The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-03-28
MONROE DEMOCRATS
"True Colors Displayed."

be is about "played out" on the True
Colors" question. He yields the whole
question in our favor, because be fails to
offer a single argument to rebut our posi-
ton. With this we might with propriety
be excused from further notice Of the twad-
die of this sym sthizer with the Tors trai
tors. Bot be, like the silly common scoid.
when argued out of every assuDable po-
sition, fully bent upon having the last
word, turns upon US and vents his iutellec.
of grand mess OF fncoherent wrsngling
charges as baseless and void of all ap
proachah,e truth as they are OF sense and
wisdom. And after sinking from exhaus
ton in their utterance, be vsinly endeav-
ors to hide his exposed self behind the AL
lentoaca Democrat. dirty and contempti-
BILE sheet, edited BY derelict renegade
Republican, and void of all fixed princi-
pies.
We have taken the pains to analizc
these raving incoherencies, and fnd that
both mean to charge the present state OF
the country to the account OF the Repub.
licans. To this charge we bave word
to say: When the Colonies were united
under the articles Of Confe derstion, it was
provided that slavery should never 60 iu
to any of the territory then belonging to
the Colonies. In 1889 the present Con
stitution was adopted, which re-enaeted
that slavery should never 60 into nny Of
the territories then owned by the Uuited
States; and this act of slavery restriction,
the same as the Republicans now contend
for, was signed by George Washington.
who was then President.
Subsequently. in 1903, the United
States purchased Of France the Louisiana
Territory. In 1919 that part of this Ter
ritory which is now included in the State
Of Missouri, had taken the necessary steps
towards its formation into a State, and "a
such it asked for admission into the Union;
and notwithstanding that all this part OF
the territory was free at the time it came
into our possession, she was admitted 10
1920, as slave State, with the express
understand ding that slavery should forev-
er thereafter be excluded from the terrific
ry lying North of the parallel of s6 de-
grees 80 minutes.
In 1896 Texas seeded and achieved
her independence from Mexico, and thus
became an independent republic, aud ask
ed for admission into the UnioD as State;
aud in l846 she became member of this
Confederacy. Texss was aduiited for
the purpose of tightening the interest
of slavery, and it was further agreed that
oD ber attaining q certain number
OF Inhabitants, her territory should b.
diviced up into fse new slave States; and
because Mexico CON- m2lsined of the United
States for thus robbiug her of her terrific
ry, the Federal Government fogged ber
aud annexed thousands of square mile
more. This territory, by the Mexican Law,
was free, and those opposed to the ex,eD
sion Of slavery eontended for whs! was
the established com ION law. namely, th at
slavery could exist 10 DO place except there
was local law authorizing it. And
when it became apparent that at the con-
clusion Of the war We would acquire ad
dltional territory Of Mexico, Mr.. Wilmot
of this State, then member of Congress
moved that the act drafted By Thomas
Jefferson and approved by George Wash
Dgton, be applied to the territory which
we should acquire of Mexico at the con-
clu-ion of the war. This proyiso three
times passed the Lower House, but was
as often defeated in the Senate, Clay ano
Others coutended that it was unnecessary
to make such provision, becsuse slavery
could not exist in free territory. 1t was
finally settled that all the territory lying
North of 36 deg 80 min should be free
and all south Of that line should by i'm :
plicstion be open for speculation. Thus
was the slavery question settled in 1850.
The slavery extensionists were then quiet
until they thought they bad appropriated
their share, or had it secured to them
selves, when, 10 1854, they cast wi.hful
eye across the Missouri line and desired
and asked to be permitted to carry slave
ry into all the free Territories. Mr..
Douglas quickly came up to their help,
and with bis sledge hammer of popular
sovereignty knocked down this barrier to
the extension of Slavery, and into the
Free Territories went Douglas, part Of
the Democratic party, the Shareholders