Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-01-28

ouence of the repeal of the Missouri restriction true
! and patriotic were defeated in the North by
! Free Sellers and Abolitionists When the Demo-
cratic party had the manliness and the statesman
ship to reform the currency system in pars by the
| adoption of the subtreasury plan it sustained Sc
we're losses for time. In the more arduous under
taking of placing the slavery question on perma-
nent and solid basis with reference to the action OF
! the Federal Government it has had to encounter,
| perhaps greater difficulties. l am not sure, how
! ever that it would have been as much weakened,
but for accidental circumstances which 1t could not
foresee. During the excitement arising out OF the
repeal of the Missouri restriction, there occurred
that singular organization called the American par
ty which carried majority Of almost every one of
the northern States 1t severed, during this period
of excitement and permanently separated from the
! Democratic party, many who would otherwise have
returned to it. On its sudden collapse, most of its
members in the free States united with few out
side AbolitionstS and formed the present Black Re
publican party. But for these occurrences, have
no doubt that the Democratic party would have,
ere this recovered its ascendency in several OF the
northern States
But, again. Mr.. President, when, in the year 1857,
Robert j. Walker was made Governor of Kansas, he
publicly declared that the climate of that Territory
fitted it only to be free State and also assured the
people that the whole constitution should be SUBJ
mitted to them. This position was condemned gen.
orally in the South as amounting to Executive inter-
ference Intervention with the right Ofthe citizens
selves By way Of defense for Governor Walker, it
was said that number of Southern men had ex-
pressed the opinion that it would be free State
Every one saw, however, that if Governor Walker
had taken the other side, he might with even more
plausibity have declared that Kansas ought to be
Saveholding State because it on the same par
alel of latitude with Missouri Kentucky Virginia,
Maryland and Delaware, all of which were slave
holding States; and this position of his might have
been fortified by any number of declarations ofprom-
nent FreeSoerS and AbolitonistS to the effect that
under the Kansas act, that Territory would nevta-
bly, be slaveholding State. The entire South al
most, condemned his position therefore, as unfair,
and unjust exercise of Executive influence in the
Territory. 1t so happened however, that for months,
the paper at the seat of Government and others sup
posed to represent the views of the President sus-
tained in the strongest and most emphatic terms,
the position of Governor Walker. Almost the en-
tire Democracy of the free States, therefore, took
this ground in support of what they understood to
be the views Of the Administration, and assured
their feowcitlzens that the people of Kansas were
to have the privilege of voting the whole conSt
tuition of the State.
But towards the close of that year. the convention
of the Territory decided to submit only the slavery
clause to the voters generally. The President there
FORE recommended the admission of the State under
the constitution adopted. That this recommen-
daton of his right | never doubted; because
think it has been fully settled by the usages of the
States that their conventions may submit not as
they choose, either the whole or part of their
stutions TO a vote of the people Nevertheless, this
position being Inconsistent with that which had
been so generally taken IN the North, many men
who ZeaOuSly sustained it afterwards defeated
at home because their party having been previous
~ committed to different line of policy. | know
that many southern men who had no doubt that the
action of the Kansas convention theoretically
and as a matter OF constitutional law right, never
theeSS regretted that action because had the ap-
ak to-
expression OF the popular will. While we held that
Congress had right to interfere with the action of
the Territory IN this respect Yet felt that the
issue was one which injuring friends in the
North, and could not possibly benefit U.S. If there
ever had hecn any chance Of its becoming slave
State in fact the course of Governor Walker had al
ready cut that off by carrying all the officials
and their influence in the Territory to the side of the
Prostate party. With no purpose to cast censure
any one, nevertheless frankly refer to this as a
circumstance for which the Democratic party, as a
whole not justly responsible, but which aided
the antisavery party, as at present organized On
survey of the entire ground maintain that it will
appear that the action of the Democratic party for
the last fifteen years on the slavery question, has
been wise, patriotic, and statesmanlike.
proceed, however, to the consideration of the
great question before the country. Immediately af-
ter the presidential election in 1856 met the vete-
ran Secretary of State, then Senator from Michi-
gan, on the floor of the Senate and in reply to
inquiry as to how he was, he answered: We'll in
health, but depressed in spirits Sir, said he, IL
formerly thought that the Un7n would never be dis
solved; but am not without painful apprehen-
sions of different result They say that the en-
element in the North has grown out of the Kansas
bill. \ hundred Kansas bills would not have pro-
duccd this result These people mean to abolish
slavery in your section. You may think that they
not fanatics; but the misfortune is that they
! You will gain nothing by making to them conces-
sions; you cannot thereby help us but you will
ruin yourselves BY standing firm, you can at least
! protect yourselves
His words made the deeper impression upon me
| because they were in accordance with my own set
! tied convictions. But now the evil has attained
such alarming dimensions that it demands considera-
! ton. When dark and rapidly advancing cloud
has already covered half the heavens and the NUT
terings of the distant thunder and the waings of
the coming storm are loudly heard, none out false
sentinel will proclaim a calm Eminently futile, too,
! and mschievous, declarations of Southern men
against agitation and in favor of union and harmo-
ny. When a man is threatened with violence, will
he stay the hand of the assaant by procaiming his
| love of peace? When q country is invaded by a
! public enemy, the inhabitants protect them
selves by passing resolutions in favor of peace and
harmony? All the world regards such things as
evidence of weakness or cowardice and only calcu-
lated to stimulate the invaders. When Philip of
Macedon was threatening Greece, his hired parti-
sans recommended repose and quiet, and denounced
Demosthenes political agitator. 1t was in the
midst of men who were crying out peace! peace!"
that Patrick Henry Numbered that there I" no
| peace!" If the Abotonists in the North could be
induced to abandon agitation on the subject of slave
ry it would be well but they reject with derision
the suggestion, and become only more insolent as
Southern men cry out the louder for quiet and
union.
When, some twenty-five years ago, the abolition
society at Boston, under the lead and guidance of a
British subject attracted public attention. though
it declared that its purposes were merely peaceful,
and intended to persuade to berate the slaves,
yet so Insignificant in numbers it, that the
ddate for Congress in that district refused to reply
to its nerrogatories to give any pledges to his
| & 81, H.