Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-03-24
m. t,id Line Democrat's Questions.

IT prompt in Its responses, he might have complained of us with some show ofjustice All know the dogged silence he has main tained on many of the subjects we have ii' { rected his attention to, notwithstanding oul earnest and off. repeated entreaties. In the face of these facts, we think his lachry- nose appeals to us to answer h's questions are simply ridiculous.
 But as we have no master over us, and nothing to conceal on any subject, we can speak our mind when we please, and we propose to do so now in response to Mr Peek's questions:
 Question No. is:
 "la Would or would you not have advocated the election of Stephen A. Douglas so the United States Senate had you been living in Illinois at the time of his contest with Lincolni"
 It is not 8 supposeable case that we ever did. or ever would. live in Illinois. The thought of what we would do were we 8 citizen of some other State, especially free State. never occurred to us.
 What is Mr. Peek's experience on the subject? In Illinois he supported Douglas --here in Arkansas. he opposes Douglas When in free State Mir Peek was Dong las uan-here in a slave State, he is directly opposed to Douglas. Neighbor, what + the cause of this wonderful change? Tel us what?
 Question No. ?:
 2 Will you advocate the election of Stephen 4. Douglas to the Presidency, If he Is nominated by the Charleston conVentionl"
 We will. If the national democracy nominate Judge Douglas our opposition tc him, of course, will cease.
 Question No. 3:
 "Are yqu in favor of the doctrine of Con gressona intervention for the protection of slavery in the territoriesP'
 We are, whenever such protection is necessary. The southern people have the right to protection in the territories when ever they need 1t, and they should demand it.
 Question No. 4:
 A. sDo you deny the doctrine of the right of SC session2''
 Every people in the world, we hold, have the right to revolutlonize, or throw off . government when it becomes bur den instead of blessing. The civilized world justified our forefathers when they threw off the British yoke and established their independence; this country justified Texas, when we acknowledged her inde- pendence of Mexico, and annexed her to the States
 So far as resisting tyranny and oppression, and protecting their lives, their liberties and their property, we believe every people have the right to do so-call it what you may, se- cession, revolution, rebellion, or what not. When this Union ceases to subserve its end, and its tyranny becomes uncomfortable, the question will not be of right, but of might. The awful day of dissolution, should 1t ever come, will not be ushered in by discussion of the righ 70 seeede, but by an appeal to arms.
 Question No. 5:
 ,. Are you opposed to the repeal of the Con gressional laws that make the African slave trade piracy; and do you deHy to the South the CoRstaG tiOnal right to insist upon their repeal.'
 While we admit the right of the South to ask for the repeal of these laws, we would regard it very great misfortune if the southern democracy should attempt to make the repeal national democratic test Such an attempt would certainly re- suit in the denatioaalization of the demo- cratic party, and bring about speedy dis ruption of the Union. No one knows this better than Mir Peek himself, who, short time ago. edited paper in a free State, and, while SO doing, Rever once advocated the repeal of the laws in question. The re-opening of the slave trade, is simply a question of dissolution of the Union-a question of revolution. Ln he Cnion, while the North has the majority in Con gress. it never can be done. Ii done st all, it must be done after the Union is bro- ken to pieces
 We know Mir. Peek's sensitiveness on this subject; and, though we do not desire to offend him, we cannot restrain very natural curiosity to know why he did not advocate the re-opening of the African slave trade when he was in the North, and why he became so sudden and jealous a convert to the policy after his emigration to the South. It does appear to us that, if he really desired the re-opening of the slave trade, the North would have been the proper place to have manufactured public sentimentjn its favor.
 MT. IIindman started out last fall on his tour in favor of re-opening the African slave trade, but before he got half way around. he abandoned the subject. He thought it was popular, and was for it. He found it was mol popular, and dropped it. He has been in his seat in Congress nearly four months, but he has not vet dared to introduce bill in Congress to repeal the laws declaring the slave trade piracy. Mr. Hindman is man of policy, not of principle. What he thinks is popu- lar, he k for, and rioe rerSa.
 In return, we wish to put few ques- tions to Mir Peek. We beg, in the first place. that he will give us full, frank an swer, on each and every one of the ques- tions he propounded to us; and then we wish to know of him:
 1st. Does he believe that repeal of the laws prohibiting the African slave trade can be obtained while the free States have majority, as they now have, in both branches of Congress?
 2d If not, is he in favor of dissolving the Union in order to accomplish the re-