The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-06-28

and Ex-Governor Dunlap, Of Maine !;
Benton, of Missouri; and Houston, of
Texas. General Cass expressed his
great regret that the hour of adjourn
ment in 1S46 arrived before he could
record his vote in its favor; and in
1914, he made speech upon the sub
iect, in which he doubted the expedi-
ency of its adoption at that time, and
said: , =;
cit will be qnite in season to provide
for the government of Territory not
yet acquired from foreign countries af-
ter we shall have obtained it."
With the aid of these timid counsels,
and the patronage and influence OF the
Administration, the slave power gained
temporary advantage by the post
ponement Of the measure, and time to
concoct new schemes to defeat it.
The Presidential election of l84S was
approaching. 1t was well-known that
several northern Democratic politicians
were aspirants for the nomination at
Baltimore and among them the most
prominent were General Cass, of Mich
igan, and Mr.. Buchanan of Pennsyl-
vania. TIE plan adopted was to make
an onset upon them; to prescribe a
new test as the condition of giving
them Southern support, by which their
ambitious hopes would all be smoth-
cred unless they changed their opinions.
| They undertook to debauch our public
men and with the glittering prize of the
Presidency before their eyes, they de-
manded surrender of their principles,
consent to the expansion of slavery, and
submission to the behests Of this ty-
rannical power.
AS the State Conventions in Ala
+bama, Virginia, Florida and Georgia,
met to elect delegates to the Baltimore
Convention, they passed resolutions
that "under no political necessity what
ever," would they give their support to
the nominee of the Convention, unless
he renounced the heresy that Congress
could prohibit the introduction Of
slavery into the Territories. The
State Convention in Georgia met on
the 22d of December, and passed the
following:
'Resolced, That the Democratic party of Geor-
gle will support no man for the office of President
or Vice-President who shall not have clearly and
unequivocaly declared their opposition to the prin-
cfpies of the Wilmot proviso.
'Resolued That it is the constitutional right OF
every citizen to remove and settle with his proper
ty into any of the Territories ofthe United States.
This aaroit and well-managed scheme
was successful. General Cass could
not doubt that ga great change was
going on in the public mind," as he ad-
mitted there had been in his own; and
on the 31st December, 1S47, the Mich
olson letter was published in the Union
newspaper. The Senator from Mis-
sissippi says that it was shown about for
several days among the Southern mem
bers for their approval. 1t is also due
to truth for me to say that it was read
to the Michigan delegation in Congress
at that time, and that they unanimous
ly disapproved both of its principles
and of the policy of promulgating it.
/ am sorry to be obliged to add, that
their worst fears were realized.
The Nicholson letter denied the pow
err of Congress to prohibit slavery in
the Territories, and claimed right for
the people of the Territories to regu-
late that and all other internal matters.
l will not stop to discuss the doctrine,
which, although acluiesced in at the
time, is now so unsatisfactory to the
propagandist of slavery; but / beg
leave to quote one single Southern au-
thority against it. 1t is that of the
celebrated John Randolph.
In the year 1903, petition was pre-
sented to Congress, signed by General
Harrison, Governor of the Territory
Of Indiana, which set forth that he had
been requested to call convention for
the purpose of taking the sense of the
whole people upon the subject of sus-
pending for period of ten years, the
operation of the sixth article of the or.
dinance which prohibited slavery; that
such convention had met and united in
the petition, which declared that more
than nine-tenths of the inhabitants
were of opinion that the enforcement
of the said article was prejudicial to
their interests. This memorial was re-
ferred to committee, majority OF
whom were Southern men, and at the
head of which was the distinguished
! Virginian. On the I'd of March, Of
the same year, Mr.. Randolph reported
against the prayer of the petitioners
and, among other things, said:
: "The committee deem it highly dan
gerous and inexpedient to impair pro
vision wisely calculated to promote the
happiness aud prosperity of the north
western country, and to give strength
and security to that extensive frontier
In the salutary operation of this sa
gacious and benevolent restraint, it il
T believed that the inhabitants of Indi
ana will, at no distant day. find ample
} remuneration for a atemporary privatior
of labor and emigration.' et se
j Sir, the great State of Indiana, will
her million and half of people, ant
with all the privileges and glory of free
institutions, is witness to-day of the
truth of the prediction. WHAT'S now
the State of Michigan, was then in
lcluded in the Territory of Indiana
and the people of both of those States
will ever hold in grateful remembrance
the efforts of the noble ,Southerner
: against "squatter sovereignty" to pre-
serve unimpaired the provision which