The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-11-27
Democracy s. Disunion.

our Democratic friends over the threat
ened dissolution of the Union, and the
panic in financial matters. The Union,
they are certain, has all gone to smash,
and the country TO ruin, and the election
of LINCOLN, they fercely assert, has done
it all. Well, for kind, good natured
gentleman" as Senator DOUGLAS called
him, Mr.. LINCOLN must be a most unfor.
tunate person, to kick up all this rumpus
How has he done it? Can any one
tell By any act? None has yet
been pointed out. By any threat :?
Even Senator BENJAMIN, and such pro-
slavery journals as the Dubuque Herald,
regard him, as judged from his speeches,
as conservative man. What has he
done, then, to tear the Union to pieces :?
How has he created this panic in fnan-
cial circles =? We cannot tell-wll some
Democrat enlighten us?
1t is true Mr. LINCOLN has been cleo
ted President, and that since his cleo
ton great threats of secession have been
made in portion of the Confederacy.
But the constitution gives the people the
right to elect Mr.. LINCOLN president if
they so choose. Is the exercise of a
Constitutional right just ground for Sc
cession :? Certainly not. What is the
excuse then Why, that certain States
at the North refuse to surrender up fu-
gitive slaves, and have passed personal
liberty bills to destroy the efficiency of
the fugitive slave law. But have not
these liberty bills been in force for many
years and why were they not deemed
of sufficient Importance heretofore to
prompt this m )vement of dissolution.
They are no more obnoxious to the
South now than heretofore-why have
they not before created this furore ? The
answer will probably be because the fed
eral government has been in hands that
would see the fugitive slave law enfor.
ced. But Mr.. LINCOLN has said distinct
ly that he recognizes our Constitution
al obligations to return fugitive slaves,
and there is no reason to suppose that he
would not as fully enforce all laws upon
the statute book as his predecessors
have done. Besides, this can be
but an excuse, for South Carolina, the
State prominent in the secession move
ment, has probably never lost a slave
through the action of these personal lib
erty bills. And she has, more fully
than any other State, disregarded the
rights Of citizens of other sections of the
contederacy, as witness her law impris-
oning colored seamen ofother States who
may enter her ports. But she demands
the right 10 enter the territories with her
slave property, and to have it protected
there. Does the refusal Of this demand
give her excuse for attempting secess-
ion so, she would have had the
same cause should our Northern Demo
cratic brethren have succeeded in elect
ing Mr.. DOUGLAS, who, equally with Mr..
LINCOLN, denies the right of slave prop
erty in the territories to protection. And
therefore, SO far as this matter is con-
cerned, the triumph Of our Democratic
brethren would have been as good cause
for secession, to South Carolina, as the
triumph of the Republican party
The Congress of the United States is
politically opposed to Mr.. LINCOLN, and
1t is therefore evident that he cannot be
dangerous to Southern interests. The
pretension, then, that Mr.. LINCOLN will
make war upon Southern rights is ab
surd, and simply goes to show how shall
low are the causes producing this politi
cal excitement. 1t originates from no
unconstitutional act Of the Republican
party, and cannot be thrown in any way
upon that party. Their opponents, rath-
or than give up their hold upon the pub
lie treasury, are willing to see the Re-
public dismembered. They refuse to be
bound by the voice Of the majority, con-
stitulionally expressed, and have deter.
mined to rule or ruin. Upon them, not
upon Republicans, must rest the respon-
sibility of these movements. Unless
Democrats can make it appear that the
right to elect President in a Constitu
llonal manner, Is an aggression upon the |
rights of portion of the Confederacv,
they must admit that their constant as
sertion that upon the Republicans rests
the responsibility of the present Difficult
ties, is a repeated falsehood.
RZy- Gonc;Jar bla Il ;ff,a,lt, ,ona..