Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-05-23

we suppose UNIT Impartial history
would give the republican, party some
credit for overthrowing the gigantic evil
OF slavery, which ever since orr rational
existence has been the prolific source Of
civil and political strife, and the great
barrier to the tue growth and deyelope-
ment of that section Of the country which
IL has cursed.
Interference, in the slightest degree
with this sacred institution has always
been resented by the Northern democracy
as the worst and most suicidal kind Of
heresy which justified a resort to force 70
put down. The Constitution was always
invoked to protect the rights Of slave
holders. The Fugitive slave law, q dem
ocratic measure. was supported by the
democratic party, to protect slavery
The attempt to introduce the institution
into new territories and protect It there,
caused the disruption and overthrow Of
the great national party, which conduct
had its elimination in the great secession
and rebellion which finally produced the
overthrow Of the institution. The 18th,
llth and 18th amendments OF the Con-
stitutions, were only the statute enact
ments of the facts of the war-the record
ecidsnce Of their accomplishment. Yet
many OF the democratic papers look upon
these amendments as so many new pre-
brands thrown into their ranks by the re-
publicans, to torture them anew. The
.Nobtle Register. which it is needless to
TO say IS democratic, recently published
the Constitution of the United States and
omitted, intentionally, the amendments,
declaring them to be BLACK appendages,
the dead corr sc that Jacobinism has
made oil it, and not the live constitution
of the fathers
The same paper charges the republican
party with swelling the lying cry into
negro ears that they Ohe negroes are
indebted for their freedom to the 18Th
amendment. and are under obligations Of
everlasting gratitude 10 the radical party
The paper then goes on to affirm won.
derful fact-for the discovery OF which II
should secure letters patent-that at WAS
not the NIIIth amendment that abolished
slavery in Alabama. II was done by an
ordinance Of a Stale convention, compoS-
cd exclusively Of white Alabamiaus 1t
was. therefore the white people Of Ala
bama who abolished slavery, during the
Presidency Of Andrew Johnson, and
those white people alone had the consti-
tutional authority to do it," It further
says:
Lincoln began the late war, not only
without thought of freeing the negroes,
but pledged on the records OF the nation
against il. He and his party never con-
templated it until they found how hard
the "rebels" fought, and that i was nee
essarv TO call on the blacks Of the South
10 help them. Then the emancipation
proclamation was first conceived and put
into execution. 1t WAS the hard fgitAg
Of he coHteder0teS, 1T last, that brought
about emancipation 50 that every shot
fired by gray. coat was virtually shot
tor negro freedom.
After so clear and Enthusiastically dis
tinct avowal from good democratic
authority, coming irom the South itself
let no democrat from the North have III,
temeriIy again to charge the black re
pubheanS with this heinpus sin Eve
after This, let the odiouS term black o.,
expunged from democratic vocabulary.
as an opprobrious prefix to designate tn,
yileness OF their political opponents -
Charge Us no more As opponents OF III,
white mans goyCrnment. Nay, may
shake not thy cory locks 1t Us. thol
canst not say zee did it."