The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-09-09
The Republican Meeting at the Thea
tre--F'frst Appearance Of the Ohio De-
faulter ON n st. Paul Stage.

tre--Ffrst Appearance of the Ohio De.
faulter ON st. Paul Stage.
The Republicans had large attendance
at their meeting at the Theatre, on Wednes
day evening. principally drawn thitber t.
see and hear JAMES FL. BAKER, late of Ohio
and Senator CHANDLER, of Michigan. Mr.
BAKER is a good evidently mar
of brains, but gifted with no honesty OF
love of truth. We never heard in like
time. the same number of falsehoods, sc
plausibly stated, as came from Mr.. BAKERS
lips. The most notorious facts of history
he boldly contradicted, CARRIED, or sup.
pressed, as the exigenc les of his argument
required. His speech was running com.
mentary upon the Democratic platform
garnished with the eternal nigger-bleeding
Kansas-and the slave oligarchy."
Mr. BAKER took issue with the Demo-
cratic platform, in its assertion that I" the
States of the Union are sovereign and
equal" He said that in the South, the
slaves were allowed representation under
the Constitution-fve negroes being equal
to three white men. He forgot to state
that in the North, five negroes count as
much as five white men in forming the basis
of representation.
He denounced the Compromise acts of
1850, and particularly the Fugitive Slave
law, in terms as bitter as LLOYD GARRISON
or FRED DOUGLAS. Yet he protested him
self to have been, in Ohio, devoted follower
of HENRY CLAY, and to idolize his memory
as that of one of the purest and noblest
patriots the world ever saw. HENRY CLAY
was the author of the Compromise measures
of 1850; he recommended and approved of
the Fugitive law and he it was who sug-
gested that the principle of non-intervention
afterwards incorporated in the Kansas Ne
braska bill, should be applied to the terri
tories of Utah and New Mexico. HENRY
CLAY was prouder of his participation in
the compromise measures of 1850, than of
any act of his political life. But MIR. BA-
KER, while worshipping his memory and
paying tribute to his talents and patriotism,
damns, with the phrensy of an insane aboli-
tionism, HENRY CLAY's greatest labor, both
as Statesman and Patriot.
Mr.. BAKER said the Wilmot Proviso, in
Congress, was voted for by every Northern
man but one. Another falsehood. The
Wilmot Proviso first passed the House in
1916, as an amendment to the Diplomatic
Appropriation Bill. 1t passed by vote of
yeas 81, nays 64-the vote being by tellers.
On the 9th of February, l847, Mr.. WILL
MOT again moved his amendment to the
three million bill, and this is the instance
referred to by MIR. BAKER, when he asserted
that but one Northern Democrat voted
against the proviso. On the 10Th of Febru-
airy, the vote was taken, and the names of
twenty Northern Democrats are recorded
in opposition to MIR. W1LMoT's proposition
the total vote being ayes, ll5, nays, LOG.
Mr.. BAKER said the fugitive slave law
was disgrace to the age-it was inhuman
-monstrous-unconst its au-
thors should be damned toseternal infamy
and the law disregarded. Some other men
have thought differently from Mr.. BAKER
on this subject. Gen. WASHINGTON recon-
mended the passage of such law, and in
1893, the first fugitive slave law was passed
at the instance of the Father of his country,
and received his approval as Executive.
Its constitutionalty has been affirmed by
every President of the United States, by
the Supreme Court of the United States,
by the Courts of nearly every State of the
Union, and by such distinguished COM
mentators on our organic law, as STORY,
RAwLE, ALEXANDER HAMILTON, EDMUND
RANDOLPH, JEFFERSON, Judge MCLEAN.
WEBSTER, CRITTENDEN, and hundreds of
others. Some persons-slave propagandists
doubtless-will undoubtedly imagine that
the weight of authority is against Mr..
BAKER, but that will make no difference
with him. WASHINGTON, JEFFERSON, STo-
RY, HAMILTON and WEBSTER compared to
BAKER, especially when the latter is sus-
tanned by FRED DOUGLAS and LLOYD GAR
R1soN! Why, it's absurd.
Mr.. BAKER blamed the Massachusetts
amendment on the Democrats. Said they
could have prevented it. In 1856, FIRE.
MONT received in Massachusetts lO8,19O
votes, and BUCHANAN, 1920. OF course
the Democratic party is the strongest in the
Bay State.
Mr. BAKER took strong ground in favor
of the Ubiquitous Agricultural College BILL
He said the lands donated by it could not
be located in a State, but must be selected
in Territory-and on the supposition that
the Territories alone would suffer by it, be
advocated the passage of the bill. Pending
the discussion of the measure in the Senate,
last February, Mr.. RICE offered an amend
ment exempting Minnesota from the opera
ton of the bill, but it was voted down. If
the bill had become law. as the Demo.
cratic platform states, three millions of acres