The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-08-11

tice. | quote from his Baltimore speech
of last January
"Permit me here to remark that the
slavery question rests upon laws higher
than those of legislative enactments. 1t
depends upon the laws of climate. of pro-
duction, and of self-interest. Wherever
cotton and sugar and rice ard indigo are
the staples, and the climate is such as to
exclude white labor, the negro must take
the place Of the white man on the planta-
ton. When you get into these hot eli
mates, it IS not struggle between the
negro and the white man, but struggle
between the negro and the crocodile,
which shall occupy the Delta line. In those
Delta lands slavery must exist. negro
labor must be employed, otherwise their
cultivation must be abandoned while in
those high northern ATTITUDES, where the
earth is covered with deep SHOWS, and
where there is severe climate, lily adap-
ted to the constitution of the negro, and
better suited TO the white man, slavery
can never exist, because it is not the in
terest Of the people to have it."
Here is the Southern reason for the ac-
QUESTION of Cuba. and Mexican and Cen
trail American States " in these delta
lands slavery must exist :" they are down
south under a burning sun : they pro-
duce sugar and cotton, indigo and
rice;" from a necessity of climate, ac-
cording to Mr.. Douglas. their acquisi-
ton must add Slave States to the Con-
federacy. The establishment of Home
steads for the millions Of the landless
would build up the North west,-it
would fill up Iowa and the new States
with an industrious and Independent ye-
omanry; it would give stability to civil
society, remove want and beggary from
our doors, and give resistless strength to
the nation in times of foreign danger
But its consideration comes in direct con-
f1ict with bill to facilitate the acquisi-
ton of slave territory, and the Douglas
Democracy, true to their southern in
stincts, vote with the south. Mr.. Doug
las has laid up treasure for his children
in the south, in slaves and f" delta lands"
-"and where his treasure is, there is
his heart also." Mr.. Douglas has never
joined issue with the south on any mea-
sure vital to their interests. He inau-
gurated the Kansas policy by his own
act, and in its defence he has stood firm
ly with the south, denouncing every ef-
fort Of the people of the territory to
shake off the incubus of slavery, as req
olutionary. and every attempt of the Free
men OF the North 10 aid them by volun-
tary contributions or Congressional legis-
lation, as REASONABLE. until the battle be-
tween slavery and freedom had been
fought and won. He then voted with
the Republicans to prevent the imposi-
ton Of the constitution. on the people,
which they loathed. But even the Le-
compton issue the Douglas Democracy
now declare to be dead and buried"
So according to the showing Of the lead
ers of the Douglas Democracy, there is
no longer any distinction between them
and the Administration Democracy,
They never have differed except on a
single point which does not now exist.
Hence you have nothing to hope from
the elevation of this wing of the Democ-
racy to power, but continuation of the
policy which has controlled the govern
ment since 1854, when Mr. Douglas in
augurated the only plank now remaining
IN the Democratic platform" the con-
stitutional right of the stakeholder to re-
move and hold his slaves as property in
all the territories of the nation"
Had he been elected to the Presidency
in 1852. he would have done substanti-
ally as Mr.. Pierce, whose policy he de-
Tended and sustained throughout; had
he been elected in 1856, surrounded by
the southern influences that overwhelm
the Democratic party, he would have
done substantially as Mr.. Buchanan has
done; and were it possible--and praise
God that 1t is MOTTO elect him in 1860,
the consummation of the policy of the
administration would become unavoida
bic . the enactment of a slave code for
the territories, the repeal of the laws
prohibiting the African Slave Trade, the
dismemberment of the Republic of Mex
leo, and the purchase of slave territory
with northern gold, for the creation of
other slave States to secure the continu-
ance OF slavery in the Republic forever,
and the continued increase of thet ex-
penses Of the government. millions on
millions per annum, would follow, as le-
gitimate and inevitable consequences.
The Douglas doctrine that the great
fundamental principles of civil liberty
and natural right, shall be controlled BY
pecuniary interest or even by the arbi-
trary power of majorities, is as danger
Gus to the perpetuity of the Republic as
it is disreputable to an American states
man. This has been the doctrine of alb
solute despotisms, time out of mind
With them the possession Of power to
accomplish their purposes has been their
standard of right. But not so with con-
stitudonal governments they have ever
Disseminated between the natural rights
of man, aud the exercise of sufficient
power to secure just and stable govern
ment. All Of your American Constitu-
tons are framed for the avowed purpose
of restraining Legislatures. Executives,
and Courts. from the yiolaiIon of the