The Portland daily press., 1891-05-29
Democracy and slavery.

RONOIdA ud4c dkU tu6 Argus warmly u6-
Tended the ridiculous proposition that the
mission Of the Democratic party is second
only to the mission Of the Christion religion.
The PRESS does not propose to attempt any
discussion with the young man who writes
the Argus editorials and the philosophical
dissertations of the "Man About Town.
That young man is sort of an intellectual
gasteropod, living in single shell of self
conceit, but perfectly harmless. But some
of the statements made yesterday should be
corrected. since they carry with them the
authority Of the Argus, whatever that may
be. The Argus asserted yesterday that the
extension of slavery In the south instead of
the north was merely matter of geography,
that the people Of New England would other
wise have been as slow as the people of
South Carolina to realize the iniquities of
slavery And says the Argus:
The moral question involved was never more
than an occasional matter of discussion either
North or South for long years after the adoption
and ratification Of the Constitution.
The most superficial familiarity with Amer
lean history ought to have kept the Argus
from such blunder as this. There was
strong anti-slavery sentiment in the North,
and strong agitation even before the Con-
stitution was formed. Speaking of the state
of feeling in the North about 1850 Bancroft
says in his history, (vOl. vi, page 26D that:
Abolition and manumlssion societies were
formed In various parts OF the North OF one of
these Hamilton was the secretary With Jay,
Duane, and Robert Il. Livingston for associates
Sq ga az tnis time pranklin was elected president
OF all parties at the North teemed with essays
against slavery The opposition to it prevailed in
nd Of r.,,ta "A
the brightest among those of extreme democratic
tendencies. In 1888 deputies from the yearly
of Congress- and delivered their address. entreat-
ing that BODY to use its influence for the general
abolition OF the slave trade. and in several later
Presbyterian synod which met at Philadelphia
me same week as the federal convention resolved
cry in America" The Pennsylvania Abolition
society adopted memorial to the convention to
suppress the slave trade, though from motives Of
prudence IL was not presented.
In 1854 the slavery question was up for
discussion in Congress. Jefferson was car
rying through the ordinance for the govern-
ment OF the Northwest Territory and wished
10 include In 1t a prohibition of slavery in
that great territory after the year 1900. At
that time Congress voted by states and the
votes Of a majority of the thirteen states
were needed to carry proposition. In this
eAciuSIon OF slavery. o0uGn Uar0IIna, NIFTY.
land and Virginia were against IL, and il
failed from lack of the necessary majority.
This is enough to prove the utter falsity OF
the statement of the Argus.
Again the Argus makes an inexcusable
blunder in the statement of an historical
fact, when 1t says: "Then came the shock Of
arms; and as the Southern Republican
sprang to the side of the Southern Democrat
to light against the Union and for slavery,
SO with equal alacrity the Northern Democrat
sprung to the side of the Northern Republi-
can to fight for the Union and against
slavery. This is history. dear brother"
The Southern Republican did not spring
to the side of the Southern Democrat to fight
against the Union. In ten of the eleven Sc.
ceding States there was hardly a single Re-
publican in 1860 Political records recall
not single vote for Abraham Lincoln in
ten OF the seeding States, and in the elev-
enth, Virginia. but 1929 votes, cast undoubt.
edly in West Virginia, which was soon
erected into loyal State. 1t is safe to say
that not single Republican served in the
Confederate armies, unless by compulsion
possibly in few isolated cases.
NOW for the other side. In the North many
OF the Democrats Individually were loyal
and patriotic in aiding to preserve the Union
But as party they were never anti-slavery,
and they were not always loyal to the Onion.
from the beginning Of the anti-slavery con-
test to the end of the war there cannot be
found in the platforms of the Democratic
party single word favoring the abolition
Oh slavery. Moreover, when the constitu.
uonal amendment for the abolition of sla
very was voted on in Congress it was op-
posed by the mass of the Democratic mem.
Ders. There were In the House 1l9 yeas, of
which but 10 were Democrats, and Sc nays,
Oh which every one was Democrat. This
First Congressional district of Maine was
represented by a Democrat at that time, and
ne voted against the amendment, doubtless
with the full appreciation of the Portland
Argus.