The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-08


sorrow than in anger-but with impress
sive dignity and chusetts
answered: What you contemp.uously
term prejudices are the eternal prin-
ciples Of righteousness and Justice,
! taught and enforced by none so elo-
| quently and ably as yourself. Mas
sachusetts reveres your past and
mourns your present" The conven-
tion of 1852 met to nominate presl-
dent. Webster's speech had been Of
incalculable service to the south in car
rying its measures through congress,
but it had destroyed his availability
with the north. He was defeated. and
the greatest statesman of the century
died of disappointment and mortifica-
ton. Webster'S recusancy aroused the
colleges and the pulpits and gave tire.
mendous impetus to the anti-slavery
party. His example, illustrating so
conspicuously that the northern man
who lost popularity at home by SER
vice to slavery would be rejected by
the slave power for more available re-
cruits, opened the eyes of the most
morally dense ambitious to the merci-
less and heartless purposes of the
oligarchy.
WAR WITH MEXICO.
The war with Mexico has added an
enormous area Of territory to the ma
tional domain. From it new states
We're to be soon created by constantly
increasing immigration and settlement.
The North, absorbed in diversified in
dustries and material development,
paid little heed to the future, but the
South, recognizing the growing hostil-
ity to its institutions. formed the plan
of a permanent balance of power. This
was to be accomplished by admitting
no free state, unless one which recog-
nized slavery came in at the same time.
Then, with the senate equally divided
| between free and slave states, slavery
would be forever safe from hostile leg
islatiOn. To accomplish this the Mis-
souri, compromise must be repealed. 1t
Is difficult for us at this distance to re-
alize the reverence with which this
compact was regarded. 1t was in the
popular mind and imagination the ga
cred guarantee of the Union, and the
dedication Of the new territory to free
institution, free labor, and free states
1t had been placed with the Declara-
tiOn Of Independence, and the COnsti-
tuition Of the United States among the
inviolable charters and agreements up
on which rested the peace and perpetu-
ity of the Republic. Every great and
honOred name of a generation Of the
most distinguished statesmen of both
parties was committed to its mainten-
ance. No politician could hope to re-
tain Northern support who favored its
repeal, or hold Southern favor, unless
he laborcd for its abrOgation. The
Northern leader who carried through
the repeal and it could only be carried
by Northern leader, had the fate of
Webster and scores Of lesser men be-
fore him. He would be repudiated by
! one side and abandoned as no longer
| useful by the other The South grew
daily more threatening, and the North
| more sensitive. To the man who could
bridge this chasm, and fool the North
as it had been so often successfully
hoodwinked before. and satisfy the alert
and clear -purposed South. the presiden-
cy was certain. Stephen A. Douglas, q
statesman of infinite resources, courage
and ambition, undertook the task The
North might be cajoled by promises
and an apparently fair prospect for
freedOm-the South cared nothing for
phrases or pleadings. 80 long as Its OBJ
ject was secured. This skillful necrO-
mancer sought by an artful juggle OF
words to satisfy both sides. He adrOit-
~ put the AbolitiOnists of the North
and the fire-eaters Of the South in the
category Of disunionists, and then bid
for that conservative support which
| always controls in great crises. I'VE
have outgrown the line OF 36 degrees
80 minutes" he cried The expansion
and limitless possibilities Of our coun-
try have made this limit obsolete. The
government of the states which will
come into the Union from the new ter
ritory, and the continental career,
which IL our destiny, must be settled
upon a broad and enduring principle.
Let the people Of all sections go as they
list with their property, whether chat
tells or slaves, into the territories, and
when the period of statehood arrives
they can decide by ballot whether they
will recognize or exclude slavery, or
they may determine the question in the
territorial legislatures. This leaves the
matter with the people and recognizes
the very basis of popular government"
Under the name Of squatter sovereign
ity this remedy captivated the public
mind. and Douglas became the central
figure in American politics.
NO EXCUSE FOR SLAVERY.
Governments are mainly the result
of successive comprom ses. But there
ere Questiors which cannot be compro-
missed, Whenever t'uth has formed q
compact with a lie, the lie has secur ed
all the advantages. Honesty can be
tainted and destroyed by fraud, but
cannot work it. Lord Marsfeld's ia
nous dec sion rendered four years be t.
fra our Declaration of Independence,
"li at the state of slavery Is T such q
nature that it Is incapable of being in
t,o1uced on any reasoning. moral or
political. but only positive law. 1t g so
Odious that nothing can be suffered 70
support it but positive law" revealed
the moral sense and enlightened judg-
ment of the world. 1t rang through all
the colonies of Great Britain, and found
sententiOus expression in the words of
the Declaration of Independence, that
"all men are created equal, with car-
tain inalienable rights, among which
are life, liberty and the pursuit Of
happiness" The C c-mprOmises Of 1920,
Of 1850. and of Douglas. we re r gni-
tions by positive law of an institu-
tion so odious that 1t was condemned
by every moral and political principle
With each compromise 1t gained
strength and power, until 1t was near
ly prepared for life and death struggle
with Liberty and Union.
The specious scheme Of Douglas start
ed a race between the free and slave
people to capture Kansas. Bold raid.
ers from Missouri poured over the
border carrying murder and pillage
among the free state settlers. Cover
nor after governor was appointed and
dismissed by President Pierce and
Buchanan because they would not az.
sist the slave-hOlding minority In driy-
Ing cut CT the ter try the vast ma
jority who were opposed to slavery.
Civil war with al its horrors ragged on
the plains Of Kansfo. and Henry Ward
Beecher. then a rA'gious and political
force Of unparalleled power. set the
north afiame by hotly informing the
domestic missions that what Kansas
and liberty wanted was not Bibles,
but rifles. The novel Of Uncle Toms
Cabin, written by his sister, Harriet
Beecher Stowe. and circulated and read
beyond any book ever published in the