The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-03-13

OF Its founders? Did ever the Government of
a great empire, founded on the rights of hu-
man labor, slide away so fast and so far, and
moor Itself 30 tenaciously on the basis of capi-
Ia, and that capital invested in laboring men ?
Did ever free representative Legislature. in.
vested with powers so great, and with the
guardianship Of rights so important. of trusts
so sacred, of interests so precious. and of hopes
at once SO noble and so comprehensive. surren-
Ger and renounce their all so unnecessarily,
so un"iseiy, so fatally, and so nglorouslv.
ii Il he true, as every instinct Cf our nature
and every precept of political experience teaches
Us, that
= MI ~ f,tes The i.nl, TO hAs'eaing is pray,
he'e wealth accU4uisies and IN IA LeeAy -
then where in Ireland, in Italv in Poland or in
Hungary, has any ruler prepared for generous
anu conhding people disappointments, disasters,
and calanities equal To those which the Govern
ment OF the United States holds now suspen-
ded over 50 large portion Of the continent
/ of North America
Citizens OF the United States, in the spirit
OF this policy, subverted the free Gepuhhc Of
Nicaragua, and opened it 10 Slavery and the AZ
mean slaye-trade, and held il in that condition
waiting annexation 10 the United States, until its
sovereignty WAS restored by a combination of
sister Republics exposed TO tie same danger, and
apprehenSlve OF similar subyersion. Other citi-
zeIs rcopened the foreign slavctradc in violation
ot our laws anu treaties: and, atie. suspension
OF that shameful traffic for fifty yeals, savage
Africans have been once more landed on our
shores a,d distributed, uurcClaiulcd and with i'm
punity, among our plantations
For this policy, SO far as this Government has
sanctioned 1t, the Democratic party ayows itself
responsible. Everywhere complaint against it
IS denounced, and its opponents prescribed
/ W hen Kansas was whitening under the wounds
st fr.aFr
tauce, the Democratic press deridingly said.
''let her bleed" Official integrity has been
cause for rebuke and punishment, when il ress-
ted fraud designed To promote the extension Of
Slavery. Throughout the whole Republic there
/ is not one known dissenter from that policy re-
naming in place, if within reach of the Ex-
/ exutvc arm Nor over the face Of the whole
worli Is there to be found one representative OF
| our country who Is not an apologSt Of the exten-
! sion OF Slavery.
I 1t is In America that these things have hap
pcned. In the nineteenth century, the era of
the world greatest progress, and While all
nations but ourselves have been either abridg,l.
ing or altogether supprcssiig commerce in men
1 At the very moment when the Russian serf is
emancipated, and the Georgian captive, and the
! Nubian prisoner, and the Abyssinian savage, are
lifted up to freedom by the successor of Mo-
hammed. The world, prepossessed in our be-
man na,nre as no nation oyor bornro crgagod
It's respect and sympathies asks, i'll wonder and
smazement, what all this decentralization means
Ii has an excuse better than the world can i'm
agine, better than We are generally conscious of
ourselves, a vrtuous excuse. We have loved
not freedom so much less, but the Union Of our
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sa,.a, ,o,,',hor a,.; .I..,.,,,,., -, - g,
-, to -, s,ir.. - - r,,,I ! q c.,o1,,n
70 nro,iti,te tho IoyaI,y of cdo;,al oni s,av ia
t.rI. trn,n do;n,, yioi,,co ,n ,Io Tnian Tba
,r. St,,e Of ,he cosa tn,oor o,,,,b, no, 70 ~,
= r,ys,ory ~ o,,,..Ivo' Pr,sco;nc. ;,Jo.d !, mo-,
~. -, s,a,.-n,on I,,, n., aro ,,,I,o, .,crs.
when We fail 10 annrchcnd The Iooic of current;
oynn,. To, na,,inl or ,b. f.ovororan, choose
70 do wbat ,tov NAV tho noo,la of ,bo Tn;tc5
ST. i -. - :, v..l,si y. tne lew ~ ,i.o
liberty Of the many, capital TO labor, African
slaves to white freemen, in the National Terrific
rics and in future States. That question has
never beea distinctly recognized or acted on by
them. The Republican party embodes the
popular protest and reaction against policy
which has been fastened upon the nation by
surprise, and which its reason and conscience,
cOncurrlng with the reason aud conscience oi
mankind, condemn.
The choice of the nation is now between the
democratic party and the Repubiican party. It's
! principles aud pohcy are, therefore, Justly and
even necessarily examined. L know of Only one
: policy which 1t has adopted or ayowed, namely
the saring Of the Territories Of the Cnttec
States, u possible, dy constitutional and ld'ctu
, means, from 6etng homes for SldreTy am
: POtggdmy. W ho that considers where thi'
nation exists, OF what races 1t is composed, II
I what age OF the world 1t acts Its part on th'
g public stage, and what are its predominant IN
/ stitutions, customs, habits, and sentiments
e doubts that the Republican party Can and Will
if unWaverlngly faithful to that policy, and JUS
! and loyal in all beside, carry it into triumt,ha
J, success: To doubt is to be uncertain whethe
l. civilization can improve or Christianity saw
l. mankind.
/; | may, perhaps infer, from the necessity G
r the case, that it will, in all courts and places
d stand bs the freedom OF speech and OF tn
d press, aud the constitutional rights OF freeme
n everywhere; that it will favor the speedy IN
h provement Of the public deman by homestea
IF laws. and will encourage mining, manufactur
:, and internal commerce, with neediul connection
= between the Atlantic and Pacific States-for a
.s these are important interests of Freedom. Fe
all the rest the national emergencies, not II
j. dividual Influences, must determine, As sociei
.e goes on, the policy and character OF the Repu'
Is ican party. Already bearing its part in iegi
IL atOn and in treaties, it feels the necessity oi b
O. ing practical in its of the national heal'
e. and life, while it leaves metaphysical speculate
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