Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1861-01-10

Fellow citizens, let u. look at the North-the
series oil its contHed aggressons upon us-and
calmly infer from them whether there is any safe
~ for US in continued association with IT, The
huge anti slavery sentiment nov 40 powerful.
exhibited It's germ in the very beginning Of the
Confederacy IL showed itself as early as 1890,
in the presentation of Abolition petitions to the
Congress. 1t was serpent then, as il were, like
the lizard, so apparently harmless nd contempt.
ble that it excited no apprehensions from its
small and feeble proportions 1t has continued
to grow. until now, like the anaconda il envelops
the Union, and is about to crush it in its convo-
lutions. For many years the insignificant Abo-
ltion party, as il appeared to be then, continued
its war, through the insidious means of Abolition
petitions praying Congress to do various uncon-
stitutional things, looking to the destruction Of
slavery in the South. Whilst there were but
one or two professed Abolitionists in Congress
the persistent vote Of large number of Nor,h
ern Congressmen to receive these petitions and
to carry out some Of their prayers, showed how
conscious they were of this growing tendency
Of the Abolition feeling and of their fear Of its
power. Not until 1910 did il show itself in ma
tional politics. when Il pollcd 1000 votes for its
candidates for the Prcsdcncy--about oue.third
of the number which was pollcd for Lincoln in
the recent election in the South. There l. a
moral in this. That party then numbered appa
rently bu, 1000 though It's influence was more
extended Lincoln pollcd over 10000 in the
South.
IL went on and became more bold in ita assaults.
II continued ia grow until, in 1850. IL numbered
over 1900 000, and was near oleeting Fremont.
II soon acquired control of large number of
the Legislatures of the Free States. aud Il has
now reached the control of NIL except one of
them. IN thosc States where IL Gtst reached
power, Il passed laws nullfying tho clause of the
Constitution for the rendition of fugitive slaves.
In all, except five or six, of the Northern States
those nullifyng laws still remain upon their
statute books Their individual members organ.
lied underground railroads, to enter upon our
property In the night and run on our negroes
annually aiding In the escape to Canada of over
million of value in slaves. II spread through
out the South Abolition incendlarics 10 excite
our slaves 10 insurreetloh, arson aud murder, In
all eases the effort to recover fugitves was met
with personal violence; in one case with the
killing Of the owner. Mr.. Gorsuch. and. in ano
thor, with the death of United Stptes Marshal,
Mr.. Batchelder, In 1854 the Territories of Kan
sas and Nebraska were organized, and the mem
bers of Congress from the Free States immedi
ately formed company and raised the mouey to
throw into those Territories forced population
from the North, armed and equipped, to deprive
Ms of our Constitutional rights ihers;u. The I.e-
gisla,ure of Massachusetts, chartered like com
pany for like purpose. 1t sent John Brown
there, who, with Captain Montgomery and band
of Northern cut t-throats, murdered our settlers
with cold -heartedness knowing no parallel ia
the history of crime. This brought on conflicts
between the Free and Slave State settlers. The
The Free State men rebelled against the author
tiles of the Territorial Government and that OF
the General Government it, elf They consttu-
,ed an imperium in imperio. They declined to
regard its laws.
They held Convention at Topeka, in Kansas
and formed a State Constitution, and set up a
Government based upon the idea of hostility to
the settlemtnt by the people of the South in the
Territories. 1t is true that this Government,
amounted to nothing, but it was a treason against
the Federal authority, and the actors were in
dcted for it; but the great power upon the throne
/ in Washington confessed itself unable to com
pete with the rebels, and permitted them to &c
scot free. 1t happened at this time that the
Black Republican party had majority in tn,
House. That majority passed bill admitting
Kansas as State into the Union, under the To-
peka Constitution, framed in contempt of the
laws and the Constitution of The United States
tain day for adjournment. Rather than that the
Military appropriation bill should pass, embrac-
ing the necessary expenses for coercing John
Brown and his brother Free State conspirators
iuto "a support of the laws, it was defeated BY
the Republican House, and the whole country
subjected to the mercy Of foreign invasion, and
the remote settler and his family TO the toma
hawk and scalping knife of the ruthless savage
The wise course of President Pierce in calling
an extra session finally resulted in the passage
of the lill every Republican present voted
against, Two or three of them lodged a vote
and thus vas the bill passed. None of them
dare vote for is, because of the prejudice an,
movement against John Brown, then in Kansas
would have done them in the North.
Such was its record previous to the year 1856
yet cognizant oft, ,34l ,el2 votes, in the Pres
dential contest of that year, endorsed its policy
1t defeated, but the exposition of its strength
emboldened its leaders for renewed assaults OF
the Constitution.
After the election, the Supreme Court, I'll,
highest judicial tribunal, delivered the Dret
Scott decision, which affirmed the gigh. Of tn,
South to equal participation in the common
Territories of the United States. and fixed th'
status of a negro=-in fact, main, aimed every 20
sition that we of the South have asserted upol
the subject. This was made the food for con
tinued agitation against our rights. Congress
had no sooner assembled for the first time sine,
the Dred Scott decision, than Mr. Seward open
ed the ball against il hy = speech in the Senate
in which he charged the decision to have beer
the result of corrupt bargain between the Pres
ident of the United States and the Suprcm
Court. He uttered against the Court ever
philippe which his wicked intellect could devise
and anticipating the acquisition OF the Govern
ment by the Republicans, threatned that if i: di,
not recede from this decision of justice TO tn
South he aud his party would recrganize il, il
other words, that they would place upon tn