The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-02-02
Communicated.

EDITOR OF CAss COUNTY REPUBLI-
CAN, SIR:-1S6O is here and yet new.
The year that millions of free people
have prayed to see and live out. And
one of the great reasons to thus live, is
to witness and help combat the Ad-
ministration of the Democratic party
which will be in the political arena this
year, they hope for the last time, until
they become a constitutional party
until they come back to the Democra-
cy of Andrew Jackson and as carried
out in the Administration of Martin
Van Buren.
Though Van Buren was considered
political trickster in 1914, he could not
come up to Southern demands, although
nomination was equivalent to an
election to the Presidency. Therefore
he was thrown out of. the Convention
that year, and James X. Polk, Of
Tennessee, was taken up and elected;
and according to agreement he fought
the Mexican war, annexed Texas and
all the Territory she claimed to the
United States, also making Texas
slave State as the South demanded at
his hands.
The Constitutional men of the nation,
about this time, in order that the bal
ance of the Territory should not be
blighted by the curse of slavery res
urected Thomas Jefferson's provisoes
to this effect, which was then called the
Wilmot proviso, because David Nilmot,
of Pennsylvania presented it, to apply
to the newly acquired Territory, in fact
to all Territory belonging to the United
States, which forever prohibited slavery
and involuntary servitude. And these
prohibitions too are Constitution II for
all precedents, from the foundation of
the Government. and the sanction of it
by both the Wing and Democratic
parties and all the Presidents up to
Franklin Pierce's Administration prov'd
it beyond doubt to be the fact and is
the best authority we can ever have oa
this sheet, such restrictions having
been signed by Presidents who helped
to make the Constitution and acted
under it, and it was so considered at
the time of its ratification and adoption
by all of the States. Patrick Henry
said, who was member of the Federal
Convention, that Congress had the
power to pronounce all slaves free, he
said, that paper speaks to the point
John Randolph said, he hoped that no
one here lin the same Convention Rati-
fication) will advance an objection so
dishonorable to Virginia as to think
that under the general Government of
that Constitution, she would not abolish
slavery. Such was the sentiments of
Virginia at the adoption of the present
Constitution of the United States. |
mention this to show that the Constitu-
ton could then, and does now, admit
of restrictions of this curse from the
Territories, and such restriction was
favored and supported by both pollti-
cal parties down to James X. Folks
Administration.
But after old "Hickory's" head had
been laid under the sod at the Hermit
age, and nearly all the old Patriots of
the Revolution had gone to their hon
cred graves or retired from the political
arena, the Southren men seeing this, at
once sought to take advantage of the
Constitution for the interest of slave
property and the prostitution of
new Territory for slave purposes was
the object on the one hand, and the re-
opening of the African Slave Trade on
the other as is developing itself at
present.
They thought it rather risky business
to follow the admonition of Old Hickory
in his farewell Address when he said,
"Let us abide by the Constitution as il
is written or amend it in the Constitu-
tional mode if found defective"
No, another construction was the
surest way of success to them.
About this time there seemed to be
men undergoing great changes in mind
in regards the Constitutionality OF
these restrictions to Territory of slave
property.
About this time there appeared 9
letter to one A. O. p. Nicholson, Of
Nashville, Tennessee, from the hand O
4 Il o<,s