Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-04-05
For the Portage Sentinel.
Acquisition OF Territory.

the general principles of expediency ad-
NIT the propriety Of the acquiring Of more
territory; but who oppose it on the account
Of its being liable to become slave terrific,
ry. The institution Of Slavery,we believe
here, in the State of Ohio, is great So
cial, moral and political evil; and it is nat
ural for US, after, by our constitution, ex-
cluding forever from US this edious insti-
tuition, to look with jealousy upon any
measure, or line Of policy that will be lia-
bic to extend or perpetuate it IN this or
any other country. But at the same time,
we hold that where there are two evils be.
tween which from destiny we must choose,
tho lesser evil becomes blessing in pref
erence io'the greater. At the time the
| several colonies were established, and for
long time subsequently, the traffic in
slaves was looked upon as honorable; and
each nation was on strife with its neighbors
tor Its share in the slave trade. The New
World became the common mart for the
sale Of the enslavsd Africans. Some of
the colonies, as Virginia, demonstrated a.
gainst their introduction; but what could
they effect against the powerful influence
OF propr.etors in England. In those colo
nies where the slave labor was most prof.
liable, there they became most numerous,
while in the Northern colonies few were
ever introduced, because Of the climate and
productions being adverse to slave labor.
They, therefore, took measures early to
abolish it. But in the Southern colonies
the climate and productions being favora-
bic to slave labor, and that being in keep.
ing with the spirit Of the age, the slaves
increased until, even before the revolution,
the principal property Of many in the South
was in Slaves. When the colonies were
established they each had charter from
the crown granting certain things and re-
stric.ions, therein named, to it, among 9th.
er things were the limits and boundary Of
each.
When they afterwards united and achiev.
ed by the Revolutionary war their inde.
pendance, each colony claimed the extent
Of chartered limits, and in consequence a
vast unoccupied domain belonged to Vir-
ginia and some Of the other States. If the
Union had not been formed the greater par.
Of the Northwest of the Ohio river, which
now forms the States Of Ohio, Indiana, H.
linois, Michigan and the North West, would
have been slave territory. This States
were induced to cede TO the general gov
ernment their claims to the public lands;
and Congress by an ordinance prohibited
Slavery in the territory Northwest Of the
Ohio. | mention this to show how much
the area of the free States have been en-
larged by the Union. .-.
The United States without the acquisi.
ton Of Louisiana would have been depriv-
ed Of the political advantages she has de.
rived from it, and the Navigation Of the
Mississippi would have always been vex-
ed question. Without Florida the United
States could never have been secure on the
Gulf of Mexico. As far as the free States
are pecuniarly affected by those acquisi-
tions i. is favorable; and the question of
sla vsry,in the nature Of things,is local, and
is a subject for legislation only in those
States where it exists. Each State is
Sovereignty, and the confederation is only
for general and specified purposes named
in the Constitution. 1t is as idiS for the
citizens of Ohio and Massachusetts to trou-
BILE themselves on the account Of the do
mestic institutions of Virginia and South
Carolina; as it would be for them to inter-
fsre with the domestic affairs of France or
England.
Texas was settled by emigrants prirci-
pally from the United States. They took
10 their new homes what was by them held
as property. Those going from the South
ern States took slaves with them. When
they formed their constitution, majority
were in favor Of retaining the institution
of Slavery. 1t was, and would have re-
mained slave State if not admitted. The
institution Of slavery was not affected by
its admission. But like the Louisiana
purchase the benefits of the whole Union
were consulted by its annexation.
Slavery existed at the time Of the adop-
ton of the Con stitution. The laws of the
slave States recognize the slaves to be
property. The States all have an equal
right under the Constitution to the use and
protection Of their property as States, and
that Of their respective citizens. 1t is idle
then to suppose that the general govern
ment has right 70 legislate SO as to pre-.
vent the owners Of slaves from taking their
property to any public lands they may
purchase Of the United States to settle upon,
unless by general consent, or comprom-
Use; and if this consent and compromise
cannot be effected, j. should not Operate
prejudicial to the ACQUISITION of territory,