Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-02-13

proved that the court was tool OF tho Kansas
conspiracy, and destroyed It's character in the
public mind. Tho Kansas.Ncbrnska act md
Its sequence becamethe nllnbsprbtng political
agitation until the election of Lincoln, which
was its direct consequence. Somehow the
eS tbs SSc wsTS pp prySr % 40 troubling
THE civil WAR IN KANSAS. ,f..f tf.
But while dcbaslng the Judiciary to declare
thnt the Constitution carried slavery over all,
of pon,opp snvcrciSniv in Kapsns S aSinng oe
bands of armed rnflians from the border
counties Of Missouri took Possession Of the
selves, which enacted slavery and atroclous
slave laws. President Piercc's administration
favored this nsurgatlon and that aud the fol
lowing ono OF Buchanan tried to fasten upon
the Territory slavo-Stntc Constitution, form.
cd by n convention elected by the same
means, without submitting II to u vote OF the
people. ...t. y. -. 4 ... ....r..i.t...I IJ
Clvl war ragged in the Territory aud the
agitation of this affair possessed the politics
Republican party was organized in 1883, its
principle being noninterfcrenco with slavery
nSEs n H. SpgSiGin oi tho S InS S nr ssS
that its platform was that slavery Is right
where Il Is, and wrong where IT isn't) En-
went to Kansas In good faith to settle, and
were trcntcd ns having no right to come
They were reinforced by Eastern en- grant
aid societies, and supplied with arms for do
fense. This was stimulated by the sacking
and burning of Lawrence in 1856 by II border
uflian INVASION t.ft f itt
The free State settlers were in large ma
lority. They called a convention, formed a
free state Constitution and asked Congress
for admission, and elected Il legislatures but
now the United Suites Army was called In to
dispersc the Legislature. Invasion by border
ruiiian bands continued, destroying settle.
ments, and subjecting the settlers TO brutal
outrage. The conflict in Kansas, and the
political agitation and reconstruction of par
ties because Of it, would take whole history
people OF Kansas presented to Congress free
State Constitution, ratified by the vote of the
people, and asked admission. On the other
hand, the border ruilian convention presented
slave State Constitution, to be imposed by
Congress on the State without being sub
mitted by a vote of the people.
All the influence of the Administration was
applied to force through Congress tho slave
Democrats afraid of the fire in the rear who
\ could not be brought up to the rack. There
were others who, like Douglas, wanted con-
This prevented the admission of Kansas until
after the slavery lords had withdrawn from
tho Senate and the Union.
CUBA AND MANIFEST DESTINY.
While this was going on the slave lords were
looking to Cuba to make two slave States to
keep their prepondcnnce in the Senate. BY
order of President Pierce, in 1851, our Minis
tors ut London, Paris and Madrid-James
Buchanan, John Y. Mason and Pierre Soule
convened at ostcnd to confer about getting
Cuba.
They issued d pronucinmento-known in
history AS the Ostend Manilesto-dcclurn
Cuba essential to the United States for de-
fcnse, and that Spanwas bankrupt and might
be compelled to sell the island to her British
creditors, and that IL was frlghttully misgov-
erned, and that If Spain would not sell it for
fair price, she had right to seize 1t by force.
Thus did the great Republic proclaim to the
world that its higher law was that of the pirate.
on its hands, and was so falling to pieces in
the North, that this fine scheme was not car.
r.ed out. All that came out of 1t was the eX-
NJ AMI
clustering expeditions, subjecting Spain to
great expense.
THE CHARLESTON CONVENTION.
The slavery conflict rent the Democratic
party. In Its National Convention mt Charles
ton. in 1860, the Southern leaders argued that
forasmuch rs the question of slavery in the
errtories % haa o6 6een % re.e1red 70 me supreme
the power and the duty to protect slave prop.
erty in the National Territory, the platform
should affirm this. The DLuglns party opposed
party in most of the free States. They pro.
posed instead, that the platform should de-
clare this judicial question. The Southern
leaders refused this, for the reason that it had
been once referred to the judiciary and had
been decided do
The demand of the Southern leaders was uu.
questonably the policy of honesty, and the
policy of the faction which was directed by
he dSd Se sonthern s
section nominated Breckenridge, OF Ken
lucky. The Northern section convened at
y
ern neutral party nominated Bell of Tennes-
see. This resulted in the election of Lincoln.
CoNCLUsIoN-THE EMANCIPATION.
Here this very meager historical sketch of
slavery in American politics must end. No
one who did not have an active interest in
politics in the ten or fifteen years before the
secession war, can form any idea, OF the sub
serviency of politics to tile slave lords.
true picture of this would be impossible,
and would find no believers in those who
have since come on the stage. Yet there are
hut w tnli
they did not dare assert the possession of a
soul, who humble of thnt us the good old
dem"nium of Agitation, conflict, hate.
cruelty and barbarism, the peace which
reigned when the Democratic party governed
the country. 1t was the peace of Southern
| lords and Northern slaves.
In that good old tine majority of the
Judges OF the Supreme Court must be slave
| holders, and every Judge of any United
| States Court must be loyal to. slavery. Y }
rule was that the South must have II major
were servlle 10 slavery: No Democrat could
be appointed to any Office under Democratic
| administrations unless he were for all that
| slavery demanded. The threat to break up
| the Union was always held over, and was re-
| garded as, alone justiiable in behalf Of
slavery.
Northern citizens in the South on business
were liable to be lynched instantly If any en-
| emy or dishonest debtor circulated the charge
was reign of barbarsm, of brutality and of
crime. The pistol and budgeon were used TO
| suppress opinions in Congress. Slaveholdlng
was the desired supremacy, and he who dis
puted it had no rights that the law was bound
| TO protect
| When Lincoln was elected the Northern peo-
| pie realized the terms on which the Uuion had
| been allowed to exist They had been allowed
| to hold the form of elections, and To play ut
| government by the people as children play ut
| keeping store; but always on the condition
| that the slave lords would take the permis-
sion from them II they did not make slavery
| the supreme end OF Government. ~.
1 ga n a
| liton of slavery. II WIS the revolt of Il long
| reigning dcspoIic dynasty, because 1t. had to
| hay down dcspOtic power and submit to II Gov
| ernment of the people. And the great emun-
| cipation was not in the breaking of the bonds
OF 4,OOO0 900 of the African American race-the
| great emancipation was in setting free the
| souls of tho Northern peoplc.-Idper read by
| S. II. Reed before the Ce,ltpU Club.