Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-08-08

The Departure of the Democratic Party !
from the Faith-fs Tendencies 10 Disgnion
the Fraud and Corruption Of its Leaders.
FelIosc Citizens Of the Serenth Congressional
District Of Indiana.
BY virtue of the supreme law of our
common country, it becomes the duty OF
the American people to select one of their
fellow citizens, honest. capable and faith
full to the Constitution, to fill the respon-
sible position of chief magistrate for the
next four years. That duty, trust, will
be fearlessly and in triumph discharged by
those who believe the general welfare /
would be best promoted by administering /
the government in harmony with the !
practice, the teachings and principles of
its founders. For the present contest .
issues of no o. binary moment claim the
pubIc attention. They involve the re-
demption and perpetuity of government
designed BY its trainers to be perpetual
union. wherein "justice shall be es'ab-
lished. domestic tranquility insured,
the I" general welfare" promoted, and the
blessings of liberty" for themselves and
posLerity secured. Never since the dawn
of the revolution, did the voice of duty
so imperiously demand of the people
whitening rebuhe to unworthy public ser
wants, and triumphant vindication of the
vital principles of our institutions from
the assaults of those whose paramount
duty it was to "pre.erve, protect and de-
| fend." In accordance with established
usage. candidates have been selected by
the respective parties as the representa-
tives of their respective political creeds.
Ii becomes my duty, but still more my
pleasure. to advocate though feebly | may,
the claims to the confidence of the whole
American people, of AbrahamLincoln, not
simply because he is "honest old Abe, +"
but the glorious representative of princi-
piles, interests, and line of policy dear to
every freemans heart While much de-
ponds in every political contest upon the
character of the man selected as a standard
bearer. vet an enlightened constituency
will ever look beyond TO the objects sought
to be accomplished in the event of his
success. We present you man who fills
the measure of Jeffersonian requirements,
g creed adapted to the highest necessities
of the age and expressed in terms of nc
doubtful construction, and confidently ap'
peal to the people for a verdict in their
own behalf For near eight years the
Democracy have held the absolute control
of every department of the national gov.
eminent, and now oppose the surrender Of
that control into the hands of the people;
representative. Let us review the policy
professions and position of that party fol
the past few years; their tendencies anC
effects; see who have kept the faith; who
| departed from it, and the consequences o
! such departure enquire whether the gov
eminent has been faithfully and honestl,
administered, and then we may the bette
determine whether the leaders of tina
party furnish such record as entities then
, to the continued confidence of the Ameri
, can people. Without additional preface
let us carefully and intelligently look +
that record
The adoption of the compromise meas
ures of 1850, was hailed by the great mas
u of the people North and South, of the oil,
r Wing and Democratic parties as the har
: binger of peace. They were endorsed as
finality, and the people hopefully regar
ded those measures as the last chapter {
be written in the history Of domestic dis
p quietude and sectional hate. The patrio
rejoiced that his country had been rescue
from impending peril, and the orator elo
quently portrayed the blessings of peac
and good will
i JOY and gladness filed the nations
D heart The lank disunionist went how
J. ing to his solitary kennel, and the insan
;. raving ofthe abolitionist provoked the his
, of popular contempt. The maintainanc
l. Of the compromise was not only the com
d mand of party, but the watchword G
3 every friend of the Union. A crisis i
!, our country's history had been reache
:. and passed in glorious triumph, and neve
before was the title of "American citizen
h more highly priced. What are the fact
a in relation to the compromise measures c
1850, so far as they effect the territories {
the United States2 Let us note ther
j. briefly and determine if we can who it
d that since then has departed from the faitl
10 violated the letter and spirit of the legis
% lation of 1850, poisoned the fountains {
y domestic peace and in utter disregard {
the wisdom and potriotism of the pas
Is rashly strikes down compromises, scorn
n the examples and teachings of the fail
ers, arrays section against section with tn
malignant hate of the fratricide and eve
attempts to basely pervert constitutio
designed to secure the blessings of libert
into mere engine of power for the es
81 tension of slavery. Without for the pre-:
IL ent discussing the object and motives Z
n the chief actors who involved us in a wa
with Mexico, it is only necessary to sa
er that by the treaty of peace we acquire
1 large area of Mexican domain. 1t is
Ie well settled principle of national La
10 that the civil and municipal laws in fore
within. and over n country or territor
"a at the time acquired remain in force unit
'e expressly repealed by the acquiring pow
k ers. What then was the law of Mexic,
n overt this acquired territory at the time W
!. acquired it, in reference to the question {
70 slavery? In 1920 slavery was abolishe
J. in the Republic of Mexico, by the deere
Is of her President, the owners to be iniem
IL nifed when the circumstances of the trea.
ury would permit. In 1887, the gener;
&c Congress of Mexico by law abolished sis
'e very "without any exception in the whol
Republic" and provided the manner an
# means of indemnifying the master. An
again, the constitution of the Republi
of Mexico of the year l845," provide
that "no one is slave in the territory
the nation, and any introduced shall b
- considered Free and shall be under tn
10 protection Of the laws" Here is pro
! vision against slavery stronger in fact, tina
ever dreamed of by Wilmot; one whic
e. bid the bound go free and claim the pre-
ir lection of his government. A violatio
e of Mexican law gave freedom and proteC
n ton TO the slave, and forfeiture of a
right of indemnity to the master. In tn
Is adjustment of the difficulties which threat
Re ened the peace of the country, it becam
j. the duty of the Congress of 1850, to pre-
# vide territorial government for this newl
acquired territory. Mr.. Clay in seriC
- of resolves submitted his plan of adjustmen
It In regard to the territory thus acquired h
assumed as fact, that slavery did nc
10 there exist by law, was not likely to b
introduced, and therefore, it was inexpe
- dent to provide for its introduction or ex
olusion, In accordance with these view
territorial Bills were reported, leavin,
Il the Mexican law untouched. There wer
those who feared to rely upon the Mex
= can law as a certain exclusion of SLAYER,
" and therefore, insisted that Congress
g should re-enact a prohibition. None clam
s ored with such unbridled zeal for this a
10 tho then leaders of the Democracy of End
ana. There were others who regarde,