Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1845-12-23


Some Of our sensitive nothern gentry say
Texas may not be admitted into the Union
because she has not Republican Consti-
tuition. And why has she not a Repuhli-
can Constitution? Because the holding of
slaves is tolerated, and the Legislature may
not pass law abolishing slavery. We will
admit that prohibiting the Legislature from
ever touching the subject might much bet
Ter have been omitted. ltappears 10 be a
sort Of an implied fear, that notwithstanding
the ''legislation, OF two hundred years has
sanctioned the insiiIuion," il may not BE-
immutable; but believing so, why they feal
10 leave the matter 10 the people who must
always control the Legislature, we cans
imagine. But it is not important; the same
power that made the constitution can alter
it, and the people can abolish slavery il the
Legislature cannot, which is just as well.
But the main ant-Republ;can feature o.
the constitution, is the sanctioning Of hold
ing negroes as property. This cur north
ern friends say is anii-republ;can. But does
their say-so make it so. The Constitution
of Texas prohibits the establishment Of q
Bank in their midst, because they consd-
er it an engine Of oppression, and therefore
anti-republican. The constitution Of Mass
achusetts tolerates this thiag which Texas
calls ant!-republ;can, but prohibits Negro
slavery which Texas calls republican. Who
shall decide when Doctors disagree? Ii is
not anti-republican for few men to assem-
bic, say in Mass, and concoct some mon
strous scheme of fraud which will plumber
their unsuspecting neighbors and by trick
procure the enactment of law to sanction
t, but it is anii-republcan in the extreme
for Texas, throwing aside all hypocrisy, to
boldly proclaim property in :heir fellow
man. and announce determination of
sticking 10 it. Poor, foolish. unsophistica-
ted Texas. She has evidently taken no de.
grees yet in the school oc cunning, but
shocks the ears Of her sensitive northern
brethren by calling things by their rIgh,
names. But if she is not deaf TO all teach
ing and all example we may hope for hel
yet. Why can she not profit by the exam
pie Of England, which is initiated as nearly
rs possible, by her northern neighbours
they labor under 10 suspicious Of lack Of
tepubl. canism. True, laws arc enacted, the
results ofwhich make the labor oftwo thirds
of the population worth less than southern
slave labor, and give for all practical purpo-
ses, he who has filched the capital of the
country,a possession of the laborcr, but there
is no lack Of Tepublicanism there. Certain.
y not. Why speaking of repnbicanism
there is not republican constitution in the
world. There is no true and rational lib.
crty, nor can there be except in virtue,
which unfortunately is by no means sufii-
ciently general. But there is thing which
is called republcanism, which as near as we
can make out, means the peculiar ins;iiu.
tons which the majority choose 10 enact.
and as it requires nothing but the mere say
SO, to make the constitution of Massachu-
sets, strictly republican, we rather think
Texas can procure an endorsement. We
have ourselves somewhat exalted notions of
rcpublicanism, which notions if we should
tell them would doubtless be called vision.
airy and enthusiastic, therefore we shall not
tell them, but content ourselves with advo-
eating the very best republicanism TINT the
popular mind is capable of app:e ciating,
knowing we'll that the tendency is onward &
upward, and although We cannot yet have
the state of,hings we desire, it nevertheless
81 coming.