The Portland daily press., 1862-12-06
Abolitionism becoming Respectable.


Abolitionism becoming Respectable.
Abolitionism, as defined by sham democrats
and their allies, Is becoming very respectable
thing. They stigmatize as abolitionists all
who do not acknowledge the righteousness of
slavery its compatibility with divine ordna-
tion, its perfect harmony with republican in
stitu6ons and its just claims upon the respect
and reverence of the wisest statesmen and the
soundest political economists. If a man now
repeats with emphasis the doctrines of the
Declaration OF IDdependence-tha all men
are created free and equal, and are endowed
with the inaienable right of liberty, he is an
abolitionist. If he insist that human slavery
is opposed to natural laws, and rests upon an
outrage and usurpation, he is an abolitionist
Ifhe contend that differences in color neces-
sarily imply no superiority in mental power,
then he is an aboltionist, and would disregard
Gods imprint on his human offspring. If he
contend that the white man has no more NOR
al right to enslave the black than the native
African has TO ensave the unfortunate mari
ner who finds himself cast upon barbarous
shore, then he is not only an abolitionist, but
he is guilty of undertaking the majesty of
white humanity, and is TO be taunted as
"niggerite" and an advocate of negro equality
with the cultivated races ofEurope and Amer
lea. If he believes that slavery tends to de-
stroy the moral forces of nation, and to ener-
yate the industry of people in whose midst it
is operative, then he is to be stigmatzed as an
abolitonist. Ii he believes that slavery has
prompted the present rebellion, that it is the
"great black commissary of the coniederacy,"
as Dr. Bellows styles it,-and that emanci-
patton ofthe slaves of rebels is demanded as a
necessity of the war, then all the tribes of sham
democrats and rebel sympathizers combine to
denounce him as an abolitionist; and this word
has really become the mad-dog cry by which
attempts are made to disparage and to bring
into disrepute every man who contends that
slavery has no superior claims to respect, and
that if it stands in the way of preserving the
q nion or of maintaining the authority Of the
government, it should be trampled beneath the
feet of our victorious armies.
But as we have said, aboitionism, as de-
fined above, is fast becoming respectable. or
the late members of Buchanan's cabinet we
find at least four who rest under the ban of the
pro-slavery politicians, and who are good
enough aboitionists according to the modern
standard. These are the venerable Lewis
Cass, late Secretary of State, John A. Dix Ed
win NJ. Stanton and Joseph Holt. Then we
have such men as Gems. Hunter, Butler, Hook
er, McClernard, Sprague, and hosts of others,
all democrats recently, but now abolitionists
according to the latest definition of the north
ern pro-slavery lexicographesr. Going back
we find the eminent historian and scholar,
Geo. Bancroft, once the distinguished repre-
sentative of a democratic administration at the
Go urt Of st. James, now an abolitionist of the
newly-defned type. Then we have Robt. J.
Walker, man who was called from the SCOT
ton State" of Mississippi, to head the Treasury
Department under Mr. Polk, and whom Mr.
Buchanan selected above all others for the
Governorship of Kansas; he, too, comes under
the ban for being an abolitionist
And SO we might go on, and we should find
that scores and hundreds of those who have
been the honored men of better democracy
tnau eAists toudy, are now lne most jealous
defe nders of doctrines and measures which
call down upon their heads the mad-dog cry
referred to, from the small-beer politicians and
pro-slavery advocates who in so large degree,
make up the democratic party. Are we not
right In saying that abolitionism is fast becom-
ing respectable? And does it not bid fair, at
no distant day, to become popular also9 The
truth is, the bone and sinew, head and heart of
the old democratic party, are now in the ranks
of those who are denounced as abotiorists, by
set of soldiers of fortune and broken down
politicians, who are anxious to galyanize into
lie the old, effete organization of democracy,
merely for the personal and political advanta-
ges which they hope to derive from it. They
ignore Jefferson and every doctrine he ever
enunciated. They stand on doctrines as dia-
metrically opposed to true democracy as dark
ness to light. They are fighting to revive the
dead. They have allied themselves to slavery
because in that is their hope of political supre-
macy. But they are doomed. Their hopes
will fail. Their dead will never rise. The
progress of events is against them.