The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1859-12-08
A Southern View.

ted by two ex-Senators, recently OF the
Democratic party-Messrs. JERE. GLEN
EMS and SoLoN BoELAND--says Of the
Harper's Ferry affair:
The Appeal is evidently wincing un-
der the view which the sober, second
thought Of the people is taking of tho
cdWses Of this deep disquiet Of the coun-
try. While it is writhing, however, un-
der the lashiug which its party and es-
pecially its party leader, Douglas, is get
ting on all sides, we beg it will not do
us intentional Injustice 1t is altogeth-
er wrong in supposing that we would
exculpate the Republican party from the
odium justly attaching to them on ac-
count of the Harper's Ferry tragedy.
Wenever dreamed Of doing so, We only
protest against the efforts of Northern
Democratic journals land Southern too)
to show the country that the Republi-
cans alone are to be blamed for this We
do not think for n moment, that, as a
party, the Republicans or Democrats de-
sired this issue of blood. We do not be-
lieve the large masses of either party IN
tentiondlly culpable. We have far bet
ter opinion Of human nature than so to
judge them; and if we had not, our neigh
bors would remind us that the North
was once Democratic, though now RepUJ-
ttcdn, and that Democrats cannot desire
such violent means used, even ifthey do
become Republicans.
We repeat, therefore, that We believe
neither party, as a party, dreamed ofsuch
a catastrophe as that which now excites
the whole public mind; nor does either
party approve it. We were speaking of
the remote cause of this Outbreak-(for
it had a cause0 and we charged that it
was the legitimate result ofthat endless
"agitation" Of this question which has
followed the Kansas Act of 1854. We
repeat, that in this regard the Democrat
ic party are deeply eulpable--are sol
emnly answerable to the country, and
that it is poor, shiftless effort which
they now make to place all the odium of
this dark deed upon the shoulders Of the
Republican party. The Democracy have
"agitated" this delicate question till they
have placed power in the hands of the
most fanatical set of men in the world,
and they now say we are guilty of cool
"effrontery," if we charge them with
their share of the blame.
They are guilty. The country will
not say they are Intentionally so; but it
will say that their legislation is mis-
hievous-wantonly so; and productive
of anything but kindly feelings between
the several sections of the Union. For
this We do blame them; and for this they
are as culpabe as the Republican party;
for the latter was powerless for evil un-
til the former, by useless legislation,
placed power in their hands.
That the Republican party, as such,
has ever done or professed anything
which makes it in the sligh test degree
responsible for this wretched raid, VIC
most emphatically deny. That the DEM
ocratic party, as such, on the contrary,
did, in violation of most explicit pledges
to the people, renew Slavery agitation in
the bitterest and most violent form the
country has ever yet known, Jy repeal
ing the Missouri Compromise, no INTEL
ligent person can honestly deny. Indi-
rcctly, to say the least, that party has
thus made itself responsible for this la
test phase of the "irrepresssblc conflict"
"A legitimate consequence of the Squat
ter Sovereignty humbug as applied to
Kansas. Such will be the verdict of the
country, if that issue is ever pressed up
on the people. Such will be the judg-
ment of the candid historian, of another
generation. And the arch mischief-ma-
ker of ALA man more deeply culpable,
a hundrod-fold, than JOHN BRowN, for
disturbing the peace of the country, for
causing murders and outrages in Kan
sas, and for the unknown results of this
renewed agitation, yet in store for us in
the future-is STEPHEN ARNOLD DoU-
GLAs. The cOnspirator Brown will be
hurried to the gallows, in furious haste,
but DOUGLAs|? lie even expects to
be made President ofthe United States
for this service!- Gin. Gazette.