The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-02-18

pendence the patriots Of the revolution took early
to guard they could the union OF the
States against the evils with which they foreaw would
be threatened from this source
Southern men, whose names synonymous with oil
virtues which sdorn the human character such as
riots lent their aid and the influence of their great
to the promotion Of this obsct when tbs federal
constitution framed and adopted Mr. Jefferson was
not In the Unit<d Stacsbut before he lefc them, no
introduced int5s1ongrtss the principle which was
emb in the ordinance Of 1877 for the government
Of the Northwestern territory, by which that body,
with the declared purpose of ATTENDING the underneath
principles of cirI and religious liberty Which form the
sa,: on %sM ss Sa rather
slavery Involuntary servtude In said territory,
otherwise than In the punshment OF crime whsreof the
party shall have been first duly convicted This ordi.
nance be IL remembered raced In It's provisions all
The territory which the United States then possessed and
the principal part II not the whole OF which, SLAVERY
then prmted by law. This great charter Of frsedo.n
passed in Congrers by the all but unanimous vote Of all
the states The representatives Of every soasnsTn
then prominent In tbs public service, there was
not that We know Of, either from the kerth or the
south, the East tho West, but single disssntient
slave State made tho principle oeesion Of the territory
upon which the ordinance to opeate and southern
statesmen med It to take the lead in all the
sures for the amelioratioa aud limitation Of slavery
Congress having thus an they hoped, closed forever
Of the original States all that remaiacd to be done,
prevent its by foreign Importation The
ground work for the accomplishment OF this great OBJ
The convention to frame the present federal constitu
on in session when the Jeifsrsonisn ordinance
passed and 1t completed tho work In which Congress
had made 30 much progress, by two important prov-
sons viz comforting authority Congress TO pro-
hbit the Introduction OF slaves into the United states
just been doing the sutsct Of slavery auhorisng
to make all needful rules and regulations respecting the
States And among the drst acts Of tho rat Congress
under the constitution composed in part the
sons who had framed It, act to confirm the ordi
uniform harmonious
action upon the of slavery the part of the
southern statesmen Of those days, was not only dictated
thropy and patriotism, but was really calculated to
subssrvs policy which they did not attempt to conceal
or Disguise They regarded the existence OF slavery in
the United States misfortune, In any aspect In
which it could be viewed, of the first magnitude
misfortune which could not fail to prove disastrous
the welfare the whole country and destined to bear
with the greatest severity the States of the south
where prevailed to the greatest extent and was ost
neither its present existence attr
outable to their fsult-'hat the blame In this res.
poet rested upon the mother country and so
strongly were the leading minds OF the South
in civil aft airs, impressed upon this point that the
promotion of the trade with the colonies
Of the charges against Great Britain preferred in the
original draft OF tho declaration OF Independence
They commended that as 1t could not now b removed
by any known means it must be tolerated until Ia the
providence OF God, some mode OF detverance was pre-
scented, which could not then be devised.
They foresew ss We h,ve already said, that its
xstence, when was likely to be soon the case, be-
coutoed section OF the country, might give
rise to heartburnpgs and contention. They met this
danger promptly sasonably and justly by showing their
Willingness adopt any practicable measure to prevent
the increase OF evil tho removal o which was beyond
their present power 1t Mastered not to minds and
hearts like theirs that the territories in respect to
which they legisated at hs tims parts Of slsve
States and subject to the ofsaveTy so that
1t had not actually obtained footing there.
Havi6k thus shown their disposition to do all they
could upon The sutj ect and having effected so much
they felt that they could rely upon the Justice tbs
patriotism and the fatsrna feelings of their sisters of
fedoraCy.
States not only for total abstinence from Interference
with the subject in States where slavery
active aid ia the mitigation of its u effects The
result has shown that they judged correctly Every at
tempt by tho msguieded men OF tbs North to disturb
the slave states upon this delicate subject though
vex1ious and irritating, has proved substantially harm
lsss On the other hand, no opinion has come more
firmly rooted in the minds and hearts Of the Northern
people, than tina. which incucaes the absolute nvioa-
bty Of the susc Of slavery IN the Ststes against ex
terna interference or the extent to which tne demo-
cracy of New York and their public fuuctonayies have
contributed to tue OF this sound
constitutional doctrine We need not II our
people lot think they ought to be-
that has not been done in this than was
quired by the constitution, demanded by tbs comfy OF
States due to the fraterna feefugs which have
long existed between and Southern brehern will
either relax Ia future efforts regret tho past
In whatever light ous conduct may nov be viewed by
those whom we wished to befr-nd The policy estab.
lshed BY universal consent at the very commence
ment of the government and which we desire uphold
not only sHectus in maiut aiming harmony between
the free and States but It has 10 other respects
been productive Of most useful results Is beyond all
DOUBT, TO influences enect ina,
tant and fourishng States Of OHIO Indiana and Illinois
at this moment free States that slavery would othcr
wise have bsen dRused through Northwestern terri
tory and thus ed Ia the States alluded
to- is certain Such the triumphant results Of this
wise policy whilst the counsels and opinions Of the
Washingt0ns, Jefersons, and their compatrote, pre-
vailed the south, and equally eautary would hsJe
been its future fruits had they not been SO widely de-
country that there be single local interest
feeling that Is not made the Of political and par
tisan agitation From the period of the great civil re-
vha,h fha fn LLAMA NJ
democracy of this State the politics of the Unic
changed, the election of Thoms, jefferson secured
to the present day. the democratic party here have had
to encounter the vituperation opponents in
gard to their course upon the slave question They
have been stigmazsd as hewers o. wood aud drawers
Of water to the large Shareholders of the south because
they willing to sustain not only their poll
tical brethren, but the whole people Of the south
rights. That our political ranks were constantly
weakened by position 90 liable to perversion, oui
be- doubted But ths demands tina. were made upon u,
by the south just aud constitutional that tbs
idea Of abandoning our political allies OF the south In
this respect their and adyersars never occurred
to the single hearted democracy OF the North While
the state Of thing, here not possible to
tne South However much 1t might havo bse desired,
the political association which had 80 long existed be-
dy democracy of the North party association which
had done much for the OF the true tin
cpes Of the could not in the then state OF
the slave question: be dissolved Its future continuaucs
has been brought in jeopardy md how
has this omnous and baleful cnange effected We
need scarcely say that II has been accomplished by
entire revolution in bc position Of the democracy OF the
North and s ,uth In regard to the slave question.
The rejecting portion Of the people every where
astonished by the advocacy, by distinguished as
well for their great talents for political and social
elevation of creed upon the SUBJECT Of slavery
creed widely different from that when was entertained
by the founders Of the repub, and the fathers OF our
political church at tbs South. Instead OF regarding
slavery az an evil to be restricted In ia spread far
ss could be constitution ally and justly done,
called upon to regard 1t IS blessing which deserved 70
be psrpstued Instead OF regarding the prevalence OF
the progress of the republic rs an OBSTACLE 10
he because its removal could not be safely at
tempted claim of favor Set up In its bshsif, az
constituting the surest basis for free institutions
ver,s Of the CID policy was Of demanded by the
advocates of this creed The success at
tbs south of yi,ws repuynant to the common sense
nd feeling Of almost all mankind but little
apprehended. But thoss who regarded 1t thus lightly
when 6rst broahed had formed but imperfect coneep