The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1879-03-13
Genuine Democratic Doctrine.

Another of our Democratic friends avails him
self our offer of space, to set forth the true Dem
ocratic faith. We think it is good thing that
we opened our columns for this use. A state
ment of orthodox Democracy by those who are
believers in it, will do more than we could say
to convince the people that Democracy is not
the thing they want.
This last document enters into q defence of
the rebellion, aud impudently compares it to
the rebellion of the Revolution. 1t was rather
the rebellion Of Lucifer, who set up govern
ment of He'll, because he was in q minority in
Heaven, and could not rule there.
The Revolutionary rebellion was entered into,
because people were taxed, and denied voice
in making the laws they were compelled to
obey. For years, they demonstrated, and petit
toned, and begged; but each petition was fol-
lowed by more oppressive and insulting laws.
But how was it with the Southf Although
minority they had almost uninterruptedIy con-
trolled the Government since its foundation.
The Constitution, through their influence, had
given o reluctant sanction to slavery, with .
proviso that the slave trade should cease after a
specified date. Our friend tells how they rever-
ed the Constitution; yet the Constitution was
rarely referred to by Southern man, except in
defence of his right to hold slaves. majority
of the people of the South had no conception
that the Constitution was designed for any 9th
er purpose than to authorize and protect slavery.
And yet, with all their veneration for the Con
stitution they ceased the slave trade, after
the time fixed for that purpose. There was not
a year, from that time down to the rebellion,
that slayes were not imported into the South.
BY the act of Southern men. slavery was pro-
hibited in territory above n certain line-forerer
prohibited was the language of the act-and this,
they promised, should be finality of the ques-
,ion. But few years later, these Consultation
loving people demanded another finality, to pro-
tect their Constitutional rights-a law to com
pei Northern men to catch their runaway slaves
on free soil, at Government expense, and return
them to bondage. This, mind you, was in spite
of the solemn declaration of the great apostle OF
Democracy, whom you so highly venerate, that
all men were created with inalienable rights,
among which were life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness. To get over this Democratic
stumbling block, decision of the Supreme
Court was concocted, by which Southern
Judge in his dotage was directed by the party
leaders to decide that negroes were not men,
and had no rights that white men were bound
10 respect This was one of the decisions of the
Supreme Court that the South held in reverence.
The minority, having been SO successful in ell
forcing their Constitutional rights and their
laws upon n majority, were encouraged to still
further encroachments. BY use of the party
lash, they eradicated the line beyond which,
they had already enacted, slavery should be
forerer prohibited, and opened all the territory
beyond to slavery, following it up with laws
making it a crime punishable with death to de-
nv CT doubt the right to hold slaves in that ter
ritory The people of the North aroused from
their lethargy. A majority of the people, in the
manner prescribed by the Constitution and the
laws, elected President and Congress that
coincided with their views. They did not
threaten to rob the Southern people of their
slaves-on the contrary, they distinctly dis
claimed any such purpose. They did not pass a
single law oppressive or distastefGl to the South,
from the fact that the South did not wait for
any violation of their Constitutional rights, but
declared that they would be violated, and forth
with rebelled. majority of the people had
taken the Government into their own hands aud
the minority, when they could no longer rule,
determined to ruin
This is the sum total of the Democratic anu
Southern reverence for the Constitution, and
this is the similarity between the Revolution
and the Slaveholders' Rebellion. But our friend
gives true statement of Democratic principle
and feeling. The people of the country, we are
happy to say, have already made the same dis
covery.