Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-03-01
POLITICAL REVOLUTIONS
FROM 1865 To 1875.

years. 1896 and 1870; and though we
have been, and arc still. actors in the
scenes Of this period, brief reference
to tine most important political events.
ought not to be uninteresting to our
readers.
Twenty years ago the political caul-
dron was in fierce agitation. franklin
Pierce was President, having been elect
ed as the servile tool Of the South. in its
attempt to enlarge the power and domin
ion Of slavery. Not only the executive
branch. but the legislative and judic.
ial branches of government. were com.
pletely subservient to tho slave power.
The President, anxious to do the bidding
Of his masters at the South, had by mes
sages and public and private acts. aid.
ed them greatly in furtheriug the
schemes that were then distraeting the
nation. Congress was overwhelmingly
d'mocratic. aud had lately destroyed
the solemn compact made between the
North and South in 1920, and known as
the Missouri compromise. whereby
slavery was not allowed to exist north
and west of certain prescribed lines !:
1t had also passed the Kansas. Nebraska
BILL intending to legislate slavery into
these territories, and had made the OBJ.
noxious law for the slave hunter. known
as the Fugitive Slave law. The su
preme Court had been, and was then.
ready to declare that slavery was right.
ard that the negro had no rights which
the white man was bound to respect
An interneeine war was being carried on
IN Kansas between the "Abolitionists 3"
settlers who had come in from the Moth.
ern and Eastern States. and the Border
Ruthans." a set Of armed invaders that
had been encouraged by territorial gov
errors. and southern influences 10 no
into the new territory and control. BY
force. the elections They came in from
Missouri in large numbers; thew muir.
dered. plundered and burned at will
and were not punished by the inter.
feranee OF government They met with
herce opposition at length. when old
John Brown and Jim Lane gathered
armed bands to fight them. and to keen
them out OF the country they only occu.
pied to destroy. In the North. even in
Vermont, the slave hunters, backed by
the army of the United States. we're hunt.
ting up and REMINDING back into slave.
Ty,sueh fugitives as had found freedom
I'D haven in the North. before the
Odious law had been passed.
The South knew the subserviency Of
its democratic allies At the north. and
relying on their assistance. became con.
SANITY more arrogant, and sought to SC
enlarge the power and increase the do
minions Of slavery, that nothing coulc
overthrow It in the future.
The reaction had begun. Abolition.
lists, and a large humber of northern
citizens, who believed slavery to b.
wrong and abhorred its practices. had
become greatly alarmed; and sagaciou,
politicians Of the North had become rs.
tonished at the insolence and threaten
ings Of the South a silent reyolntio,
Of political feelings was being wrought
and there was breaking up of Of,
parties.
For many years the Democratic an,
Wing parties had politically divided tn,
nation; bat when the South undertook
TO make slavery national instead Of sec
tional the only politics of tia. section
became slavery. and the Wing an,
Democratic elements fused together an,
formed the Slave party. AT the north
there was a breaking Of party line
which sacrificed the Wings. The de
mOeracy. chiefly, true to their ancien
preludiees. elung to the South.
Out of The ranks OF the Wing partv
from the the anti slavery elements. an,
subsequently, from the Know Notbip,
party sprung the Republican party q
the North. which was destined to rul
the nation for several years.
During the year 1856. an excitin
presidential campaign was carried or
IN which James Buchanan as Democrat
nominee, J. c. Fremont as Republica
nominee and Willard Fillmore as tn
American candidate. participated
Buchanan was elected. having receive
INC votes OF all the slave States, and q
several democratic States Of the NORTH
But at this election. the Republican vot
Was.mOre than two thirds as large a
that Of the Democratic party. and
strong Republican element was sent I
congress
Buchanan was Southerner at hear
and no mental could have carried out Ii
wishes Of that section more cheerful
than he did. But the opposition ha
become 50 large in the House Of Repr,
ssntatives, that several measures desiqr
ed for the benefit Of the South failed
and others through various eomprom
'es had been put through congress. til.
really. were victories for the anti slav,
~ party. Buehanans administratio
was beset with difficulties. and ended