The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-02-24
The Democracy and Slavery.

struggling for the control OF the nation TOT inc
previous quarter OF century, seemed to have
attained to the summit OF its ambition. The ngnt
of petition had been tramPled on In both houses
Of Congress, for ten years, by both political par
ties. Calhoun's influence reigued supreme 10 |
the Senate all Committees, and consequently
all legislation, in the House, was shaped oy
slAvehoIding speaker. A few members VINO
would be free, ike Adams and Giddings, were
in danger of personal violence. Tyler was Ia
boring 70 rob Mexico OF Texas, 80 a. TO spread
slavery farther, and Senator Archer, of Virginia,
expressed in a sentence, the feeling Of reckless
e1ut.tion which prevailed everywhere among
the Shareholders, when he declared: We Of
the South do not care one farthiHg shat the
Ceustitution alLous or disalEovs." Every North
ern Member of Congress was expected, in order
70 keep cast with the Shareholders, to revile
aud abuse all Of bis constituents who held to the
principles Of the present Republican party and
even the venerable Senator from Michigan de-
nounced them, in his place in the Senate, as
'sucEsDIARIEs," ENTHUSIASTS" and "cRAzT
ABoLIrIosIsrs, and declared that "Eo HUMAN
BEIEG COULD BE MORE OPPOSED TO THEN THAN
HE WAS"
Charleston was Inen TIE political capital Of the
South; Calhoun, the great High Priest Of Slave
~, dwelt there; and the DEGREES of the Slave
Power we're announced to the world through the
Charleston papers. One Of these mouth pieces,
the Courier, 10 an editorial at that time, gave an
erutiug view of the past and future glories OF
the Slave Power, which reminds one Of the medi-
tations of Nebuchadnezzar, walking on his ter
races. and excIaiming, Is not this great Baby
lon which have built," The Courier said
"Our past experience has shown that the
weight of the South has been HEAVILY FELT in
the political balance and has ALMOST ALWAYS
xoxoPoLIzED high political Office. The South
ern or slave holding States had six out OF ten
Presidents-W ashiDgtOn, Jefferson, Madison,
Monroe, jackson and Tyler-of the Union /;
the northern or non-slaveholding States, have
given but four, namely, John Adams, john
Quincy Adams, Martin VanBuren, and William
Henry Harrison; and of these four. the two last
were chosen by large majority Of Southern
votes, and the last named was a native Of Vir-
glnia fllaly devoted to the rights and the inter.
ests OF the land Of his birth-and even the two
first named enlisted strong Southern support
Again, Of the six Southern Presidents, five
were re elected TO their high Office, and each oc-
cupied il for eight years, and only one, the
present incumbent, will have occupied it but
four years. giving in all to the slave-hoding inter-
tersst the possession and control Of the Presi-
dency for forty-four years out of ffty-six, while
of the four non-sloveholdiDg Presidents, three
occupied the Presidency but four years each,
and one, the lamented Harrison, only little
month, giving in all to the non-slaveholding in
terest the possession and control OF the Pres
dency for only twelve years out OF fifty six. So
OF the chief justices of the Union, the South has
had three-Rutedge, Marshall and Taney-and
and the North but two-Jay and Elsworth-out
of the five ncumbents OF that august, Judicial
seat. At this moment, the Southern slavehod-
ing interests enjoy MONOPOLY OF HIGH FEDER>
AL oTFIcE-EXEcUTIvE, JUDICIAL, LEGISLATIVE,
MILITARY AND NAVAL.
John Tyler, Virginian, is President, and his
cabinet consists of John G. Calhoun, South
Carolinian, Secretary of State; George NJ. Bib,
aKentuckian, Secretary OF the Treasury John
L. Wiol<lis5, K=usuckfzn, postmaster oener-
al; John Nelson, a Msrylander, Attorney Gen.
eral; and William Wilkins, a Pennsylvania,
1.-THE single exception on the list, Secretary Of
War; Roger B. fancy, a Marylander, is Chief
Justice of the United States; Willie p. Mangum
North Carolnian, ia President'of the Senate, and
Jno. w. Jones, a Virgnian, Speaker of the
House Of Representatives and Southern men
stand at the head of most of the important COM
mittees Of both branches OF Congress Winfield
Scott, q Virgnan. is Major General of our army
and James Baron, q Virginian, senior officer Of
our Navy; and to crown all, Henry Clay, Ken.
tuckian, is the Wing, and James K. Polk, a
Tennesseesn, the Democratic candidate for the
next Presidency; securing 10 US THE FUruRE as
yell as the past. II THIS NOT THE LIONS
SHARE or POLITICAL POWER WORDS HAVE LOST
THEIR MEASIEG-IF THIS BE NOT ENoUGH TO SAT-
lazy TIE SoUTH, SHE MUST Blk UNSUITABLE IN
DIED."
The Courier was right. By operating unitedy
together as =" balance of power" party, and re-
ceising bids for their support alternately from
the Wing and Democratic parties, the future
career of the Shareholders continued to be one
Of triumph. 1t secured for them Polk the annex.
ationist; it secured Taylor the stakeholder;
II secured Pierce, the serviIe; it secured Bu-
chansn, the imbece.
By making larger bids to the Shareholders than
the Wings and by bowling down lower in their
service, the Democracy for generation have man.
aged TO have possession Of the national govern
ment the greater part OF the time. Every four
years, just before the Presidential election the
cry Of the Democracy could be heard reverberat-
ing through all the Slave States, 40 Slavehold-
ers, We are your friends; help US, and we will
help you, and We will divide the spoils Of the
enemy" The Shareholders we're always ready
TO respond afirmatively to the invitation, unless
they thought the Wings would give them still
larger spois.
Now another Presidential election is coming
win the Democrats call after them as in former
years. AlAs The whole Southern wing of
the Democratic party has disappeared The
great mass of them have become traitors they
have established q foreign government; they
have been slain in battle, or died in the military
service; their slaves have run away, or been
eon6sested, or emancipated; and thousands Of
slaves are now fighting their masters. At the
election in November next not sin9ls electoral
vste from any Of the rebel States siE Be cast 6y
slaVshOldsr. II would not be at all surprising.
IL, n Ave years, there should not be q slave
holder in the Union.
Does asy one consider these expectations to
be the mere rawlings of enthusiasm! Let him
notice the sgns Of the lines which are now pass
ing before his eyes.
i. Arkansas has become free State within |
few weeks. Not a slave exists there legally