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"Why, those political chameleons, Foote and Sharkey, "could not beat it. But I must conclude by summing "up: My present opinion then, is, that if Pierce be "nominated without any indorsement of the compro“mise measures, and if he assume no other objectional positions, States-Rights men should give him their support. If, on the other hand, the Convention have "placed him on that ebony and topaz platform, I "think it will become our duty to stand aloof, or, what "would be better, if we can muster spirit, use our exer"tions to rouse up and rally the old State-Rights Guard, "form societies, hold conventions, nominate a separate "ticket. and declare war to the knife.

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"But it may be said that such action on our part might, perhaps, result in the defeat of the Democratic "ticket and success of the Whig All the answer I "have to this is, that if Democracy is to retain power "by striding this centaur hobby, with Abolition head "and Southern tail, it had better be unhorsed. If "reorganized Democracy admits the absolute doctrines "of the existence and sovereignty of a supreme "national government, possessing power to coerce the States, nothing will be lost by its defeat and de"struction."

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The outspoken sentiments of Gen. QUITMAN were endorsed by the entire States-Rights party, yet one branch of it supported Gen. PIERCE and the other repudiated him. Of the latter class, was Mr. FISHER, editor of the Southern Press. Writing from Washington, he said:

"I can not concur in the support of Pierce at all "with such a platform, and I can not isolate him from "it when he says it is in accordance with his judgment. "If a Southern-Rights party had resolved to support "him with a distinct repudiation of the platform, and "with a power, from its own separate organization, of "resisting his administration in any attempt to pursue

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"the compromise policy, I could have co-operated. "But you must forgive me for saying that I consider "it one of the most disastrous signs of the times that "men of the two extremes, Free Soilers and Fireeaters, hasten into parties and yet repudiate the platforms. It looks like a love of party for the sake "of party. The consequence is, the success of the "Democratic party will be the complete ascendency of Compromise faction, and the continual defection " of Southern-Rights men in order to obtain place.

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Of the former class was Hon. E. C. WILKINSON, of Miss., one of the PIERCE electors, who, writing to QUITMAN, said:

"It would doubtless have been better for the party "with which I am now acting, if you had not pursued "this course, but I can not say that I see anything "in what you have published inconsistent with your own antecedents. Yours is a position somewhat dif"ferent from that of any other States-Rights man in Mississippi. You are expected to carry out your "creed in all its severity, and not to flinch in the least "from its conclusions. The time may come, and I do "not doubt it will, when you will find your advantage "in it; for when the States-Rights party is formed again (and who can tell how soon it may be reorgan"ized ?) it will naturally turn at once to you, who have "stood, and stand now, like old Torquil in the romance "of Scott, all alone, battered, but not beaten, while every living soul has fallen around you."

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Mr. YANCEY was of that class, who as bold as QUITMAN, were as cautious as WILKINSON. He well knew that the Compromise could not be depended upon as a settlement of the slavery question. His own resolutions, rejected in 1848, denying the power of the people of a territory to drive out slavery before the adoption of a constitution for State government, would renew

the strife again whenever presented in a National Convention or in Congress. The question whether the Compromise of 1850 had not overthrown that of 1820 and opened up all the territories to slavery, was another entering wedge which at any time could be driven to the heart of the Union and rend it in twain. The success of the Democratic party would give the South the control of it. Let him once become the power behind the throne, and he would show himself greater than the throne! Let the deluded people North and South accept the Compromise as a finality, there were a hundred ways of renewing the agitation, and at the same time protesting that the Compromise justified it! There was no estoppel in politics. The States-Rights men were determined that the agitation should be renewed, and they knew very well that the Free Soil party were intent upon something more radical than building a platform under the end of a rainbow and attempting to fasten it to the sky with a spike.

At the Presidential election in November, the vote of Alabama was for PIERCE, 26,881; for ScorT, 15,038; for TROUP, 2,174. The vote for POLK in 1847, had been 37,740, and for CASS in 1848, 31,363. Not less than 15,000 Democrats failed to vote for PIERCE, and not less than 15,000 Whigs failed to vote for ScOTT. Here was a mass of thirty thousand reflecting men who had been driven from the Whig party by the agitation of the Abolitionists, or led away from the Democrats by the agitation of the States-Rights party. This formidable array of malcontents were ready for an advance movement.

CHAPTER XIII.

The Kansas-Nebraska Bill-Preparing for Battle Over the Outpost-Sharpe Rifles-Emigrant Societies-Rise of the American Party-Fillmore and Buchanan in the Southwest-Political Elements of the Elections of 1856, Etc., Etc.

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"At the coming election I cannot doubt that the free States take possession of this government, restore to the Constitution the proportions of power established by Washington, reinstate in full force that barrier against the extension of slavery called the Missouri Compromise, make Kansas a free State, and put an end forever to the addition of any more slave States to this Union-duties to be fulfilled at any hazard-even to the dissolution of the Union itself."—[JOSIAH QUINCEY, SR., June 5, 1856.]

**Your estate is gracious that keeps you out of hearing of our politics. Anything more low, obscene, purulent, the manifold bearings of history have not cast up. We shall come to the worship of onions, cats and things vermiculate. Renown and grace are dead.' 'There is nothing serious in mortality.' If any wiser saw or instance ancient or modern occurred to me to express the enormous, impossible inanity of American things, I should utter it."—[Rufus CHOATE, 1855.]

When the House Territorial Committee reported in 1853, a bill to organize the Territory of NEBRASKA, no question was raised as to the Missouri Compromise having been repealed by the compromise of 1850. The bill was adopted by a vote of 98 to 43. It was silent as to slavery; the whole territory, including what was afterwards Kansas, lying north of 36 deg. 30 min. Those who voted for it were alike Democrats, Whigs, and Free Soilers. This bill was reported back to the Senate by Mr. DOUGLAS, Chairman of the Senate Territorial Committee, without amendment, on the last day of the session, March 3, 1853. The debate upon