The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-12-15

Apostles. 10 the promptings OF a heart
overlowing with love to humanity, i'm
PEELED by what be believed to be the re-
quirements Of the religion of JESUS
CHRIST, as revealed in the bible, are to
be attributed this last act of JOHN BRowN.
Let Mr.. HEDGES, if he can, condemn the
teachers.
But it seems hat the only cause Of the
editors anathema against Republicans,
or at least the only one that he gives, is
because they do not teach obedience to
the Fugitive Slave Law. In refusing to
support that law, they refuse to carry out
the provisions of the Constitution, he ar
CUES, and thus endeavor to undermine
the foundations of the government. Let
us grant that this is so, and then we ask
Mr.. HEDGES why he has words of CON
demnation only for Republicans If a
refusal to carry out all the requirements
of the constitution evidences n desire to
destroy the Union, to oyerturn the gov
eminent, why don't he as habitually de-
nounce his good Democratic friends as
he does his political opponents? Does
lie not know that the constitution accords
to the citizens of each State the privileges
and immunities of the citizens of the
several States I? Yet does lie not know
that a class Of citizens Of the North are
imprisoned as soon as they set foot in the
Democratic State of South Carolina, and
that if they should now go into several
of the States of this Union they would
be reduced TO slavery? Does he not
know, also, that the sacred right Of free
dom of speech, guaranteed to every citi-
zen by the Constitution, is denied by his
good Democratic brethren of the South.
and has thus been denied for many
years? Why does he c~oalesce and CO.
operate with, and endeavor to uphold and
keep in power, men who have long yio-
lated and persisten;ly violate the most
sacred rights guaranteed by the Consti-
tuition, and yet %denounce so continuously
and SO heartily men who deny the obliga-
ton to return their fellow man to hope
less and degrading bondage Granting
that the Republican party is amenable to
the charge, the men who control the
Democratic party, the States which en-
dorse Democratic doctrines, were its tu-
tors. and they can say with Macbeth
eve but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
10 plague the inventors. This even-handed
justice fs
Commends the ingredients of our poisoned chal.
ice
To our own lips"
But Mr.. HEDGES has no right TO assert
that the Republican party is not willing
to carry out this requirement of the con-
stitution. It is not pledged in its plat
forms, or by its acts, even to opposition
to the present infamous law. We do not
doubt, however, that the great mass oil
the party, rs also the great mass Of all
parties at the North, are sincerely oppos-
ed to the requirements of the law which
now stands on the statute book. They
are not willing to deprive the slave of the
right Of trial by jury, and instead of de-
string TO turn slave catchers. they would,
as the editor of the Civilian said of him
self rather help the slave to escape than
aid his master to catch him." though they
would generally do neither. 1t is the
odious provisions Of the present law
which destroy It's force, and not the de-
sire of the people of The North to shirk
their constitutional obligations, however
persistenlly the southern members of the
coniederacy ignore theirs.
Mr.. HEDGES is sick of slavery agita-
ton, and will do anything. he says, 10
help quiet it, even to turning Republi-
car. And yet he worships at the shrine
of STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS, and clings to
the Democratic party, the man and the
party wholly responsible for the present
strife. In 1859 both the old parties had
decreed the question settled, and the
public mind was more fully at rest upon
it than it had been for a long period.
Mr.. DOUGLAS, as a bid for Southern sup
port. cast the brand which set on fire the
then quiescent elements, and famed them
TO fercer fury than they had ever before
manifested. Congress met a few days
since, and scarcely had it been called to
order. when mason, of Virginia, in the
Senate, and CLARK. of Missouri, in the
House, both Democrats. sprang the slav-
cry question upon the members, in spite
Of Republican remonstrancc WHO is
responsible for the agitation? Doubtless
Mr.. HEDGES, with strange mental obliq
uity, will say the Republicans.
1t will probably be difficult to make
H.. 49, III 81