Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-04-23

count of its being Catholic, but now impossi-
bic because Of the opposition of foreign pow
ers. He regards the acquisition Of Cuba i'm
possible, but he would have no objection to
it. Mr.. Brownson desires, of course, that
Cuba and Mexico should be annexed to the
United States, mainly because they would
strengthen the Catholic Church in this coun-
try. But Cuba not being in the market, he
regards the attempt to buy it as an outrageous
insult to friendly power. In military
point of view he thinks sits annexation would
extend and weaken our line of Defence" and
adds on this point and the consequences which
must result from the persistent attempts of
the South, backed by their Northern allies to
extend slavery:
It would not give US the command of the
Gulf and enable us to make it Mare ClGu-
sum. In commercial point of view, it would
perhaps extend our trade, but add little to the
revenue of our Government. 1t is wanted
only to give us another slave State, and to
strengthen the institution of slavery, which
after all it would weaken. The South is
strong, if she remains as she is, and does not
attempt to extend slavery beyond its present
limits, or to acquire new slave territory. Sla-
very, and the free labor system, are decidedly
antagonistical, and the expansion of the one
necessarily resists that of the other. 1t is not
possible that the slave system of labor should
triumph in this country, and the South may
as well sivO up the hope Of it at once. There
is yet power enough in the Southern States,
and loyalty to the Constitution in the North
ern, to protect slavery where it is f; but let the
South attempt to extend it beyond its present
constitutional limits, and she will lose what
she has. Secession from the Union, and the
formation of Southern slave republic, even
if attempted, will NOT save slavery, but pre-
cipi+ate its abolition.
The unwarranted assumptions and uncon-
stitutional interference of the Federal Su-
preme Court in behalf of Slavery, are thus
summary dealt with by Mr.. Brownson:
The attempt to 60 beyond the Constitution
in support of slavery made by the Supreme
Court in the bred Scott case, has destroyed
much of the respect hitherto entertained for
is members, and weakened the hold of the
Judiciary on the public mind and the at
tempt on the part of the President and his
adviser has demoralized the Democratic party
throughout the Union. A pro-slavery party
can no more succeed than an abolition party,
| and is no more in accordance with the Con.
stitution, while it is less in accordance with
the sentiments of the great mass of the Am
erican people. If Mr.. Buchanan had taken
the advice given him in January, 1856, he
would have found himself to-day at the head
of strong Union and Constitutional party
able to elect his successor, and to govern the
nation. He did not see proper to listen to it,
and ne finds himself now without a party,
with scarcely supporter but the New York
Heratd, and failing in almost every measure
OF foreign or domestic policy he has recon-.
mended. Never have orr politics stood low.
er, never the reputation of our Republic so
low.
Speaking of the future, Mr.. Brownson
says:
whatever party succeeds in 1860, we
trust will not lie called Democratic" and
any party in the country, not called by that
name, will prove gain. We do not sympa.
thize with the Republican party, so called
it is not purely Republican in contradistinc.
lion from Democratic, has too many Demo
cratic princip", and tendencies, and is tine.
| tured with A;,oiitionism, is even yet little
'woolly but it has good name
and if it succeeds to power under that name
will be forced to eliminate its Democratic ele
ments, and develop in constitutional sense
1t is now even assuming a ground less un'
constitutional than that which it formerly oc
cupied, and approaching, on the question Of
Slavery, policy equally removed from Abo
litionism and Pro-Slavery. We should not
fear its accession to power so much as we die
in 1866. The election even of Mr.. Seward to
the Presidency would do less to try the
strength of the Union than the Gle ton of Mr.
Buchanan has done. Even the American par
ty, lift has really dropped the dark lantern
and given up its organization as secret socie
ty, of which we are far from certain, would
be preferable to the success of the present
Democratic party
These are the sentiments. of the leading
Catholic writer of the United States-a mar
of profound learning, great sagacity, and
worldwide reputation. From such source
they indicate that remarkable change is ia
king place in the minds of certain class o.
| our citizens.