Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-12-15

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Ins'iy demand all which "a ruigin drsre In obi
'an. Earh. in ih- uu- spirit uf rur insihLiiuui
should coucedr snm-lhing 10 ihe oihtr.
Our gaiIam forces ia the MrNiran wnr, bv
~hosr pairUJism snd unparalleled deeds ofnrtDs
We oblaln'd ,hese possessious. as an indemnify
lur our Iusl demands against Mrxiro. were com.
pase olcinZshs Who belong, q 10 rouue St,te or
section Of our Union. They were meo frsu
slave holding aud non slDx6 koldinp S,aies-i
from tbs Nouh and Sourh, from The Eus and
West. They were all companions in arms, and
ieilow cHEeus Ui iiie same common country,
engug ln the SAME common cause.
" hen prosecuting Ihal war they were breth.
ren aud friends, aHd shared alike with each 9th.
er common tolls. dangers, and suiT rings. Now,
when their work Is ended, when peace Is resio.
red, and they return again 10 their homes. put
vi ihe habltmenls Of war, take their places in
society, aud resume their pursuits in civil life.
surely spulI Of harmony aud concession, and
OF equal regard for the rights of all. md Of ali
sections Of The Union ough, to prevail in proy..
ding Governments Tor the acquired ,crri,ories-
The lruII Of their common service. The whole
people OF The Unhed States aud Of every Stale
contributed 10 dciruy the expenses Of that war;
and 1t would not be just for any one section TO
exclude another from all participation in The ac-
quIrCd ieTliory. This would not be in con.
sonauce with the past system Of Government
which the irumers Of the Constitution sdopted
The question is believed TO be rather al sract
than practical, whclher slavery ever can or
would exist IN any portion Of the acquired terri
tory, even if il we're left to the option Of the
slsyehoding slacs themselves. From the ma.
lure Of the climate aud productions, in much the
larger portion Of il, il is certain il could never
exist; aud IN the remainder, the probabinesare,
Il would not. But, however this may be, the
question, involving as il does, principle of e.
quality Of rights Of the separate and several
sIaies as cqual co-Pauners in the conlederacy,
should not be dsregarded.
10 organizing governments over these terrific.
ues 10 duty imposed on Congress by the Con-
sIIIuIon requires that they should legisaie on
The subject ol slavery. while their power 10 do
50 is not only serious questioned, bat denied bv
many Of the soundest expounders Of thai in
srumeut. Whether Congress shall legislaie or
not, the people Of the acquired territories, when
assembled in convention 10 form State constitu-
lions, will possess - sole and exclusive power
10 determine for themselves whether slavery
shall or shall moi exist within their limits. if
Congress shall abstain from interfering with the
question, the people Of these territories will be
left Tree IL adjust has they may think proper
when they apply Tor admission as states into the
lEiUn. No eLuclmcnI Of Congress could res
Iraln The people Ul any Ui the Southern States
o. the Union, old or new, north or SOUTH slave.
holding or non sayehcdiug, from determining
The character o. their own domestic institutions
as they may deem wise and proper. Any and
all the States possess this right, and Congress
cannot deprive them Of il. The people of Geor.
ga might, If they chose so to alter thcr conslitu-
ton as 10 abolish slavery within its limits; and
the people Of Vermont might so alter their Con-
stiluuon as 10 admit slavery within its imits.-
Both States would possess the right; though as all
know. Il is probable that etherwould exeuiI.
It's fortunate for the peace and harmony of
the Union that this question is in its nature tenn
porary, ard can only conIinde for the brief pc.
riod which will intervene before California aud
New Mexico may be admitted as States inIo the
Union. From the tide Of population now Aow-
! ing into them, it's highly probable thai this will
soon occur.
Considering the several States and the citizens
ot the several States have equal r.gh under The
ConSuIuuon,h this were an original question, it
might well be insisted on, that The principle OF
non interference is The true doctrine. and thar
Congress could not, in the absence of anv ex.
press grant Of power, interfere with their rela.
i've rights. Upon great emergency. however.
and under monacng dangers to The Union. the
Missouri compromise line, in respect 10 slavery.
was adopted. The same line was extended fur.
ther west IN the acquisition of Texas. After
an acquiescence of nearly thirty years in the
principle OF compromise recognized and es,ab-
Ilshed by these acts, and TO avoid the danger 10
the Union which might follow, If unwisely now
dlsregarIed. have heretofore suggested, thar
that line Of compromise should be extended on
the parallel Of 56 deg. 80 min. from the wes-
tern boundary Of Texas, where il now termi-
mates, 10 The Pacific Ocean. This is the middle
ground oi compromise upon which the different
sections oI the Union may meet, as they have
heretofore met. If this be done, II is confident
Iy believed large majority o. the people of ev-
cry section OF The country, how ever widely
their abstract opinions of the subject of slavery
may differ, would cheerfuy and patriolicallv
acquesce in it, and peace and harmony would
again flll our borders.
The restriction north of the line, was only
]
on principle Of compromise, made necessary
Tor the sake OF preserving the harmony, and pos
sibIy the existence of The Union.
II was on these considerations that at the
close of your last session, gave my sanction to
principle of the Missouri compromise line, by
approving and signing the bill to establish .'the
territorial government of Oregon" From
sincere desire TO preserve the harmony of the
Union, and N Difference for the acts of my pre-
decessors, felt constrained to yield my acqui-
essence TO the extent to which they had gone in
compromising this delicate and dangerous ques-
uon. Butt Congress shall now reverse the de-
clsion by which the Missouri compromise was
effected, and shall propose to extend the res.
friction over The whole territory, south as we'll
as north of the Paralal of Sc deg, 80 mn., il
will ceaset be a acompromise, and must be regar-
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