, 1860-07-24
The Slavery Question to be put out OF
Politics, and How.

There Is q calm assurance in an American
denagogue, 8 quiet reliance upon the ignorance,
stupidity, indifference or corruption Of the peo-
pie on whom he operates, which can be parall-
eled in no other country. OF American dema-
gogueB the most distinguished Of his class in
these particulars, the man who is most indiffe1-
ent about what he says If he can make it serve
his immediate purpotes, and the man who pre-
sumes most upon the Ignorance and thought
lessness OF the great mass Of society, is Stephen
A. Dourlas, at this present speaking stumpiug
New England for the Presidency.
We may add, further, that one Of the most
remarkable displays Of his suuper!ative assar'
ance and presumption may be found in the
speech he delivered in Boston on Tuesday night
in the course Of which he said:
"For years the slavery question has excluded
other matters Of national Importance from Com
gress. If you ask your representatives why
nue., instead Of authorizing loan. the response
! - that there was no time to do it-no time to
nav your honest ae5S::;;, aas5:; II Sou ask why there
Is 40 Pacific Railroad, why there is no oyei...@A
mail route, and no mail steamers, you are told
| that there was no time to attend to these
matters. Tho slavery question occupied all Of
The time. Thus the commercial, shipping, ag-
ricultural and manufacturing interest are neg.
lected for want Of time, because Of the slavery
| question. There never will be time, unless you
(; tanish the slavery question from the halls Of
| f.cn1ress, and refer it back to hepeople &C.
coIdins to the platform Of the Democratic par
t." .,,,, h,xa a,.umed
| 1hst h;s hearers aud readers had forgotten that
| hehad been for ten years and more the most &C.
| five minister to slavery agitation in Congress-;
that he cont1ived and negotiated the plan for
the repeal Of the Missouri Compromise, aud
that he was one Of the very hrst to take "hat
he deemed the short cut 10 the Presidency,
showing that in devotion and servility to the
slayery interest he stood, like Saul in Israel, a
head and shoulders above ali his countrymen.
he must have assumed that this Was all for
gotten. or never known, Or if known and 10;
people really felt as they pro!essed to feel in
regard to it, aud that it was me1ely an accident
that Massachusetts sent man OF Charles
summers political opinions to the United States
Senate, instead Of one who would stand quietly
by and see smother senator like Charles Sum
ner beaten over the head and nearly killed By
arufiau, while discharging hiB official duty.
But though it il the Psychological pecularlty
. Of demagogues to suppose everybody as indit-
ferent in matters Of principle as they are them
selves, and great dsa' less an,,eeen.; tnest y.
| beine watched, nor their utterauces Of being
| studied. Their Instincts for the detection Of d
t change in the currents Of public opinion are
wonderfully acute, and that point OF view this
speech Of Douglas is significant.
il 40 longer dulsom melody at least in the
:: Northern States, and that the slavery question
must be put out Of politics In this he Is .un
q donbtedfy correct. And 20 it will be: but NO
holdinc interest can make or mar the fortunes
Of q politician; 80 long as its alliance is deemed
- essential to every man who asplres to apoiitica
career, 80 long the slavery agitation will be th
most prominent feature Of American politics
s Eyer7 asplraut for federal honors will do JUS
l. as Pierce aud Douglas and Buchanan die, con
p tri.e some scheme By which to prove, each, tha
| his devotion to slavery surpAsses that Of b!
!! :, competitors. All the slavery agitation IN tn
" country, since the annexation OF Texas, has ha
n just this origin and no other. But for the strue
giles Of men like Pierce, Douglas and Buchanar
aud such as they, to do something to conce1
r trate upon themselves the support Of h
!. pro-sayery power in the country which has a
n TaTs mnved ~ = unit, and by its unity held Ii
ic balance Of power IN the nation, none o. u
il blood in the country, during the past tea 5es-
r. could have become primary questions: The
C. would hare dragged along like the Pacific Raj
in road or the tsi,f question, and finally ha,
ic received such disposition as would have Bati
e, fed the country without any excitement IN AZ
quarter,
re 1t is Obvious, therefore, that until this char
be whicn is supposed to invest slavery in Amer
ng ca, is broken until a President is once chost
OF in defiance oft; until politiclans see that th
'tc | eau feRcn nigh nop0rH " Ntse1sA4& sl1AAs a.
y. without joining the servle crew who belle
RI that friends Of freedom can never recover pow
*. in this country, because their efforts have be
an so frequently and uniformly hafaed; until t
federal government receives northern EXP
c., sure, and its patronage is one Of the Eeeognis
el. rewards OF devotion to the cause Of freedom
bis 1t has been hitherto tor devotion to the int
he ests Of slayerJ, it will be impossible to acco
) = plish what III. Doug1as processes 70 have
a. much at hesrt, but which he has done mo
,ol- than anybody else to thwazs, expel the slave
&c. question from polit1ca. It Is only by eecsiui
loo Republican President and dtssiphting the IA
ne which is still felt in the e1trene southern fad
ri policy, that the motive for forcing sIave
issues can be reE,ored. and With the motive
ers nuisance ITSELF
.:.' Should either Of tho other candidates
h.t chosen, it would prove nothing against the ps
rae uaaf policy Of courting the South, on the G.
trary, it would discourage the mnst hope
IRA. from further efforts to rescue the federal &
nle e1nment from the control Of the southern ca
,rc. talista