The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-07-05

week, and We repeat the declaration, that
what the editor Of the Union said or done
was not matter Of question. The question
was. what was done by Congress. This the
Democrat evades and shuflles about, giving
individual opinions and speeches. Now we
ask the Democrat these plain questions;
Did or not Congress pass three territorial
bills in which there was no anti-slayory re-
stric,iOn?
Did or not the two Houses unite in the
passage Of resolve by constitutional ma
jority, proposing an amendment to the Con-
stitution, to forbid Congress from ever eman-
cipatins the Slave States?
Did or not the Free States generally repeal
or modify their fugitive slave lawsr VIII
the Democrat give explicit answers?
We say measures of the foregoing charac-
ter were adopted by Congress and the State
Legislatures, and that they were proposed
and adopted in spirit of Cancellation, and
to convince the people Of the South that the
North had no designs to interfere with slave
~ in the States.
Others, political friends of the Democrat,
regarded them in this light, but their opin-
ion il valves aside as Of no consequence.
The Democrat quotes from speech Of Mr..
Lincoln, but with Characteristic uniairness
omits to give the context in which he states
with great cleancss the manner in which he
thought slavery would be finally got rid Of
in this country. Had it given this, unless
the Democrat desires slavery to continue for
ever, il would have found no objection to
this declaration of Mr.. Lincoln. Ii also
quotes from speech in which Mr.. Douglas
asked Mr.. Wade some questions, asking
whether the Republicans did not entertain
cc<tain views, which Mr.. Wade did not an
swer. We heard these questions asked, and
felt that Mr.. Wade acted properly in dvclin-
ing to answer questions impertinently put,
and portion OF which the asker himself
must have known were absent. Mr.. Wade
had given his views in relation TO the sub
jects Of inquiry few days before. and very
pertincntly and properly referred MIR. Doug
las to his speech on that occasion, for an an
swer TO his queries. II the Democrat will
consult that speech, he will find explicit
statements as to what Mr. Wade believed to
be the true policy Of the country.
Aud the Democrat further copies frum Mr..
Douglas speech to show that the Republi-
cans in the Senate were not disposed to bring
forward measures OF compromise. suppOse
this tn have been ~. The Republicans were
in a minority Of the Senate, as they were
also in the House, and they were powerless
to do anything. Had the majority chosen, it
would have passed at any time before the
Senators from the seeding States vacated
their seats, any proposition for compromise
they chose, and this could have also been
done by the House, before the Southern dele
CATIONS left. The Republicans were not in
sufficient strength in either branch to have
prevented il, had they been disposed to do so
The truth is. there was determination on
the part Of some OF the secessionists To DIS
solve the Union at all hazards, and there wa:
also another section which were determined
for party purposes to drive the Republicans
into surrender OF their principles, and fail
ing this they n,ant to break up the Union.
These two sections eo-operated together, and
although they failed in driving the Republi.
cans to an ignominous surrender Of principle
thoy succeeded in bringing ON war of ~
bellion.
The very correspondence ofours which tb'
Dcmocra; quotes, shows that il was the deter
mination Of the seeCssiOnists to force the Re
publicans into a surrender Of principle d
possible, and failing this to seceede. Tbs
vote in the committee Of IL ON the Critten'
den proposition (iaken as quoted by the
Democrat from our corresPondencc,) was
For the Proposition-Messrs. Bigler. Crit
tenden, Douglas, Ree and Powell-5. Against
it-Dayis. DOoli,tle, Collamer, Wade, TOombs,
Grimes and llunter-7.
Messrs. Hunter, ToOmbs and Davis, never
theleSs, intimated an inclination 10 90 for u II
the republicans would propose itin good faith,
Had Hunter TOOmbs and Davis voted ior
it il would have been carried, but they were
10 intent on destroying the Union, and deter.
mined that they would do nothing to save il
although they were in the majority and could
have done 1t, unless a proposition such a
ono as wouldmeet their wishes came from the
minority-Pretty patriots these, and thosc
who sympathire with them. win the Demo
crat tell il readers that there was working
majority opposed to the Republicans in both
branches in Congress up to the middle o
January that might have adopted any legis
lative compromise il chose and still held thai
the Republicans We're responsible for tn,
War?
Then as to Mr. Douglass speech, which
the Democrat quotes, commencing as follows
"war is disunion" &C., we have not room /,
quote 1t entire. We can bu, reply to it b!
quoting the Language Of one of the Demo
Gratis Contemporaries in relation to the speecl
and those whoq quote it.
The Democratic paper says:
"a class Of papers which either fought Mr.
Douglas while living. and while the resula
Democrats nominee f5r the Presidency, or sim
ply tolerated his name at the head Of their col
umns while voting against him at the polls, nov
that he Is dead and a nation mourns his loss
have affected new born respect Tor his mepor
for the simple purpose Of presenting him IN
false position before the world. Of this elias
Is the New York Day book-an infamous seces
sion shect-which, rs the most enduring testi