The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-01-31

ed to repeal this restriction to carry out the prn
ciple of congressional non-interyenton, they sud-
denly became the warm advocates Of this same
Missouri line, and deplored its removal. From
the first to the last, they showed themselves to be
Free-Solers, and determined to exclude the South
from all share in the public territory of the Union.
While the Kansas bill was pending, they threaten
ed to hire men to occupy that Territory; and did in
fact, send bodies of armed rufians to hold it by
force, constituting, as the Senator from Illinois
MIR Dougiasl said, a military occupation. This
movement provoked retaliation; and the strife thus
occasioned was referred to bv them as evidence
against the policy of non-intervention. By the
same effort on their part, they could have created
disorders in any State of the Union, and might,
with as much justice, have attempted to discredit
the principle of State sovereignty In fact they re-
fer to the late invasion of the State of Virginia
by some of the employees, argument against
the state OF society prevailing in the South,
1t is undoubtedly true, however, that in conse-
quence Of the repeal Of the Missouri restriction,
true and patriotic men were defeated in the North
by Free-Soilers and Abolitionists. When the
Democratic party had the manlness and the states
manship to reform the currency system in part by
the adoption of the subtreasury plan, it sustained
severe losses for time. In the more arduous
undertaking of placing the slavery question on
permanent and solid basis, with reference TO the
action of the Federal Government, it has had to
encounter, perhaps, greater difficulties. [ am not
sure, however. that it would have been as much
| weak ened, but for accidental circumstances which
it could not toresee. During the excitement
arising out of the repeal of the Missouri restriction,
there occurred that singular organization called
| the American party, which carried a maj orty Of
| almost every one of the Northern States. 1t
severed, during this period of excitement, and
permanently separated from the Democratic party,
many who would otherwise have returned to it..
On its sudden collapse, most of its members 10 the
free States united with few outside AbolitiOnists
| and formed the present Black Republican party.
But for these occurrences, have no doubt that the
Democratic Party would have, this, recovered
its ascendency in several of the northern States.
| But again, MIR President when, in the year 1857
Robert J. Walker was made Governor of Kansas,
he publicly declared that the climate of that
Territory fitted it only to be free State; and also
assured the people that the whole constitution
| should be submitted to them. This position was
condemned generally in the South as amounting
| to Executive interference, or intervention with
the right of the citizens of the Territory to decide
these questions for themselves Byway of defense
for Governor Walker, it said that number of
southern men had expressed the opinion that it
would be free State. Every one saw, however,
that if Governor Walker had taken the other side,
he might, with even more plausibity, have
declared that Kansas ought to be slaveholding
State, because it was on the parallel oflatitude
with Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland,
| and Delaware, all of which were slaveholding
States; and this position of his might have been
fortified by any number Of declarations Appointment
Free-Soilers and Abolitioniss, to the effect that,
under the Kansas ac that Territory would inevitably
| be saveholding State. The entire South almost,
condemned his position, therefore, as unfair, and
an unjust exercise Of Executive influence in the
Territory. 1t SO happened, however, that for
months, the paper at the seat Of Government, and
others supposed to represent the views of the
| President, sustained, in the strongest and most
emphatic terms, the position Of Governor Walker.
Almost the entire Democracy of the free States,
therefore, took this ground in support of what they
understood to be the views of the Administration,
and assured their fellow citizens that the people of
Kansas were to have the privilege Of voting the
whole Constitution Of the State.
But, towards the close of that year, the conyen-
ton OF the Territory decided to submit only the
slavery clause to the voters generally The President
therefore, recommended the admission of the State
under the constitution so adopted. That this
recommendation of his was right, never doubted;
| because | think it has been fully settled by the
usages of the States, that their conventions may
submit or not, they choose, either the whole or
part of their constitutions to vote of the people,
Nevertheless, this position being inconsistent with
that which had been so generally taken in the
North, many men who Zealously sustained it were
afterwards deserted at home because of their party
having been previously committed to different
line of policy. | know that many Southern men
who had no doubt that the action of the Kansas
convention was theoretically and matter Of
constitutional law, right, nevertheless regretted
that action, because it had the appearance of
seeking to avoid opportunity for fair expression
of the popular will. While we held that Congress
had no right to interfere with the action of the
Territory in this respect, yet felt that the issue
was one which was ihjuring friends in the
North, and could not possibly benefit u.s. If there
ever had been any chance of its becoming slave
State in fact, the course of Governor Walker had
already cut that off by carrying all the officials
and their influence in the Territory the side Of
the Free-State party With no purpose to cast
censure any one, | nevertheless frankly refer tc
this as circumstance for which the Democratic
party, as whole, are not justly responsible, but
which aided the anti-slavery party, as at present
organized. On survey of the entire ground,
maintain that it will appear that the action of the
Democratic party for the last fifteen years on the
slavery question, has been wise, patriotic and
statesmanke.
I'VE will give other extracts from the speech
| hereafter.
PATRIoTIC-We learn from the Warrentor
News that the Hon. Weldon n. Edwards has con
tributed $50 and Thomas I Green S1nO to .;1 tbl