Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-01-26

1
most corrupt and wicked political organ
Izations which the world ever saw.
The truth is, that the Democracy. at
every stage of It's descent into the slough
of Slavery. has weakened its hold upon
If the people. Even when apparently
growing stronger. by consolidating the
South in its support. it was imbibing the
seeds of decay and corruption. An OIL
sarchy rules the South with more Il an
Austria despotism; and the party which
has its stronghold in The attachment Of
an olgarchy Can never be popular with
the American rec2'e. 81 long as the
Democracy could by its policy secure the
support Of the oligarchy, without openly
avowing lis slavish suhj-clion to it. and
so long as it could disguise its real Pro
Slavery purposes under soue false pre-
uence Of constitutional obligation or ma
,ional interest. all went on swlmmingly
but the slave inter-. 81 has at last deman
ded that all disguises be thrown aside (;
that the party shall stand forth as the
champion of Slavery. and be ready to
prostitute itself. in its domestic and for
eign policy. to the extension and perpet
uation.o of the institution. Step by step
the party has lost ground in the free
States. in proportion as its Pro Slavery
policy has secured it the almost undivi-
del South. The Northern masses are
10 the nature Of things essentially Dem
ocratic, in the absolute sense Of the word
Tney are in fact the People and the
tact that the party which still errogates
tn. name, has forfeited their coniie nee.
j. indubiIable proof that it has forsakeu
Democratic principles. By The annexa-
ion of Trxas-a measure des gn Il mere
" Tor the ex ension Of Slavery, although
disguised under various patriotic and na
lional pretences-the Democratic party
generally allenated the Northern mind
and caused thoussrds TO desert its stan
dard. It's support Of the fu gitive clave
act. one cf the "Compromise" measures
Of 1850. weakened it sill further. and
materially strengthened the Anti Slavery
sentiment. The Repeal of the Missour
Compromi~e. by gross breach of faith
at once aroused the Anti-Slsvery and tn,
sectional predudices Of the North. and
the effect Was to overwhelm the Demo
cracy with defeat in 1884 in nearly al
the free States. and materially to reducs
their numbers 10 all Of them. But raj
lying in 1856 under a new leader, who
was absent from. the country when the
Missouri Compromise was repealed. and
who was believed to have disapprovRd
that measure. they succeeded by mere
plurality in el-cting Mr. Buchanan Pres
ideut HIS Administration commenced
under auspices favorable to success 9 Nd
popularity. The genuine and intelligent
lovers OF Freedom could q. yer under any
circumstances have approved his priuei.
ples or his measures, even if he had fol
lowed the line indicated in his insug gural
but the undiscriminstIng masses in al
probability would have sustained him hsJ
be honestly adhered to his instructions
to Governor Walker. But he yielded &c
Southern dictstion. and not only aban.
doned Walker and 8 anton, but punished
them FOR faithfully carrying out his 10
structions. He took sides openly and
acuveIy with the rulfian usurpers. and
assisted them by all The power and pat
ronsge of the Federal Government in
fcrcing a Constitution upon Kansas.
This last act, together with his subse
quent efforts to force the Lecompton Con
suuIion through Congress by corruP'
influences. has completed the disintegra-
ton OF the party. 1t was apparent tc
Mr.. Douglas. that the policy Of the par
ty. as dogmaticslly set forth by the Pres
ident, could not be sustained by the
Northern people. and he foresaw clearly
that by supporting that policy longer he
would forfeit his seat in the Senate. He
therefore came to Washington in Decem
Der, 1857. prepared to oppose the Ad-
minisrration's Kansas policy vigorously.
He did so, and thereby has probably Sc
cured his re- election.
In the mean time. sagacious Southern
men began to foresee that things had
been carried too far, and Governor Wise,
of Virginia, with few others, took the
part of Douglas but the oligarchy in a
BODY adhered to the Administration,
and placed Mr.. Wise in Coventry. The
defeat OF the Lecomp'on fraud, and its
rejection by the people of Kansas unani-
mously, has greatly strengthened South
ern opposition to it. Had it succeeded,
the case would have been otherwise. In
the North, il cannot muster corporals
guard in its support and all the iOAa-
ence of the Administration has utterly
failed to secure for it even common re-
spect. II is now well settled, that what
remains of Democracy in the free States
is AMI Lecomp,on; while the slave oil
garchy, with fatui'y which is premon'
iIory of destruction or overthrow, still
clings to the idea, that the monstrous
fraud must be sustained, and its enemies