Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-01-01

il promote the general benefit of the whole Unon for whc
il was created.
The practice OF the Government heretofore has been sub
siantay in accordance with these principles AT the forma
ton Of the constitution though twelve of the thirteen State
held slaves, il well understood that the northern
ones, having very few, and being without any pducemen
them, would be relieved entirely of slavery Th
Government therefore, left TO be occupied by shareholders al
that portion of its territories out of which has since heen
ated the States of Kentucky, Tennessee Alabama and Mis-
spp and provided that the country north Of the Ohio rive
should be exclusively occupied by eemen It's subsequen
policy has been consistent The compromise, the time
Missouri admitted into the Union, right in principle
though it may have been liable TO oteclon because gave
the States than three tourhs of the territory which
the Government then held The subsequent acquisitions
Florida and Texas have tended TO remedy this
do moi, however, Mr. Chairman, admit for one moment
the doctrine advanced in some quarters, that the Gov
eminent ought TO acquire territory 10 strengthen either the
free or the slave States against the other section.
Being the Government of the United States, ii is not justified
in using powers for the advancement Of the States
ut the expense Of the others If independently of these
sidetons there substantial national for the
QUESTION of territory it may be acquired Should lie on
northern frontier, them on account Of its contguy TO the
free States cold cmae and for other which need
now be given, should be made free territory Should be
on our southern border ought TO be open the citizens
the slave States, who by OF their conguy similarity
of climate, &C., would most conveniently occupy it. and il
ought to tolerate slavery Should be western border
fairness would seem to require its division with reference
| the considerations above stated.
/
rather than argument that the Declaration Independence
procams all to be free and equal that that declaration
has been repealed and that being now in force il
should control the action Of the Government. That decara
ton made to dissolve the political bonds which connected
with Great Britain Its validity for that purpose
be questioned and the act such still in force But the
which induced the Congress to take such decisive
step formed part of the act ITSELF tmght well be in
sisted that the reasons given in the report Of committee
commencing the passage Of bill formed part of the law
ITSELF The declaration, made, Supported by most
able and eloquent popular appeal to the people OF the colonies
and to all the world II made in behalf Of Satcs every
of which then held and continued to ho slaves ltneye
occurred any that day that the opinions and state
contained in the declaration became apart Of any OF the
State constitutions of the United States Even had 1t been
otherwise, has since been superseded by he constitution
the United States just the old Articles OF Confederation,
which undoubtedly in force, by that act lost heiI
validity and cannot therefore in any influence
the action Of Congress As soon, however the people Of
the territory have made republican form government for
themselves the constitution takes the general legislative powers
from Congress and gives them to the new Site.
am brought Mr. Chairman, to the consideration of a
great question in political SYSTEM Wha republican
form of government such the United Sites guarantees to
every State in the Union Eminent men With whom | ain
accustomed TO act many questions hold tat 1t gives such
control over the form of the State constitutions cannot
sanction On former occasion, in this House. when oppo
ston made to the admission Of Florida into the Union
the prosavery character Of her constitution, took
occasions when supporting her claim to admission TO express
my dissent from those doctrines. Others maintained
that this feature of the constitution ntnded exclude
slavery entirely from the Territories and The States while,
with third class, the term republcan" understood tobe
Synonymous with perfect equality politically Of all persons
whatever What is "republcan form Of government !" |
know Mr. Chairman that there is ndsposon the part Of
10 go into such considerations They Indifferent to
every thing that does not promise immediate result Many
at distractions and conemn inquiries into the unda-
mental principles Of government. IT, sir emaning igno.
Of the great principles which have regulated the rise pro-
gross, and destruction of Governments ana States could
escape entirely the action of these principles them perhaps
ignorance would he "bliss But no man escapes the
action of the natural laws by remaining ignorant Of them
The force of gravity violently upon the clown does
upon the PHILOSOPHER who understands its laws The wind
and the wages of the strike with much violence the
rude craft constructed and directed in profound Ignorance
their forces they DO the sides Of the best built ship directed
by those who familiar with the stormy If
should sleep his the stream Immediately above the
cataract Niagara he would not thereby suspend 70 him
SELF the action OF that current He who is selected 70 direct
the motions Of steam-epgne should be acquainted with its
powers The laws which control the Of States and
the action Of Government not less Fixed and certain than
those which operate in the physical world.
What, then, is Republican form Of Government thai
system which control the political destnes Of the people
of the American Union Perhaps there few our
language difficult TO define precisely Mr. Madison in
the Federast admits much In Walkers and Johnson
dictionaries the books Of the kind perhaps common
among Us, "epubic" is defined be I" State in which
the powerGs lodged in than one In this definition thew
seem TO follow Addison. Worcester who has published the
latest and most comprehensive dictionary, ga cpul
lie may lie either democracy asocracy. In the lat
ter II i vested in nobility privileged class of compa
atvely small number Of persons This is substantially
the same with MontesQueus denitono of republic in his
Spirit Of Laws Polybius, whom, notwithstanding the early
times in which he lived regard perhaps the sagacops
Of political writer's considers republic mixture Of the
features Of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy equal
proportions that any OF these powers estates might
by their combination, be able prevent the usupaon or
abuses Of the third. Such government, he thought would
by its Executive the strength Of monarchy; BY lis
Senate The feadsss and cisdom Of asocacy and BY its
democracy ensure that its action would be directed TO the pro-
motion OF the public good He regarded the Roman Govern
ment Of hs day. then in its pures heahies and PR
feet condition. though afterwards decayed and DESTROYED
in the manner pointed out and predicted by hm-he, saw
looking this Government with the dsnterested eve Of
stranger and captive, pronounced il the perfect repub
lc that had been known refer particularly TO this
Government, because the word "republic'' Roman
word invented to designate, and always applies to- that ys
tenn Not only did monarchca and aristocrac features pre-
dominate in its constitution but il sustained the system Of do
mestic slavery in its most extensive FORM During than
three hundred years. and the period Of its greatest srengand
prosperity computed that the whole number Of slaves
three times great the number Of eemen Atheneus
states that he knew many Romans who owned ten and twenty
thousand slaves single freedman in the reign Of Angus
tus bad acquitted at the time Of his DEATH above four thou
sand slaves.
II we down 10 times, find that these views
OF political writer's familiar 10 the minds Of the trainers
OF our constitution, and constant topics Of discussion in the
Convention Mr. Gerry, Of Massachusetts, said "he evils
we experience flow from the Of democracy. The peo
e do not want virtue but the dupes Of pretended pa,
OTIS In Massachusetts, il has been fully confirmed y arpe
renee that they are daily misled into hmo baneu meas