Franklin Repository

After a brawling, squabbling, fighting week's work, the Convention of the Nigger Democracy at Baltimore, nominated Stephen ARNOLD Douglas, for the highest office in the gift of the American people--the Presidency. There is no man in that party so well qualified to be the standard-bear of that faith-breaking band of partisans. His impious hand raised the fagot, applied the match to the time-honored compromise between the North and the South, and he it was, who let loose the hell-hounds of slavery, who have, for six long, weary years, been pursuing, with deadly hate, the genius of our Republican institutions--the goddess of LIBERTY.

Upon his head rests the maledictions of the innocent sufferers in Kansas. His hands, indirectly, more than all others, are stained with the precious blood which was spilled by the border ruffians of Missouri, in the Territory of Kansas; for, unless he, or some one equally wicked, had torn down the till then impassable barrier, there would not have been that bitter contest between Freedom and Slavery in that smiling, teeming, beautiful Territory. The fathers of the Republic, in their wisdom, had dedicated all that vast domain, North of the Southern boundary of Missouri, forever to Freedom. No slavocrat dared to raise his hand against the sacred compact; but as an ARNOLD was found during the Revolution a foe to Liberty, so an ARNOLD again stepped forward and boldly walked where angels would not step. The bloody right hand of Douglas smote fair Freedom in her very temple--on her own sacred soil.

There never was, perhaps, a time, in our history as a people, when peace more universally reigned throughout our borders than in 1854, when, the bad man ambitious Stephen ARNOLD Douglas, madly attempted to destroy the whole superstructure of Freedom in America. Both the great parties of the day had agreed, in their Conventions of 1852, that the subject of slavery, being local in its character, should be left to the control of the States in which it exists; and that it should, thenceforth, no more enter into national politic, or be admitted, as an exciting topic of angry discussion, into the Halls of Congress. All was calm. Everywhere repose and quiet rested cheerfully among the people. No person dreamed of a coming storm. Had one been predicted, the person who would have uttered the unwelcome news would have been branded as a false prophet.

Beneath the composure which mantled the face of our political firmament, there was a dark, fiend-like spirit brooding. A creature in the form of a man looked with longing eyes to the office of Chief Magistrate of the American Republic. How to reach the much-coveted place became the topic of his waking meditations; and the desire to rule over thirty millions of Freemen haunted his dreams. He felt that if he waited till the people selected him as a reward of merit, he would never, never reach the summit of his unrighteous ambition--for he who is not a true patriot has no just right to aspire to succeed Washington. In an evil hour he determined to scale the walls and enter, or destroy the temple in his wicked attempt. He knew that the North were jealous of Freedom, and that the South were crazy over Slavery. Here, then, soliloquized the cunning schemer, is my only hope for reaching the goal. If I can with one hand destroy the harmony between the two sections, and with the other present an olive-branch, I may be able to escape detection as the incendiary, and, by means, of trickery, although a devil, may cause the multitude to cry forth behold a god--a great pacificator.

Any being less presumptuous than Stephen ARNOLD Douglas, after beholding the temple of peace in flames, the work of his own hand, would have shrunken away from the gaze of an astonished, startled, indignant people. He, however, had commenced his work of destruction for the accomplishment of his own personal aggrandizement, and, although the execrations of an enraged nation rang in his ears, pressed wildly forward without knowing whither; watching only the star of promise to his ambitious hopes--keeping his own spirits up by freely pouring distilled spirits down, he seemed not to know or care what became of the country, so he were made its ruler. The final settlement is now about to be made between the people, whom he wronged, whom he so wantonly outraged, and himself--the base-hearted disturber of the public peace. He is now in the position where the masses can show him how much he is loathed for his infamous conduct in ruthlessly trampling under his unhallowed feet a sacred compact. He will be taught a lesson that may serve as a warning, throughout all coming time, to every traitorous villain who entertains in his wicked heart a design upon the welfare of his country. May the fate of every foe to the best interests of the community in which he lives be such as will be meted out to S. ARNOLD Douglas, on the first Tuesday of November next, and the word traitor will no more be applicable to men; for none will covet a similar reward for vile mean services.

Of all the pitiful attempts at bringing reproach upon our town that we have ever seen the one in the Spirit, of the 20th, takes the lead. In the face of the fact that John E. Cook, the principal character--next the old Brown, himself, as appeared in evidence--in the Harper's Ferry raid, was arrested within the limits of Franklin County was brought to Chambersburg by two of her citizens; was taken to a hotel in this place; from thence to the office of a Justice of the Peace, in the night-time without any military escort; received a hearing and was committed to prison, and upon a requisition of the Governor of Virginia being endorsed by the Governor of Pennsylvania, after being in our goal several days and nights, was given up, without any attempt, whatever, at rescue, to the authorities of Virginia, where he was taken, tried, convicted, sentenced and suffered the extreme penalty of the law, we have an editorial in the organ of locofocoism in this county declaring that it "will certainly be news to the people of this section of the country," that there was no "evidence to show a conspiracy to rescue Brown or his associates from prison in Virginia."

We, in the name of the law-abiding citizens of Chambersburg, demanded of the Editors of that sheet the evidence which they have in their possession of any such conspiracy. If there were anything of the sort in existance they must have been privy to it--and the only parties in this place who knew anything about it. Therefore it devolves upon them, as good citizens, to expose to the contempt which would certainly be visited upon them, every man who was directly or indirectly concerned in any such unlawful transaction. Justice to the innocent demands that the guilty should be exposed. So sweeping a charge includes every man in the community. Out with the names of the guilty, and enable the innocent to go untarnished.

We never before heard of anything of the sort; nor do we believe the base calumny. The people of Chambersburg, without respect to party, should hold an indignation meeting and compel Messrs. Ripper & Mengel to make known all the knowledge they possess in relation to this grave, this serious charge. They say, in plain English, that they "happen to know that a number of men from northern counties in this State, came as far as this place for that purpose." Why not tell who they were, where they came from, and with whom they held intercourse.

It is most remarkable that these two astute young men should "happen to know so much" that nobody else in the community knew. Stranger still, that they should be in possession of so rich a vein of political ore and neglect to allow the Senate's Committee to work up the material for the benefit of the locofoco party--as every body else here (except these two "knowing" ones) happen to know that the only object that committee ever had in view was to make capital for that party in this presidential campaign. Now, however, after the Committee have finished their labors, without being able to implicate any person outside of the few mad followers of Brown, these foul-mouthed slanderers, unblushingly publish a base libel upon the good people of this community--with the hope of making a little capital out of the Harper's Ferry raid, in spite of the failure of the Senate's Committee. There never was a greater outrage perpetrated upon this or any other community. There never was a more wicked lie fabricated against innocent men.

Why did not the "knowing ones" inform the Senate's Committee that they could give important information upon a subject which engrossed the attention of five Senators, ever since Congress assembled? Why lay your hands upon your lips till the Committee were discharged and then, when you might not be called upon to swear to your chunk of a lie, declare to the world that you "happen to know" just what the Committee wanted to know all winter--aye for the last six months.

Being in possession of information as important as you would have us believe you had in your keeping, and refuse or neglect a proper opportunity of communicating the name to the enquiring authorities--when they were busily engaged in pursuing the same--causes the possessor to be equally guilty with the most wicked conspirator. Therefore if Messrs. Ripper and Mengel refuse to inform the people of this Country all they know about this conspiracy, they must be held as accessories.

The nabobs who control the machinery of the locofoco party despise poor men as though it were a crime not to be born with a good spoon in a person's mouth, or not to have inherited, from rich ancestors large estates. If a man has money or lands, or if his means are invested to human beings--slaves--no matter how mean, no matter how wicked he is, the leaders of the self-styled democratic party are willing to take him by the hand and lead him to the most elevated seat in their political synagogue. But if a man has the misfortune to be poor; to own nothing in this world but himself, his hands and head, no matter how well he has stored his mind with useful knowledge, he is considered by these haters of poor men-- locofoco leading partizans [sic]--as a mere "mud sill," and of no consequence in this country. Everything that party can do to make the rich richer and the poor poorer is cheerfully done.

During the session of Congress which has just been brought to a close, the Republicans-- the true friends of poor men--were all in favor of passing a law giving to every poor man a homestead, of one hundred and sixty acres of land, in any of our great smiling territories. The Republicans in the lower House of Congress passed such a bill; but when it got into the Locofoco, poor-man-hating Senate, it was killed without much ceremony. Senator Green, of Missouri, a leading pro-slavery Locofoco, in his wicked hatred of poor white men, gave utterance to the following bitter, outrageous language about poor whites who were to be benefited by the passage of the homestead bill:

"What is there honest in giving my property away to some poor, infamous scoundrel? Do it, if you dare. I defy you. Do it! Do it! You vote away my property to the lazaroni--to those infamous scoundrels who won't work for a living, because you want their votes. You may get them, but they will spit on you."

Is it not remarkable that the leaders of the Nigger Democracy, the pro-slavery deities of the party--Messrs. Hammond, Wigfal, Green and others--in speaking of poor white working men invariably apply to them the most opprobrious epithets--"Mud Sill," "Small-fisted Farmers," "Greasy Mechanics," "Criminals," "Poor infamous Scoundrels," and "Lazzaroni?"

Nothing but the most violent hatred could induce American Congressmen and United States Senators to resort to such billingsgate. There is no excuse for this hatred of poor white men in this country. Neither the Constitution or the laws give to rich men any privileges or immunities which the poorest and humblest man in the land is not as much entitled to as his rich neighbor. We despite the party that looked down on poor men.

Notwithstanding the bitter opposition of some of the pro-slavery Locofoco Senators to the passage of a homestead bill giving lands to the landless and homes to those who have none, the House succeeded in procuring the passage of a bill about half as good as the one they had passed; the Senate agreed to it, for the purpose of getting the House to pass a bill providing for a loan to meet the outstanding debts of the Administration; but the President, in his hatred for poor white men, has heartlessly vetoed the bill--thus it fails.

The determination of the Council to widen East Market street, has set the elevated individuals in that part of our town in a commotion, as it will probably cause a downfall of fences and beauty. Serves them right, what business had they to build there and spoil that rocky, romantic spot? What business had they to rout those innocent "Toat Islanders" from their pens and free the county of so much expense? Why didn't they remain on low ground? When people take such high grounds, in advance of the will of the town, they should be brought down a peg. While the Council are at work they might as well have the houses torn down and "Toat Island" restored again to its primitive beauty.

We would not stop here, either. On New England Hill the road take a turn as unsightly as that over the railroad. Have it graded, gentlemen. The hill is too high and the road too crooked. The owners of lots there will no doubt be grateful for the kind act. Beside, some of the Council have lots there, for which they will be thankful (?) to have any improvements made upon the front of said lots. Then we would advise the filling of Water street, from the corner of Queen to Washington street. The street there is too low and pavements too scarce for pleasant travel or walking. There will be an advantage in such work as the filling of that part of Water street, it being near the residence of a member of the board, he could oversee the work, and commence right at his own door.--We throw out these suggestions, fully aware of the fact that the present Council were elected as an Anti-Tax Council; but we see no use in standing still and seeing one part of the town improved (?) and the other part not. We would call upon the owners of lots on New England Hill and Water streets to have the above improvements made. Then Mr. Wm. Chambers might as well be made to throw part of his lot into the street, and the improvement continued by tearing down part of the houses owned by Messrs. Seibert, Miller, Trostle, and others on that street, so as to make it wide enough to accommodate the travel. What a jolly time we will have when all these improvements are carried out. Let Messrs. M'Lellan, Sharpe and Nixon rant and foam--let Messrs. Chambers, Seibert, Miller, &c., object and frown, the town has spread, so must the streets. Now as to the trifling matter of damage, which will have to be paid, that is nothing. The last statement showed a balance in the treasury of seven dollars. The citizens will find the advantage (in taxes) and won't grumble much. Whilst these outside barbarians, who objected to coming into the borough, are being chastized for their stubbornness by having the beauty of their property destroyed, the Council might as well remove the unsightly stones which disfigure our streets at the principal crossings--it's so annoying to have, in muddy weather, to raise one's foot up to put it on a stone. Away with the stones and give us the pure mud. Trusting that the inhabitants of the town will see the necessity of the above improvements, we leave the subject for them to reflect upon and act accordingly.

At a meeting of the Friendship Fire Company, held on Monday evening last, the following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted:

WHEREAS, We feel very much the need of a good Suction, our present one not being of any use in case of fire:

And whereas, The Town Council of our Borough have had in consideration for a length of time the purchasing of the necessary apparatus, but failing to act thereon; be it therefore

Resolved, That we, the members of the Friendship Fire Company, endeavor to raise by subscription, from the citizens of the Borough, the sum necessary for the purchase of a good Suction Engine.

Resolved, That a Committee, composed of four members of the company, be appointed to wait upon the citizens and receive their subscriptions toward the purchasing of said Suction Engine.

Resolved, That these resolutions be published in all the papers of our Borough.

The following named gentlemen were appointed the Committee called for in the foregoing resolutions:

North Ward--R. B. Fisher, R. H. Perry.

South Ward--Hiram H. Hutz, Samuel F. Greenawalt.

JACOB JARRET, Sec'y.

On Saturday morning last, about one o'clock, some of the wicked young men of our town, tied a heavy stone to the rope attached to the whistle of the Locomotive, while the engine was standing in the diamond, and then "moved their boots" down West Baltimore street; consequently the valve remained open, with a full blast of steam, until the stone was removed. Such a noise, as was then produced, is very seldom heard. It continued until Mr. Wentz, the engineer, arose from his bed, and reached the engine, which was about ten minutes. Nearly all the inhabitants of our quiet town, and many persons for miles around, were aroused from their slumbers.--Greencastle Pilot.

Some of the promising youths of our town have been in the habit of breaking into houses, shops &c., and taking whatever they could find to suit them. On Sunday, the 17th inst., one of the same clique was seen entering the Drug Store of John H. Hostetter, through the back window. He helped himself to as many cigars as he wanted and all the money he could find, which, it is said, was not much. This gentlemen, if we may call him such, is known, and those directly interested should evidently apply the full length of the law.--Greencastle Pilot.

The boasted unanimity of the South, say the New York Tribune, in opposition to "Black Republicanism," is precisely that which has long been maintained in Austria, France and Naples, and by like means. There are but very few avowed Republicans in the Slave States, simply because no one can be an active Republican and stay there, save in a few localities along the border, unless he takes his life in his hand and holds it at the mouth of the pistol, as Cassius M. Clay does. Hundreds who have subscribed and paid for the Tribune are not allowed to receive it; thousands who would gladly take and pay for it are deterred from doing so by terror. The Republican party is daily defamed in fifteen States of the Union, but not allow a hearing in reply. To circulate the facts whereof we rest the justification of our faith is prosecuted and punished as a felony; while to advocate our principles and nominate tickets in their behalf would, throughout nine-tenths of the Slave regions, expose free white men to be hunted like wild beasts. And thereupon we are taunted with being a sectional party!--Whose fault is that?

John Van Buren is said to have remarked lately that there was no despotism in Europe which could compare in cruelty and meanness with that now tyranizing in the Slave States and gave as a reason that the European despots had such a number of subjects that they were obliged to establish some general rule of action; while an enlightened public sentiment, together with a desire of maintaining characters for generosity, had given to their conduct some show of justice and liberality. But, said the Prince, your little one-horse despots are not restrained by any such considerations, and do not govern even by anything so respectable as their absolute will, being often controlled more by the merest caprice. An occurrence of the last week furnishes evidence in affirmation of these views. John B. Brown is a farmer and dairyman residing in the County of Alexandria, Va., about four miles from the Long Bridge, on the farm formerly owned by the late Gov. Van Ness. For many years since the purchase of this farm, he has supplied a goodly portion of the citizens of Washington with milk, and a variety of other necessary products of his well-cultivate land. Being a man of mind and much observation, he had naturally become a Republican, and was a delegate from his State to the late National Convention at Chicago. This, of course, greatly enraged the fire-eating Democracy of his neighborhood. One day last week, being in the City of Washington, he procured from the Post-Office his papers--the Tribune, the Baltimore Sun, and the Washington Star. He also obtained, during the day, four copies of the Helper Compend, not for circulation, but for the use of himself and his family. Such is the lynx- eyed espionage of the despotism to which we have alluded, that Mr. Brown had hardly crossed the Long Bridge, on his way home, before he was seized, searched, and, for having these terrible publications in his pocket, he was compelled to give bail in $2,000 to escape confinement in the common jail. We venture to say that neither Austria nor Naples, in the palmiest days of her tyranny, ever exceeded this outrage upon personal freedom.

And what must be the character of a social system that shows such horror at the disposition of the people to read and investigate the publications of the day? May we not say of such despots, in the language of an ancient volume: "Ye hate the light because your deeds are evil?"

--Or, take another case, just developed in Kentucky, where a son-in-law and two or three grand-children of an aged slaveholder, named Southerland, have joined in a suit to compel him to continue a slaveholder, against his own conscience and will. The case is thus stated by the Somerset (Ky.) Educator--Pro-Slavery journal:

"Owen Southerland, living on Green River in Casey county, some four or five miles above Liberty, who is a man now about eighty years old, by his own energy, industry and economy, assisted by his industrious and frugal housewife, acquired a very large estate, a part of which is some fifty-five or fifty-seven slaves. A month or two ago, it became noised about in the county he was about to set his slaves free by deed of manumission. His grandchildren, some of them, and his son-in-law M'Whort becoming satisfied that such was the cose [sic], and that he would soon execute it prosecuted legal proceedings, charging that pun as in his dotage and rather imbecile, and especially that his negroes had an undue influence over him, and that on this account he was incompetent to control his property, and prayed an inquiry into the matter with the view of having a committee appointed to take care of his property. He executed a deed freeing all his slaves, and was preparing to remove them from the State, when the plaintiffs had an attachment issued against them, and they were detained. The case came up for trial week before last, at the Casey Circuit Court, but was continued until next November term."

--Can't the adjourned Democratic National Convention, or its Richmond shadow, say a word for this unhappy man? Where are the "rights of property" and their Constitutional guarantees, when a free, white citizen is thus treated? If it is so important to secure a slaveholder's right to his own negroes in Nebraska, why shouldn't he be afforded a kindred liberty to "do as he likes with his own" in Kentucky also?