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Democracy

Democracy image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
August
Year
1843
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

We have adverted, nt différent times, te the assertion tbrown out by the Whigs, that the Liberty organizalion was essentidly Locofoco in its character, and would ultimatelj prove itself to be sucli by a ur;ion with thai party. To this it might be sufficient to reply, that if the leading Abolitionists were as ambitious and reckless as the Whigs oflen allege, the leaders of the Liberty Partj would prefer to act as principáis on their owr account, rather tlion becorne very small subordinates m axiotlier party. Henee self-preservation alone would lead them to keep the Liberty moement distinct from both the othet parties. But the Liberty Party are honcst in their proposition?, and earnest in their expecíationsof íinal success; and in pursuing their own plans, there are insuperable obstaBles to uniting with the Democratie party, which it mjght be weJl 'briefly to consider. 1. Their practice and principies are inconsistent with eacli other in reference to the white population. They professedly hold to the lnrgest liberty of aclion, and equality of political rights. But do we find Ihat tljeir principies are carried out where Demoeracy has undisputed political sway? For instance, it is a Democratie principie that every man, permanently a resident of the soil, of full age, and unconvicted of crime, should have an equal voice with others in selecting the oiïicers of the government. The Dernocrats have had the political asendeney in nearly every State in the Union; and have they carried out this reform? In very many of these State?, are there not property quaJifications of 'the right of suffroge, by which a freeman's capacity for self-government is eslimnted by that most contemptibleof all etandards - the number of dollars in his possession? Here, then, in many of the States, we find a pnlpable inconsistency between Democratie profeEsions and practice. Noria this the only insiance, in which the white man failsto receive from their practice that protection to his rights which he might justly claim from their profes.-:ed principies. - That perty, in concert with the Whige, has destroyed the Riglit of Peiition. They have assumed to exercise a power which the Grand Seignior could not arrógate without risking hid life. It is a flagrant outraj e on human rights, and is sustained or connived at by alvwst every Democratie poli lic'utn and press in the land! This suppression of a natural and constitulional right, through a series of years, by the almost unanimous nction of the whole party, evinces no small degreo ofcorruption and disregard of the rigiits of mnn. The same corruption is manifestcd by the laws of the Southern States for riiling the mails, and the atterupls that hnve been made, and are still making by this party in meny States, for BupprcBsingfreJ discussion. What are we to ihink of the valuc of a political party that is thus recreant lo its own professed principies, and despoils thousands of our white citizens of their most 6acred rights? 2. But their treatment of another portion of our population is far more flagrant and unjuel. There are two and a half mülions of elaves in our land; and the Democratie partv, as such, is zealous for tlieir conlinusncc i:i Eervitude. They have uniformly opposcd the enfrnnchisement of the 30,000 wl;o are under the control of the National Government. They sustain siavery in every place where it ex sts, ond, iike-iJeirry-Clny, 'continue io oppose every scheme of eaiancipation, whether gradual or immeüiate.' Their treatment of the frcecolored population of our country 1b more depicable.because they nominally acknowledge their right to l'ue full enjoyment of liberty. The number of thes'e is nbout 400,000: aixi what Democratie State can be named io which their rights ore not in some way invaded? In mnny of these States the free colored mnn is de:iied the rigiit of 6uffinge, of holding office, of serving on juries, of teslifying in courts of juslice, while he isgrievously taxed and oppressed by legislativo enaetments, in the formation of which he had not the sn.allest influence. This course of oppression is not only generai in its extent, but it has been continucd íbr a long series of years, and in many instances it is becoming more rigorous and severe. The only apology that party can make for Buch inhuman and anti-rspublican violations of juslice, is, that the victima of it are of a different color, and of a degraded character. The first plea would be sufficient for oppresöing the red, the brown, the olive,a well as the black man, who comprise three-fourths of the human race; while the second is but pleading the effect of their own oppression, as a reason for continuing and augmenting that oppresBion. And this is called Detnoeracy, ond wn are gravely called upon to bow down and reverence it as such! God forbid that any j litionist should join himself to a party that avowedly ond conünually sufitains such a vile system of iniquity under so glo ious a name. 3. The Democratie party is complctely subjected to the Slave Power. It is the Slavery party, properly spcaking, nnd is ever ready to do the bidding of the slaveholdcrs, whatever it may be. There can be no reasonable hopea of its reformation as a whole, although a larn-e portion of the mnm body will ultimately take a atand for the righteof man in contest against the slaveholders. It is obvious that while tlis is the character of ihe party - and we see uo hopes of its changing unless for the worse it stands direclly opposed in its object to the Liberty Party. This last wss orgonized to overthrow the Slave Power, while the former sustains it, or rather, in trutb, it is the body thro' which that Power acts, while the slave holders are its soul. 4. This contract Ictween tho Democratieand Liberly parlies wi)l appear stil! mon striking, if we bok at the charactera and principies of' the Democratc leaders. There ia General Jaclcson, au invetérate elaveholderjand ' VanBnren,who was nofc too dlgniöed to give a : pledge in advnnce to his masters,that he ivo jld continue to keep the Federal District a mari place for tlieir human cattïe! What degradation could be tneaner than this! But examine the position of the aspirants i for the Presidehcy. There is Col. Johnson, a slaveholder in all his fee'.ings, social as wellas politica!. Mr. Buchanan nnnounces that in Pennsylvania, 'Oposition to Abolition' is inscribed on the Democratie banners. General Cass claims public applause for hiszealous and ffratuitous efforis to make the American flag an ampie protection for the slavetrading pintes of all nations. Mr. Calhoun's idea that'Slavery is .the most safe and stable basis for freo instilutioas in the world,' is one that ought to brand him with infamy in the mind of every patriot. Mr. Greeley and other prominent men are in favor of a reorganizaron of society on more republican and equitable principies. Mr. Calhoun is ateo in favor of a reorganizaron, but he would have the vvhole population divided into copitalists and slaves. Greely and his Fourier brethren are careful to make ampie provisión Jest the capitalist should overreach the laboren?, whüe Calhoun boasts that with them it is impossible a conflict should take place between labor k. capital, because the capilalist owns the laborer himself, Si thos becomes the common representa tive of capital k labor. What a happy expedient is this to take away quarrels about rights,bj making one man the absolute property ofanother! What beantiful Democracy is ihis! What profound staiesmanship! The truth is, Jhat Calhoun is so enveloped in these theories about slavery, that he has no überality of feeling, even as a politician. Ilis biyotry to the South utterly unfits him for the Presidency. Witness the following extract from an adiiress to his conntituente ns published in the Rochester Freemanin 18S9. 05o 'íf we do not tnke advanfage of tlie present crisis- join the Administration in the course they are pursuing, &, break down t:'k COMMERCIAL FROSPEMTIT OF THE NoRTHBRN C1TIKS, AND BUILT) ÜPOK 1TS RUJNS A COMSIERCE im the cities of tuk South: wc must have a separation of the Union !!' 'LQ What beautiful Democracy and patriotism is this! The nuthor of such a proposiiion must be greatly deranged in his understandüig, or in his heart. It is not dt all wonderful he declines all invitations to vidit his admirers at the North! 5. There is one other attribute of the Democratie party, which would hinder its receiving the cordial support of Liberty men. lts legislation and government are characterized, to a very great extent, by an utter indiöcrence to ihegreat principies of right, ns taught by a pense of natural justice, and by the Revelation of God. We do not mean to say that tliey never legislate or adnnnister government jnstly: but we believe there is an indifièrence reppecling this matter-a want of moral principie, which, however it may be partially restrained by public opinión, will show itself more or less in favor of injustice and crime. We have some hesitation about making a statement of this kind, because such a state of mind in a public officer or a legislative bodv is eaf-ier seen and Jelt, than described, or proved by formal argument. But tve may adduce as instances of sucli a disposiïion, the Gag Laws of Congrcss, and the Repeol of the AdiiHery and Fornication Laws of tfcis State. The first was a plain violation of right, while the latter betrayed au utter contempt for the moral J.iws which God has ordoined for the good of man. Nov, however old fasliioned or puri'anical it may appear to others, we hold, in common with a large portion of the Liberly Party, that the laws of God, as taught by nnture and by Revelation, are binding on men in ali circumstances, and are to be carried mit as strictly by the Governor or President as by the same individual when a private citizen. The fact that a whole patty sanctions the act does not alter its character. Robbing a man of his liberty, isa robbery quite as atrocious, when perp3tratcd by fourteen millions, as when the pírate, by his individual strength, seizes and binds the unwilling captive on the sands of África. Neither are Adultery and Prostitution fess criminal in tho sighl of Heuven, or less pernicious to society, because two gravo bodies have withdrawn from them the protiibitions of law. Liberty men gener_ erally believe theie is such a thing as right, independenlly of all human Icgislation; and they cannot cordially unite with a body of men, who, in legislating for all the highest interests of community, evince that they are reckless of those fundamental lnws of rectitude, without some regard to which the earth would become only a habitation of wrelched and evil spirits, iiateful and Jjating one another. From these considerations, we see that a unión between the Liberty party and Modern Democracy, if it should be attempted, could be neither cordial, profitable, nor pe-rmnent. The leading infiuences of eich are opposed to the other. The one sustains the cause of justice, the oJier of wrong. One is consistent in carry out its principies, the other not. I'i a word they are totally distinct from each other, and no poÜtical management could possibly produce a pe manent unión between them.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News