The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-03-16

maNeTy anu tne African slave trade, and
held it in that condition waiting annexa-
tion TO the United States, until its sover-
eighty was restored by combination Of
sister Republics exposed to the same dan
ger, and arprehensive Of similar subver.
sion. Other citizens re.opened the for.
eign slave trade in violation Of our laws
and treaties and, after a suspension Of
that shameful traffic for fifty years, saw
age Africans have been once more landed
on our shores and distributed ,unrecla aimed
and with impunity, among our plantations.
For this policy, so far as the Govern
ment has sanctioned it, the Democratic
} parry avows itself responsible. Every
where complaint against it is denounced
and its opponents prescribed. When
Kansas was writhing under the wounds oil
incipient, servile war because Of her re.
, sistance, the Democratic press deridinply
| said, "let her bleed" Official integrity
has been cause for rebuke and punish.
ment, when it resisted frauds designed to
promote the extension OF slavery
Throughout the whole Republic there is
not one known dissenler from that policy
remaining in place, il within the reach Of
the executive arm. Nor over the face OF
The whole world is there 10 be found one
representative OF our country who is not
an a2ologist Of the extension of slavery.
1t is in America that these things have
happened. ln the nineteenth century,
the era Of the worlds greatest progress,
and while all nations but ourselves have
been either abridging or altogether sup
pressing commerce in men ; at the very
moment when the Russian serf is eman-
clpated, and the Georgian captive, the
Nublan prisoner, and the Abyssinian saw
age are lifted up to freedom by the sue
cessor of Mohammed. The world, pre-.
possessed in our behalf by our early de.
votion TO the rights of human nature, as
no nation ever before engaged its respect
and sympathies, asks, 10 wonder and
amazement, what all this decentralization
means II has ar excuse better than
the world can imagine, better than we are
generally conscious Of ourselves, a vir.
tuous excuse. We have loved not free.
dom so much less, but the Union of our
/ country SO much more. We have been
made TO believe, from time 10 time, that.
IN crisis, both OF these precious ins,itu
tlons could not be saved together, and
therefore we have, from time to time, sur.
rendered safeguards Of freedom to pro.
pi'iaie the loyalty Of capital, and stay its
hands from doing violence to the Union.
The true state Of The case, however, ught
not TO be mystery 10 ourselves. Pre-.
science, indeed, is not given 10 statesmen ;
but we are without excuse when we fail
TO apprehend the logic of current events.
Letpartles, or the Government, choose or do
what they may, the people of the United
States do not prefer wealth to liberty ,capi.
tai 10 labor, African slaves 10 white free
men, In the national territories and future
States. That question has never been dis.
tlac'ly recognized or acted on by them -
The Republican party embodies the pop.
ular protest and reaction against policy
which has been fastened upon the nation
, by surprise, and which its reason and
( conscience. concurring with the reason
and conscience of mankind, condemn.
t The choice Of the nation is now between
, the Democratic party and the Republican
, party. Its principles and policy are,
therefore, justly and even necessarily ex.
amined. l know Of only ore policy which
it has adopted or avowed, namely: the
saving OF the Territories OF the United
States, il possible, by constitutional and
lawful means, from being homes for sla.
very and polygamy. Who. that considers
where this nation exists, Of what races il
is composed, in what age Of the world it
Il acts its part on the public stage, and whal
, are its predominant institutions, customs,
habits and sentiments, doubts that the
, Republican party can and will, if un
waveringly faithful 10 that policy, and
JUS: and loyal in all beside, carry it into
triumphal success ? TO doubt is to be
uncertain whether civilization can improve
or Christianity save mankind.
l may, perhaps. infer from the neces.
sity OF the case, that it will, in all courts
and places. stand by the freedom OF speech
and Of the press, ana the constitutional
rights OF freemen everywhere that it will
lavor the speedy improvement Of the pub
lie domain by homestead laws, and will
encourage mining manufactures and in
ternal commerce, with needful connections
between the Atlantic and Pacific States
!or all these are important interests Of
freedom. For all the rest, the national
emergencies. not individual influences,
must determine, as society goes on, the
character Of the Republican party. AL
ready bearing its part in legislation and
in treaties, it feels the necessity Of being
practical in its care OF the national health
and life, while il leaves metaphysical
speculation TO those whose duty it is 10
cultivate the ennobling science Of political
philosophy.
But in The midst OF these subjects, or
rather, before fully reaching them, the
Republican party encounters unetpect-
edly,a new and potential issue-one prior,
and therefore paramount TO all others, one
Of national life and death. Just as il so
much had not beer already conceded
nay, just as if nothing at all had ever been
conceded to tie interest Of capital invested
in men, We hear menaces of disuuion,
louder, more distinct, more emphatic,
than ever, with the condition annexed.
that they shall be executed the moment
that Republican administration, though
constiiutionally elected. shall assume the
Government.
do rot certainly know that the people
are prepared 10 call such an Acministra-