Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-08-26

doom is ccriain and irrevocablc. The ap-
prchcnsion aud dread Of ii breaks the party
in the irrc States into fierce and bitter feuds,
and its dissolution in these States is ayerted
only by tho frec denunciaiion Of. and the
hope Of modifying, opinions which ar.
known TO be the settled opinions Of the
party.
Let the people take .counge-thc proba-
bility Of being able to conduct the campaign
Of 1860 successfully. by .ubterfugcs. has
been growing gradually less day by day
since tho last Presidential election, and is
now fast vanishing into thin air. However
platforms may be con,tructed-whatever
may bc attempted to bo concealed-lhere i,
in the memory of the events Of the las, fvo
years fre-h IN the minds OF the .psople-of
repeal. civil war in Kansas, Dred Scott de-.
ci.iin. Lecompton. the slave trade, general
prohigacy and corruption in the national
eIpenditurcs-all indicating too clearly TO
be longer disrcgardcd. that the real quc-.
tions ia issue Ar1 whether the nation is TO
adop, the doctrines that slave, are property
and entitled TO protection under the COnsii-
tuition Of the United States, and whether
this property posses'c. the right oi transit.
TO and from tho territories and states
Whether slavery, in a word. i' to b. su.
rrcme through the Intervention OF the Fed.
cral Court, and above the American peo.
pie. The importance OF this issue cannot
b. over estimated. 10 is whether our in
stitu,Ions shall be interpreted in the spirit.
OF universal liberty, or On tho idea that sla.
very is the normal condition Of tho laboring
man. Whether free labor is the essential
element Of our national prosperity, and the
basis Of our hopes Of pc. ,uliy, or slave Ia.
boz I, tho symbol Of it, material interests
and the anchor Of its safety.
!, Is needless to say there i' and is to
be no neutral position which the cI,ilrn can
fairly occupy in a contest - distinctly and
sharply dcaned. The demand. Of the slave
states are now 50 audaciou-, and their pur.
poses 3, open and updi'suiscd. that there
is no longer room TO doub, a. to what pow
er dominates in the politics Of the country.
and villa, influence seeks TO interpre, tho
Constitution for its own purposes. lie
that s not for it's necessarily against 1t.
The mos, de-pcablo man N the Rsplb-
lie is be who, when great questions stir the
nation and shape It's policy has not the man.
ly courage to take his position and assert
his oplnions-is al,itle this way and a IT,.
sls that-dcspi'os the principle OF one par.
~ AMI hate. certain men OF the other, and
-, under the sway Of hi. aver.ion,. hrdd.
di,s from one election 20 another. dsgu'iing >
men with his endles. tergiVrr'atiOn. IL,
hates 'lavery--i. oppo-cd to its spread
does no, believe in slave property, nor ~
right OF transit, nor Iecompton, nor the
present. nor the last Adminis,ration-hut
does no, zee clearly the path Of biz duty.
While such individual cases exist, the mall
nd mini',ration ofth past six year, and the
ahjcct scryiIi,y Of the government to the
slave power arr fast gathering into dis.
tinctiyc concentrated AMI determined oppo-
si,ion all who demand Of their public scr.
wants decent regard for the principles Of
public economy, and who would conserve
the Union OF the these Stases by maintain
tanning tho 'ririt aud principles in which
they were united.