0r frightened Webster from
his propretv, and struck terror even to the
great soul Of CLAY. As to Cass. Dickns son.
Pierce, and the bulk Of the Northern Hunk
crs, they laid down their arms without firing
a shot: while Gushing and other Democrat
ic levieS, fresh from the Whig ranks, march
ed straight over into the enemy's camp.
making a merit Of dCScrtiOn. and claiming
wages for their treason.
The result was Prp-Slavcrv triumph in
the organization Of New Mexico and Utah.
For the first time since tha adoption Of the
Constitution, Congress, after protractod
struggle, passed acts for the government Of
free Territories, without in express terms
prohibiting Slavery therein forever. No
other Constitutional doctrine. 40 other -y.-
TEN Of public policy, could exhibit more au-
thority, or greotcr names to support it, thon
that now rrTulatrd. From July, l1o1.
down to August, leo, Congress, in long
series Of acts, has r9cognjz d and "nforce,!
this policy. Its c ,n~titutionAity AID wis
dom had been approx ID by every President
from Washington to Taylor. 1t mas BEEN
sanctioned by tEn Supreme Court Of the
tNjtrd States, and by numerous inferior
ipdic.:ori"s both in the Free and in the
Slave States. 1t has been expounHed and
IiluStrNtcd on memorable occasions By the
logic, learning and c.oqucrce Of such jur-
lists, stat~m"n and orators rs jay, Mar shall.
Jefferson, Dane, Madison, Kent. jackson,
Wright. Clay and Webster. Its binding au-
thority was recognized by all political par
ties, and vas the Common learning Of all
classes of men
In roproba,ng this l"I "Iartura from thn
old land marks, V" shou Il remember that
the legislation Of 1857 did not proceed upon
the ground of the uucous,!tutionalty If
Congressional prohJition, but only ,lrniei
its expedien"y in that particular emergency.
The great minority Of those who voted in
Congress, and supported out doors. the
Compromise measures, did not deny the
power t iDhihit Slavery in the Territories !:
they merely Questioned the proDricty and
necessity Of then exercising it. The absence
# the power was u later discovery! And
i: should not be forgo;ten, that thrOH1hout
the searrHirL and protr4ctrd uIscu~,Ious Of
that period. nearly the entire Northern D.
mOcracv, with ''"n. tass at their head,
maintained that the people of II Territory
had the right. through their Local l. 'LlsIn-
ture, to exclude Slavery from their >oil.-
Indeed, their power over the subject was
auded, because it would be more wisely and
efficiently exercised than it could be " Con-
grcss!
But the Slavory Propagandi$ts, l'y clam
or and cajoary, hy threats Of di<urjon and
promises of spolis, having inducr'! thrir
Northern allies to take one downward step.
now scdniou~!y commenced erduc,m- th-m
into still more preclpitous paths. I"r two
years after th" fateI legislation Of 1850, the
prime object Of Southern leaders and their
Northern Conftl'rntc| Was 10 pledge the
party to ma'nia.n those measures IHH'"iatc
and t. lntorF"rnt" into It's Greed the
tories. The mas-"s Of tn" Northern Demo-
cracy Still aihrr,d to the old sdnctrn".-
This was specially true Of thesNcw York
harnburncrs and The 2It,tWD Radicals Who
voted for Van Buren, in lS4S.
Having taking one false step, and ustl-
fed it on untcDahIe ground, it WIS easy to
induce the Democracy Of tn" North 70 take
another in the same direction. It was sud
denly discovered that Congress ,IOnal prohi-
h,lon Was not only inHxredjrnt i'll given
set of circumstances. As the South used
Cen. Cass, a Nuihcrn Democrat, to s~duee
the Northern Democracy into the first down
ward step in lo+5-5O, so it use: Judge
Douglas, another Northern Democrat, to
seduce them into the second fal,e step in
lS44-6. The former led them to the brink
Of the preciploe. The latter pushed them
down its sleeps, Notwiths tanding that the
Kansas Nebraska bill, repeating the pruhib-
itory clause of the Missouri act, had de-
!, clared the unconsttutlonahty of Congress
sional inhibition, it still seemed to leave the