The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-03-09
DEPARTURES FROM WISDOM AND VIRTUE.

DEPARTURE FROM WISDOM AND VIRTUE.
Mr.. President, did ever tho annals OF any
Government show moro rapid or more
complete departure from the wisdom and
virtue Of its founders? Did ever the Gov
ernmcnt of great empire, founded on the
rights of human labor, slide away so fast and
10 far, and moor itself so tenaciously on the
basis of capital, and that capital invested in
laboring men? Did ever free representative
Legislature, invested with powers 50 great,
and with tho guardianship Of rights 90 i'm
portant, OF trusts 30 sacred, Of interests 80
precious, and of hopes at onco so no noble
and so comprehensive, surrender and rcnounce
them all 80 unnecessarily, 30 unwiscly, 30
fatally, and 30 ingloriously? Ifit be truo,
rs every instinct Of our nature, ind every
prccept Of political experience teaches us,
that ..'~ y y l.H-s ,.t.
"Ill fares the land, to Fastening ills o prey,
Where wealth accumulates, and men decay
then where in Ireland, in Italy, in Poland,
or in Hungary, has any ruler prepared for
generous and confding people disappoint.
mcnts, disasters, and calamities equal tc
those which the Government Of tho United
States holds now suspended over 30 large q
portion of tho continent of North Amcri-
ca.
TIE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.
Citizens of the United States, in the spirit
of this policy, subvertcd the free Republic OF
Nicaragua, and opened it to slavery and the
African slave trade, and held in that con.
dition waiting annexation to the United
States, until its sovereignty was restored by
q combination of sister Republics exposed to
the same danger. and apprehcnsive of similar
subversion. Other citizens rcopcncd the
the foreign slave trade in violation OF our
laws and treaties and, after suspension OF
that shameful traffic for fifty years. savage
Africans have been once more landed on our
shores and distributed, unrcclaimcdand with
impunity, among our plantations.
ITS RESPONSIBILITY.
For this policy, so far rs the Government has
sanctioned it, the Democratic party ayows
itself responsible. Everywhere complaint
against it is denounced, and its opponents
prescribed. When Kansas was writing
under the wounds of incipient, servile war,
because of her resistance, the Democratic
press deridingly said, "let her bleed" Of.
fetal integrity has been cause for rebukc and
punishment, when it resisted frauds designed
to promote the extension ofslayery. Through
out tho. whole Republic there is not one
known di,scntcr from that policy remaining
in place, IL within reach of the executive
arm. Nor over the face of the whole world
is there to be found one representative oi our
country who is not an apologist of the extern
sion of slavery.
TIE TWO VIEWS OF TIE SYSTEM.
1t is in America that these things have
happened. In the nineteenth century, the
era of tho worlds greatest progress, and
while all nations but ourselves have been
either abridging or altogether supprcssing
commerce in men; Mt the very moment when
the Russian sorf IL emancipatcd and the
Georgian captive, the Nubian prisoner, and
the Abyssian savagc are lifted up to freedom
by the successor of Mohammed. The world
prcpossesed incur behalfby our early devotion
to the rights of human nature, as no nation
ever before engaged in its respect and SYM
pathics, asks, in wonder and amazement,
what all this decentralization means? Ii has
an excuse better than the world can imagine,
better than We are generally conscious oi
ourselves, virtuous excuse. We have
loved not freedom 80 much less but the Union
ofour country so much more. We have been
made to believe, from time to time, that, in
a crisis, both of these precious institutions
could not be saved together, and therefore we
have, from time to time, surrendered safe
gurds of freedom To propitiate to loyalty OF
capitaland stay it's hands from doing violence
to the Union. The true state of tho case,
however, ought not to be q mystery to our.
selves. Prcscience, indeed, is not given to
statesmen but wo are without excuse when
wc fail to apprchend tho logic of current
events. Let parties, or the Government
choose or do what they may, the people ol
the United States do not prefer wealth tC
liberty, capital to labor, African slaves ia
white frccmen, in tho national Territories
and in future States. That question has
never been distinctly recognized or acted
on by them. The Republican barty en-.
bodies tho popular protest and reaction
against policy which has been fastened
upon the nation by surprise, and which lts
reason and conscience, concurring with the
reason and conscience Of mankind, con.
dcmn.
the CHOICE OF THE NATION.
The choice of the nation il now between
the Democratic party and the Republican
party. Its principles and policy arc, there
fore, Justly and even necessarily examined
know of only ono policy which It ha:
adopted or avowcd, namely tho saving OF
tho Territories of the United States, II
possible, by constitutional and lawful means
from being homes for slavery and polygamy
Who, that considers where this nation exists
what races it is composed, IN what agc OF
the world II acts its part on the public stage
and what are its predominant institutions
customs, habits, and sentiments, doubts thai
the Republican party can and will, il unwa,
vcringly faithful to that policy, and just and
loyal In all beside, carry it into triumphal
success 10 doubt Is to bc uncertain whether
civilization can improve or Christianity saw
mankind.
TIE REPUBLICAN, PARTY.
I may, perhaps, infer from the neccssit,
of tho case, that 1t will, in oil courts ant
places, stand by the freedom of speech ant
of the press, and the constitutional rights o
frcemen everywhere that 1t will favor thu
speedy improvements Of tho public domain
by homestead laws, and will encourage
mining, manufacture and internal commerce
with nccdful connections between the Atlanti,
and Pacific States-for all thcsc are impor
tant interests of freedom. For NIL the rest
the national emergencies, not individual in
nuences, must determine, us society goes on
tho policy and character of the Republican
party. Already bearing its part in legisla
tiun and In treaties, IL feels the necessity q
being practical Il its care of national healti