The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-10-21
The Bitter Fruits Of the Lecompton
Infamy.

When, early in 1857, President BucHAN-
AN signalized the opening year of his ad-
ministration by fair application of the
principles of Popular Sovereignty to the
government of Kansas, the people of the
whole country who had become so accus.
toned to the preparation of outrages under
the cover of law, that they despaired of the
future Of that beautiful Territory, united,
with feelings of establishment and delight,
to lavish praises upon his irmness and his
integrity. When the principles enuncated
in his inaugural, and in the inaugural of
Gov. WALKER, appeared, by six months
faithful adherence, to be the settled policy
of his administration, JAMES BUCHANAN
stood before the American people in a
prouder position than any statesman since
the days of ANDREW JACKSON. Warmly
supported throughout by the great masses
of his own party, he made daily acquisitions
to his side from the conservative elements of
the opposition, until it might have been
said with truth, that wholly in point of
character, and nearly in point of numbers,
he was sustained in his fidelity to principle
by the arms, the prayers, and the affections
of an united people,
When, early in 1858, President BUcHAN-
AN signalized the second year of bis admin
istration, by an utter and shameless aban-
donment ct the principles of Popular Sow
ereignty in regard to the Territory of Kan
sas, and gave his official sanction to the
Lecompton infamy, the people of the whole
country who had become bis supporters by
reason of his sixmonths' well-doing, turned
against him with loathing and disgust-tbe
North because he was traitor, and the
South because he was tool.
What followed upon this act of Presiden-
tial treachery, is known to all. The LIE.
compton scheme was rejected both by Con-
gress and the people. The President was
mortified and maddened by his defeat and
since he was foiled in bis attempts to tyran-
nize over Kansas, he determined to take his
revenge by tyrannizing over his party. He
there fore dragged the corpse of Lecompton
out of the grave where it had been en-
tombed, and setting it up before the people,
commanded them to worship its dead car
cass as the living embodiment of American
Democracy. Those Democrats who obeyed
the dictatorial decree were rewarded with
the smiles and patronage of Office while
those who chose to preserve their personal
integrity and political consistency, were set
upon by all the hounds of the Administra-
ton from one end of the Union to the other.
Hundreds and thousands of lifelong Demo.
Gratis were subjected to the ban of proscrip-
ton; but the most illustrious of them, or
rather, those who attracted most the atten-
tion and sympathy of the country, were
DOUGLAS and BRoDER1cK--the one as the
author and champion of the measure which
had been violated, and the other as its con-
sistent friend and advocate.
The shafts which were hurled against
DOUGLAS, rebounded with terrible force
upon the Administration, while they left him
unscathed. He has grown strong under
prescription, and popular under denun-
citation, until now his adherents number
thousands where BUcHANAN's number tens
The issue has been different with BRopE.
RICK. An honest. bold man, he was endued
with rash impetuosity, which too often
goes hand in hand with bravery. He was
thus lily constituted to stand up successfully
against the merciless political and personal
war which was waged upon him by the paid
traducers of the Administration. He was
excluded from the councils of the party in
Washington, and driven out of its organi-
zation in California. His death is the
latest and bitterest fruit of the Lecompton
infamy-the logical result of series of as.
saults and prosecutions, taking their rise and
venom from that controversy, and unprece-
dented in their malevolence throughout the
most disgraceful periods of partisan strife
Not that the members Of the Federal Ad-
ministration were directly and personally
involved in his assassination. Yet BRoDE-
RICK was doomed man. The conspirators
against him were the salaried stipendiaries
of the government. They worked for pay.
Doubtless they exceeded their instructions.
But, so long as the horrid tragedy which
ended in his death is remembered, so long
will it also be remembered that the murder
ers of BRoDERIcK were the favorites of BU.
CHANAN.
AT the Erie County IN. ~ Fair, held
few days since, there was a young girl,
fifteen years of age, who had with her box
of snakes, comprehending several rattle