The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-10-20
For the National Era
OPPOSITION OF SHAM DEMOCRACY
TO WESTERN DEVELOPMENT.

Mr.. EDITOR: You published, few weeks
since, couple of essays, showing most conclu
sively the opposition of the Slave Labor De
mocracy to the Homestead and Pacific rail
road bills. While reading them, was forcibl5
impressed with the idea that this opposition to
measures 80 important was not an accident
but the result of a settled purpose, on the part
of the Slavery Propagandists, to hinder the
development of the great resources of the coun-
try, and especially of the great West. This Is
hard charge, but it is perfectly consistent
with the interests and policy of Sham Demo,
cratic politicians. Slavery is not merely
plantation question, but it is political power,
and it has made itself supreme in the Govern.
ment. 1t is of course the interest of propa-
gandist politicians to increase this power, and
thus maintain their own supremacy with that
of their favorite institution.
But Slavery cannot be materially increased
It's bounds are fixed. There are but two means
of increasing the number of sIaves-by reopen
ing the African slave trade and by domestic in,
crease. The first is practically impossible.
less from considerations of justice and human,
ity, about which Pro-Slavery politicians ar,
very rarely troubled, than from its opposition
to the slave-producing interest at home. There
remains, then, only the domestic increase; and
diminished as that is by the chances of escape
over the Northern border, it can scarcely sup
ply the extraordinary demand of the extreme
South, without leaving any for colonizing Wes
and North. As Slavery then increases thu.
slowly, its supremacy can only be maintained
by retarding the progress of the whole country
1t is the dog in the manger" policy of thu
Slave Power, TO prevent the settlement of th5
new Territories which it cannot overrun. Tt
this end, its devotees have sternly opposed saeI
bills as the Homestead, and for Pacific rail
road, because they would induce the settlemen5
of territory which Slavery could not control. Is
the vain hope of building up more slave Ststef
in the Southwest, millions have been expend
ed in the purchase of territory from Mexico
and flibustering expeditions have been winkee
at for the same purpose. In the mean tine
the vast patronage of the Federal AdIninis raz
| ton has been employed in more Northern Tex
| ritories to manufacture slave States, or, falling
in that, Democratic States. Kansas sturttiF
refuses, and is kept out of the Union for he.
perversity, while Democratic Minnesota ane
Oregon are admitted.
These are facts not to be denied. Nef iei
can they well be misunderstood. Let the go
pie of the West fully understand, that Will,
Slavery rules at Washington, nothing is TO b,
done to promote Western interests. No Home
stead bills, no Pacific Railroad bills-and yor
| citizens are to be remanded to a Territorii.
condition, so long as they refuse to bow dow
to the requirements of Slavery at least so f.
as to send Democratic Senators and Reprt
sentatives. Let our foreign-born populatic
understand that Slavery does not want them &
migrate to US; for its Representatives will q
nothing to promote their welfare when hes-
Though, by means of appeals to class pre-
dice against negroes; Democrats will stign
tie their opponents as "Black Republicans
as the Negro party" and thus secure pf-
ponderance of the foreign vote,) bat that is 4
Democracy wants of the foreign citizen.
will do nothing to provide him home from II
hundreds of millions of acres of our nation
domain now lying useless and without prof
to any. E
In one contingency alone might we expe--
Southern politicians to do anything to promol
the settlement of the country If the slat
trade could be opened, so that Slavery coSs.
hope to obtain a share of our Western donna
all the objections to measures calculated {
promote its settlement would disappear Tn
constitutional barriers which trouble som
Senators so much would vanish to thin air. an
even Southern Democrats would, for a wondea
cease to split hairs about State rights and th
resolutions of 49," The measures so ben,
fetal to the country, which could never b
passed for the benefit of the people, would
quite constitutional for the advancement {
, Slavery. The slave power will never conser
TO any Homestead bill till the slave trade hs
been reopened, and even then only by the d,
nation OF one hundred and sixty acres to III
Shareholder for every slave brought into ne
territory. w. j. Fowler.
Henrietta, NJ !.