Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-09-10


Governments are but the creatures Of men, mould
ed into form and being by their aggregate opin.
ION and action. The tendency is rather, 80 10
speak, in this country to a centrifugal than TO a
eenirPe'ul direction, and for one we look with
real aaIm upon those capricious notions which
hnds most security where there is the creates,
diversity and expansion. General Jackson was
deemed no hereto, even by the Democracy, be-.
lore Democracy run mad, for throwing out such
an idea as this, and, with all due delerence 10
others. we do hold that there is real danger 10
the Union, in the greater expansion of the coup.
| try. One or more harbors upon the Pacific il
may be well enough to secure, and such com.
merelal privileges as may bring rs TO a more ca.
sy communication with the Pacifc-but we en-.
ter our protest. feeble as il is. against the acoui.
suon ot more territory. We do so in The 6rst
place, to avoid lhet terrible conflict between free
and slave States, which must be the consequence
of any attempt to add slavery to the Union.-
Cheated, as the free States we're, BY the annex.
a'on OF Texas, with almost a prohbilive power
against the abolition Of slavery, they cannot be
exPecedsllently TO scquiesce in the attempt made
10 dupe them a second time. We take il, then,
TO be fixed fact" lh0I there shall be no more
territory added TO the Union by Wing consent
not an acre nor a rood Of ground.
We are willing, so far TO compromise with the
South, upon this question. We will keep out
slavery, by putting bounds and Limits 10 its terri.
torial expansion-and we do not think the free
States can, or ought to do more. By doing this,
they prevent that war Of words, which may be-
come the civil war Of deeds, in revying the fury
Of sectional and State conflicts.
The Government organ is feeling its way
10 the advocacy Of converting the free soil of
Mexico into one where slaves-and American
slaves, TO our shame be it spoken-may be trans.
planted. The Union asks us,
"low is it to be adjusted, but BY a compromise
which will appropriate part of the territory TO
one portion Of our people, and throw open anolh.
er partt the owners Of slaves, with the privilege
TO The entire inhabitants of this portion TO come
into the Union, with constitution framed in this
respect to suiI themselves"
This is playing the Annexation prelude over
again, and we seasonably warn our friends of the
beginning Of the end.
We are for the Union as it is, for our bounda.
res as they are. No more territory-no more
slavery, and no more dismemberment of the Re.
public Of Mexico. At the price ofwar and blood
we have not only robbed her Of the country be.
tween the Nueces and The Rio Grando, but con.
summaled the separation Of the old Province oil
Texas from The Mother country. Even now,
we doubt not peace could be secured with the
consent of Mexico, both by an acquiescence in |
the past, and with pledge to pay the amount Of
her Indebtedness to the American people.
The American people, we think, take this view
oi the case. We have the acknowledgment of
the Knoxville Sentinel, Ia Democratic paper,
published in Mr.. Folks own Slate,) admitting
that the Wings carried Tennessee on the grounds
that the war had been unconsltulonalIy brought
on. that the President might have avoided it, and
that it had not been prosecuted with view to
get peace.
We cannot doubt that they will triumph in
Pennsylvania upon The same issue, and the ad.
diliona one that there shall be no more terrific.
ry and no more slavery engralled upon our
Union.
To be called "the Mistress of the world" was
the delight Of Rome, and so in this New World,
may covet similar distinction for the American
Republic, but let us at least remember enough
of the fate ofthe Old, not TO shpwreck The New,
by repetition Of past folies and offences.
"Twcre long to tell, and sad to trace,
Each step from Splendor to disgrace"
but those who will view the past will add in
ruth, as was written ofthis very Rome,
Mo foreign foe could quell
Herself, till from herself she fell,
Twas establishment paved the way,
To villains bonds and despots sway"