New-York daily tribune., 1862-11-14
UEmOCBkTIC LOYALTY.

DEmOCBATIC LOYALTY.
When the Annexation of Texas was FRS
broached, there was scarcely q voice raised il
the Free States in favor of the measure under
existing or any probable circumstances. MartiI
\ Van Buren, then stood at the head Of the
Democratic party of the Union, having beer
designated Tor renOminatiOn to the Presidency
BY the Conventions which selected large
majority OF the delegates to the Democratic
National Convention then about to assemble
and he came out strongly against Annexation
A great ant-Aunexali0n meeting was held il
this city largely attended and ofiicered BY
Democrats, at which the most decided ground
was taken against the scheme and its animus
There was no pretense of disgusting its mo.
tive, its purpose. "It will give Il Gibraltar tC
the South" said Gen. James Hamilton, jr.,
of South Carolina. Mr. Calhoun, in his dis
patch us John Tyler's Secretary of State to
VIM. Il. King, our Minister at Paris, justified
Annexation expressly and only on the ground that
il was essential TO the maintenance of American
Slavery So the gsnbeu and slaye.traders
Of the South surrounded the Democratic Ma.
tional Convention, bullied lis members into
violating their pledges 10 support Van Buren,
aud into nominating instead James X. Polk,
an open and ardent Anuexatiouist, who, by the
help Of few rlaquemine frauds aad some
Abolition madness, was elected.
A feeble attempt was made 10 some quarters
To elect PolL yet deie0. Annexation; aad Silas
Wright, in Lis campaign speeches especially
that at Sksnesteles. promised that Annexation
sbc1d only take place under circumstances
" 1ich gave Free Labor equal advantages there
from with Slave. All this, however, came TO
noting. Polk was elected, Annexation car
ried, and Slavery had everything her own way.
John z. Hale wac kicked unceremoniously out
Of the Democratic party for merely proposing
that Silas Wrigbts pledges should be fulfilled.
in 1916, We were involved in War with
Million. Of Dollars were required by President
Polk wherewith 10 arrange u peace. The
House voted the money but with proSiso
that any territory which might be acquired
from Mexico by the treaty vi peace contem-
plated should be FRYE. This proyis0 was con-
csctcd BY Democrats, moved By Democrat,
aud voted ior by every Democrat from th.
Free States with three or four exceptions
No party oDd no cabal Of any consequence in
lhe Free States then opposed the policy Of
keeping Slavery out OF our prospective acqu-
si,ions. But "the South that il, the Slave
Power--rose agsinst this policy of appropri-
atng Tie prospective Territories to Free La.
Dor, ard soon the souls of the NOrthern Demo.
Gratis Sunk into their bOot-hecls. Scores
who Themselves voted in Congress lsr the VIII
mot ProvisO, aud pledged themselves to un-
wayerins devotion to the principle, are nov
It's yenom0us opponents, rcying those who
simply hold the ground whence they have Ie-
treated as " radicals" and I" fanatics"
ia IStS. the Slave Power tried repeatedly 10
compromise the Territorial question BY running
the slave line west to the Pacific on the par.
aIlel Of 80 so. Mr.. Buchanan favored this;
SO did Mr.. Douglas; but the Democratic
masses resisted it. Twice was yOte taken
on il in tbe House during tLa. year, and
barely three or four of the fifty or sixty Dem.
ocrats from the Free States could be induced
to sustain it. Yet now the whole party would
seem to have cayed again; for we Republicans
are actually reproachcd with having provoked
this atrocisus War; because we did not in 1861,
with Rebel pistol at our head, consent to that
very compromise line which the Democrats in
calmer times had repeatedly and utterly re-
jected, ard which they had never before favored,
though they might have adopted it if they had
chosen.
l. it possible not to SEQ that it Is the rule
with the Northern Democracy to hold out
against any demand OF the Slave Power, 10
matter how outrageous, only until it is pressed
win mcuarr, su. sa. then to give way to it,
Hence We favored, in the infancy Of Soces.
sion, tho policy of letting the Cotton States go.
if il should appear that their people really de-
sired 70 ept loose Gpm tho Union w fSIs