The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-09-16
A0olitionism-Its Parentage and
BIRTH

ADolitionism It's Parentage and
Birth.
The following article from the Rich
n,ond Wing, in reply 10 contemporary,
contains some facts worthy being pom
dcrcd by those Southern Democrats who
arc continually whining about the insti-
tuition of slavery, and claiming that their
party is the peculiar guardian Of South
crn rights. 1t contains facts most worthy
OF attention at this juncture, when an Of
fort is being made to reconcile the Demo
crazy of Tennessee to the nomination of
Stephen A. Douglas for the Presidency:
"Thc Sentinel is altogether wrong in
saying that Seward is the embodiment
of all the Opposition North" II isawell
known fact that he owes his present place,
rs Senator, to, Democratic votes in the
New York Legislature. The Free-soil
members Of that body, though largely in
the majority, refused to elect him; and he
would have been defeated but for the aid
given his friends by enough of the Demo-
cratic members to secure him majority.
Ii is still more notorious, that the Free
soil party refused to nominate him for
the Presidency, in lS56-a refusal which
so exaspcrated him, that it was with diff
ficulty he could be brought to take any
part in the canvass. Still later, his Ro-
chester speech called forth the almost
universal condemnation of the Northern
press. These facts sufficiently attest that
Seward is very far from being the "cm-
bodimcnt of the Opposition North" lie
is not even the choice of the Frcc-soil
he is, of all men, most obi
gtis to the Old-I.ine Wings, National
Americans, and conservative, opposition
Democrats.
But. the Sentinel desires to know where
the. Wing paper and the Wing party of
Virginia stand-whether with the South
ern rights party, or with its antagonist,
the Republicans" We must first know
what the Sentinel means by the Southern
rights party.
Is it that party which acknowledges as
its founder and law-giver Thomas Jctfer-
son-the author of the sentiment of abo-
litionism in the United States, and the
defender of tho right of Congressional
prohibition?
Is it the party that supported for the
Presidency Martin Van Buren,. after he
had declared the power of Congress to
abolish slavery in the District of Columbia;
after he had voted to give negroes the
right of suffrage and the privilege Of tes-
titying against white people in courts of
Justice-and but short time before he
was the Presidential candidate of the
Free-soil party?
Is it the party that sustained James
X. Polk, and now canonizes his memory.
although he signed bill extending the
Wilmot Proviso over one of the Terrific
ries of the United States-when that
Proviso was inserted in the bill, as Mr..
Benton declared, "for the sole purpose of
establishing the naked, unqualified and
absolute right of Congress to exclude
slavery from the Teritories?'
Is it the party that next supported for
the Presidency the author of the Nichol-
son letter, in which the miserable doc
trine of Squatter Sovereignty is advoca-
te'l-a doctrine asserted by Mr.. Calhoun
to be more dangerous and despicable than
the Wilmot Proviso, and one which the
Democracy in this State had solemnly re-
solved they would, under no political
necessity, countenance or tolerate?
Is it the party that elected Franklin
Pierce President, after he had whined
all over New Hampshire upon the passage
of the Fugitive Slave Law-and sustain
ed and applauded him when he expelled
from the public service Judge Bronson,
of New York, for refusing to feed from
the public crib, and reward with positions
of trust and honor, the enemies of the
Southland who again appauded him
when he approved the Kansas Nebraska
bill, for the reason that under it not an
other slave State would ever come into
the Union?
Is it the party that in the election of
1852 openly coalesced with Martin Van
Buren, and his followers, who but four
years before had first given organization
and formidable proportions to the Free
soil party, and who still waved above their
heads the black banner inscribed with
the reasonable resolutions of the Buffalo
Convention?
Is it the party that in 1856 chose as its
leader James Buchanan, who had desc
Grated the national birthday by TRADE
against slavery who advocated the an
neXation of Texas. because he Beloved it
would drain the farming States of their
slaves; who maintained in regard to Cali
fornia that slavery could not 20 there
without law in advance establishing it:
who chung to the Missouri prohibition as
being little less sacred than the constitu-
tion--and who after his election, and for
the undisguised purpose of making favor
for himself and his party with the North,
threw the whole influence of his admin
istration into the scheme for making
Kansas free State?
Is it the party that, still later and near
er home-here upon the sacred soil of
old Virginia, where slavery has existed
for two hundred years, where the master
holds by right anterior and superior to
all constitutions. where it is part of our
moral, social and domestic system-sup-
ported for the chief magistracy of the
State, the representative of the senti-
ments of her people, and the exponent of
her creed and policy-a man who but ten
years ago believed slavery to be an Attic
ton worse than "the yellow fever and
black vomit"-"a consuming plague" "a
curse. "a cup of abomination," "a noun
tain of misery" "a stygian inundation :"
and who at later day, and after his
professed change of opinion, argued to
prove that slavery produces ignorance,
pauperism and crime?
Is it the party whose nomination at
Charleston many of its leaders are now
striving with might and main to secure
for Stephen A. Douglas. the originator of
the vilest, most pusillanimous and skulk-
ing scheme yet suggested for the injury
of the South, to wit: that though the
STAKEHOLDER has the constitutional right
to carry his slaves into any Territory of
the United States-that right may be
made nominal and nugatory by oppressive
and hostile legislation by the Territories
and Congress shall not interfere to rem
edy the wrong?
If this is the party that the Sentinel
calls 'Me Southern rights party" and if it is
with this party that it desires to know
whether we will no nlacad ,yo o,,.,,o,, |