The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1866-03-15
THE DEMOCRATIC ADVOCATE.
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THURSDAY, MARCH IS, 1866.
SECTIONAL PARTIES.

ucu OH pTtJuulCeS SiiiuSt NultVhSo anu VI |
cgners; but this, though it soon corrupted
the ballot box, and converted the places OF
,,~ elections into scenes Of mob violence and
.boodshed, did not endanger the unity of our
country, because the prescribed were scat
ned tered over the whole land. 1t remained for
aoe the Republican party, which succeeded it, by
80 making antslayery the corner stone OF its
. organization, to divide our country very
= soon, both politically and socially into two
,E1gEa distinct belligerent communities, North and
liza South
p $50 Is We are aware that it's fashionable, inview
nt Of the enormity of the rebellion, to look no
p further into the subject, and to vent all our
5Aa spleen on the TRAITORS" of the South; but
as rejecting honest people we esanot shut
orr eyes to the fact, that the terrible results
we have ateywitnessed, f1usthave had some
producing cause, other than an insane desire
of the Southern people for independence. -
rs Experience has proven that large masses OF
- people do not rush into war without some |
excuse, some rational moving cause So |
when we look closer into the matter, wefind
t. that previous to the war there were also
rz many dsunonists at the North--mcn who |
had uvowed their preference for n dissolu-
ton Of the Union rather than to remain any
longer in connection with the slave holding |
eig South As long as these fanatics were dis |
a3Ea rardcd by the national parties in the North |
q Is they were not to be dreaded; but when, as
re in 1856. the majority ofthc Northern voters
rushed into the ranks Of the Black Republi.
can party, and swept every free State but
four, for Fremont; when, moreover, the very
highest leaders Of that new party were heard
proclaimng an "irrepressible conflict, and
that the States should all be made free States, !
or all slave States, it was not unreasonable
that the Southern people should take alarm;
and that the formation Of an overwhelming
sectional party at the North, aimed at the
- extinction of the institution of slavery the
South, should provoke them into retaliatory
measures.
s- Its true that the General Government,
controlled mostly by the national Democratic
party had not shown any disposition TO
Hr violate the Constitutional compromises on
the subject Of slavery but il was also true,
that the States North as they were gradually
coming under the control Of the Abolition
party, actually passed laws TO nulfy the 81.
feet Of those passedby Congress in obedience
~, TO the requirements Of the Constitutions
for instance in regard to the Fugitive Slave
Law. The evidence was accomplishing on all
hands that there was q successful conspiracy
maturing at the North, on the anti slavery
plea, TO oyerwhem the Northern Democracy,
and By the means of the united vote oi all the
free States, to obtain the President the ma
iority of Congress- and the majority Of the
Supreme Court, ia fact supreme control over
- the entire government, and thus TO place
,a the South completely at their mercy. No
reasonble man can doubt at this day, that
such was their scheme and tha, II promised
success; and that It was n powerful incentive
q the South to unite for the defence Of Their
own peculiar interests.
We know well enough that many think
the institution Of slavery to which sho South
was attached was accursed Of Heaven, and
that the people Of the North were but doing
their conscientious duty when they banded
together for its overthrow but this is n mere
shallow subterfuge. The institution Of sla-
~ very was not fastened upon the country by
the South alone. The money given for
the slaves brought over from Africa went
mostly into other pockets the founders d
our country thought the subject worthy Of
compromise and toleraton and II it was
accursed Of Heaven, the Almighty had borne
with il for hundreds Of years, and would have
eventually extingushed it in His own peace
ful way. had not the folly Of presumptuous
men, who thought He was not working fast
enough, volunteered to hasten its overthrow,
The South had no reason TO chafc over the
proyidential way Of aboishing slavery but
they had every reason 10 complain when they
saw their fellow citizens of the North, ms
nllble as themselves, assume 10 declare the
,counscls of the Almighty and, in defiance
of their duty, as equal citizens Of the same
country, harness this dangerous moral ques'
ton to the political car and ride upon it into
power over the crushed bodies of its victims,
No greater political crime can be commit
ted in this country than for one section to
take advantage of their superior numbers and
strength TO force their policy on weaker
section 1t strikes at the very foundation on
which our Republican system ofgoyernment
rests, the right Of free and equal suffrage, the
right Of selfgovernment; for, whilst preten'
ding to act according to constitutional forms,
it dstorts them into engines Of oppression.
In Republican country justice requires that
the people of every portion of it should par
ucipate equally IN the control as wei rs The
burdens of the government; but when the
ruling power has been mopopolised by one
section, Il is an intolerabe breach of faith,
and calculated to destroy that harmony which
Is essential in any country, more especially
in one which is based on the free suffrage of
the people.
We have not lost sight of the great truth
81 that, under our system Of government, the
ee minority must necessarily yield to the ma
jority. No one will complain Of that doe
trine when property presented. as in thecase
ofnotionol parties where all has been done
81 in good faith andthe minority Of one year
may be in the majority the next year. This
basalways been cheerfaQy acauiesced in but