The Spirit Of Democracy

Stafford Fugitive Slave Meeting.

The editor of the Waynesburg.(Pa.) Messenger, thus lights down on the citizens of Stafford, for uttering their opinions on the Fugitive Slave Law, and on us for publishing them :

" A meeting was recently held at Stafford. Monroe county, Ohio, at which a series of resolutions were passed, which would have been a lasting disgrace even to the Hartford Conventionists, and which, if the exigencies of the times required sanguinary measures, would justly entitle their authors to wear hemp cravats about thirty minutes. Such proceedings are a disgrace, not only to the actors in them, but also to the community that will tolerate them; and the editor who will stand aloof and wink at such treason, at his very door, deserves not the confidence of his party, or the respect of the community generally.

Monroe was a proud Democratic county, but we fear she is falling from her high estate; and we have even heard those who were formerly proud of calling her their home, felicitating themselves upon their escape from her, before the day of disgrace had come upon her. 'The man who will openly bid defiance to the laws of the land, should be made to feel the full weight of their penalties. We can see no difference, morally speaking, between stealing a neighbor's servant, and stealing his horse, and the man who would do the one, we would very much fear would do the other, if an opportunity would offer."

We suppose the editor of the Messenger thinks he is "some in a pig fight."

The doctrine that error of opinion may be tolerated while reason is left free to combat it," palls upon his appetite; and instead thereof, he would, were he at the head of affairs, cause the authors of the Stafford resolutions "to wear hemp cravats about thirty minutes." And further, in the opinion of the Messenger, a man who would steal a negro would steal a horse.

Such language may all be very fine, and calculated to do a great amount of good, but we confess we cannot see it. Suppose we had said to the Stafford meeting, as the editor of the Messenger has, "You are all traitors and horse thieves, and deserve to be hung," does anybody suppose we would have accomplished any good by it? Certainly not. Some doctrines flourish most by being continually assailed and abused. The language of the Messenger may suit the political atmosphere of Pennsylvania, but it will not do here. In this country men are convinced of error by reason, and not by brute force. Again, reason does not teach us to fan a flame to extinguish it.

When the proceedings of the Stafford meeting were sent to us, they were accompanied by a polite request, from the author of the resolutions, to publish them, stating at the same time his knowledge that their temper and tone would not suit us. We publish the only paper in this county, and have been in the habit of publishing such matters for whigs and free-soilers. Could we reasonably refuse their request?

Whether we "deserve not the confidence of our party, or the respect of the community generally," is a matter we will leave to the decision of the people of Monroe, and not to the editor of the Messenger. When we assumed the control of the "Spirit," in March, 1844, the largest majority that had ever been given for a democratic candidate for President, in this county, was 992, for Martin Van Buren, in 1840. In 1844, James K. Polk received 1338, and in 1848, Lewis Cass received 1575, being the second highest in the State; and we confidently believe, that under similar circumstances, in 1852, we can and will give 1800 majority. Can the editor of the Messenger say as much for his county, and does this look like Monroe "falling from her high estate?" Two years ago Martin Van Buren received 320 votes, in this county, as the freesoil candidate for President--this fall the freesoil candidate for Governor received 80 votes. Does this look like Monroe "falling from her high estate?"

From the tone of the Messenger's article, we suppose he has the vanity to think that he can mould public opinion at his will; and this appears to be his great forte, as he has some nine or ten articles, original and selected, laudatory of Bigler, Searight, Black, Gilmore and others, in the same paper, in which he attempts to rebuke us. In this country people read, think and judge for themselves. A man might say, "if he had a drop of democratic blood in his veins, he would let it out," and still the Messenger might worship him.