, 1862-03-29
The Democratic School Of Free Think.
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CJohn VI Fo-ney in the Philadelphia Prcea:l
History, which is the torch-bearer to Time,
is most eloquent commentator, aud one of
lis best texts is the record of the Democracy |
upon the slave question. The Democracy has /
been the nursery and the school Of hostility to |
slavery. Not only the old apostles, but most
Of the new ones, lnve either started this senti,
mcnt, or have followed somebody who did |
start it. The Wings we're never as ready or as |
rapid to see the arrogance and shame Of slave
y Us tho Democracy; aud this may DC con
sequence Of the differing systems OF the two old
and inquiry, tile Wlliss full Of contact with the
old order Of things, SO that they might not be
called upon to take the task OF thinking out
side Of their leaders Following this train OF
thought, you will see that # Jefferson was the
opponent Of slavery, eEen in his own State Of
Virginia, his disciples, the rankest Democrats
Of succeeding generations, Benton, Van Buren,,
Si1as Wright, Francis r. Shunk,' William Leg
gett, VIM. C. Bryant, Hannibal Hamlin, and
Benjamin Tappen, not to mention the men Of
| taken the same course. The Wings of the
| free States have generally acted with these
men, because Of their inherent dislike Of
| the Democracy; but the Democrats, who
left, or fought their party on the slave
| under SO many trials, intense emphasis. In
very few cases havethe anti-slayery Democracy
I been abolitionists- they were always practical
| and common-sense men, and hence have been
the most effective opponents Of the slave bar
ons. The incidents that have marked their
independence OF the Democratic organization,
| because that organization refused to break the
shack1es Of the shareholders and their tools,
from John c. Calhoun to James Buchanan,
arc full Of significance, and deserve 70 be pom
men The resistcrs Of the nu1lifers to Gen
eral Jackson proclamation were the early out
groupings Of the slave despotisn, and made
host Of Democrats foes Of the peculiar
institution. The overthrow Of Martin Van
Southern electoral votes, and his defcat for
the nomination in 1914 IN the Baltimore Con-
yention By Southern leaders, and the removal
Of Francis P. Blair from the organship Of the
Washington Glooe, the old meuth;piece Of
the radical Democracy, each and all being so
many evidences Of the growing and e1acting
| spirit Of The slave power, transformed hosts
OF Democrats into anti slavery propagand1sis. !;
and while these aggressions served to consoi.
/ date the slave influence, they weakened it in
the free North and Northwest. The annexation
Of Tc1na succeeded By the wRr with Mexico
both supposed to be, and intended to be,
Southern triumpbs-haTe proved to be practical
Northern advantages: as the result will show;
| slavery, as Mexico must become the promised
! land 10 the Tree and disfianchfsed co1ored
races. Following these came the Compromise
: Measures Of 1880, In which the South lost i'm
| mtA&uT30tY py ING 411o1SIAdcc OIL Va1A0uH IL
the Senate, and the defest Of Davis In Mjseis
sippi. Then came the repeal Of the Missouri
z Compromise md the subsequent violation o
4 the act Of Congress that ahrogated 1t, IN thu
/ ecandalous prescriptions and tJ1annies in Kan
/ sas, and the removal Of Reeder, under tn
+ Joint influences Of Jefferson Davis and GALE
d Gushing. Every step Of the shareholders il
Z these fneen years, supposed by them to be a
!. advance, was, in fact, a drawback. and when
? at last, James Buchanan sought to complet
!. these seriea Of agg1essions, in the Lecompto
= and English bills, the bonds Of party wer
q suddenly ioosed, and thousands who had d
ID nouuced the Republicans as enemies of th
=. South, found themselves earnestly co opera
ing with them in common crusade agatnE
= that infamous and treacherous man.. Lon
before the tyranny Of Buchanan culmiuate
ia The atrocities which made war inevitably
-. Doprlas and Walker, the leaders aud thinkel
u for millions Of Democrats In the south an
u tie North, found themselves acting with Il
4 Republicans; and when the conflict csl1
I'd who did not locate the whole responsibility
;op the war upon the authors Of the.eVents
;n. 2o. Here Is an urcha1lenged and unanswerab
Is history. He who reads it carefully need ha,
g little doubt % to the future. Above all,
nd should agold being mlsled .by the oelnsls
!sy casions, the guardians and opponents Of 81
p p very. At this moment, therr is not IN Q
-. Democratic stafesman, at iea8t among t
ID survivors Of the Jackson school, In the loJ
-, States, who is not the conscientious fee of t
I slave oligarchy: 1neea only menttoa II prc
. Walker, George Bancroft; Daniel 8. Dick
son. David Tod, ". F. Packer, Andrew Jof
IA son. Amos Kendall. Martin Van Buren, q
~ :Fraucfe 2; Balr, to give the reader eomathi
X worthy Of reflection and REORGANIZATION.