The Arkansas banner., 1848-02-08


 the advancement of Christian faith. aad the hon and being of our country. voyage 10 plant the | rst colony in the northern pat vf Virginia. de by these presents, solemny and mutually, iu the presence of God and of one another covenant and eNmhtne ourselves toEru Into civil body polltc, for our better ordering. and preservation. and inr thetaufe the ends afoEusasd And by virtae hcre- 6f do enact, cons.iiate, and frame such just and equal aws, ordinances acts. constitutions, and OGh- cers from timc 10 time shall be thought most ]
 meet and convenient for the general good of the colo ny: uase which we promise all due submission and obedienee."
 And the inhabitants of Oregon, ihFee thousand miles distant in the absence Of that guardian care which Congrses has been won't Co extend 10 other territories the political centTe. established and ment in which, eff their own volistou, without tho assistance of ordinahces, prevtsos, or "unastera- hla fantnentn article" " they prohibited dosnrsiic slxsery throughout the territory.
 The great experiment, Of self government has been fairly tried and has eiher snceeeded or failed. lfl IL has taught that afer all. man, by reason Of inhe rent defects of character Is incapable Of its succcs fnl exercise except in populoas communities ma tared by age, aud that he must remain n puFiiage until that season has arrvei. we shoad boast no more that the mysterious problem of hnman gov ernrnept has been solved but read the Declaration of Ipelcpnadence backwards and caass she claase which proclaims that gratifying truth. to be ex- papged or amended by "prvviso." We should arknowleirs the theory of free government Co be fable-tlat tho darkness Of the haInan iaieeci has been found to predominate and that the gloomy so- phisms of the tinid and the malignant speculations of the envions have prevailed
 l have aiteady shown that the whole structure of cur system favored the idea of dome tic government by the people of territories, that Il was heir right, and the question Is fully presented, whether, in view of their capacity for It's udicious exercise it IS cx pedcnt to leave their internal policy under the .tsas agNfA VvbS nes this ia theory in practice, which seeks 10 withhold 1t from the primary settlements. until they shall become populoas aud mature States, IS fonn- ded tn the same spirit of popular distrust by which inc few have, from the earliest history of maa, un- der the plea of necessity, been endeayortng t0 res trict the many In inc exercise of freedom. It tn- cuIcates system cf slavery ten fold more abect than that Ii proiesses to diseouRtsaaRee. It is the same spirit which has marmured its distrust al he extension of territorial bou ndaries, and irem- bied for the pcrpetuity of the Union on inc admis sion of new Siaic--whieh looks upon free euf- frage with eonsternation, and with hsly horror upon the naturalization of foTeigners-which would itself enslave race lest they shouii tolerate system which holds m bondage another. ltisthe of spTng of bs0try and intolerance, aad should have fn filled its mission during the middle ages- All exper- fence has shown that of thousands in the spaIse setiiemen competent to judge ofther owneon- diison, and aPs much devoted the support of law and order, as the hundreds Of thousands in po- pnIous towns and cities and that all questions con cerning their domestic policy may bc safely conf del 10 them. When our country has been tisgraced by violence and disorder, and disregard of law. h has been ceniied to the popaoas towns ahd cities. aud has not extended 10 the border settlements- should the domestic legislation of territories be le with their local legislatures, it would tansfer from the halls Of Congress the booess sectional struggles which have created bitterness at home and served degrnde our institutions a the eyes of the world. IL would leave local communities, territories, as we'll States, to consult their own interests. wish and of proprefy, and to erect or prohibit continue or abolish, such institutions as may not he repuguant to the principles of the constitution. It would leave tho federal government free to par- it's onward course unembarrassed by ma ters of sectional moment which it's coptr of is ques ion able, and must be partial and temporary. It would relieve the benevolent statesman from the strife aud irritation which now beset him, and allow his gcs 10 he devoted to the best interests o the nation, and the anne oraton of the condition Of nun. It wonId harmonss with the genial spirit of the cou siitat0n and uphold it's symmetrical Tram work It would practically acknowcdge man capacity for for self goyc rnneut and vnticae the integrity of his race Tho same spirit by which freedom is nourshed, would be nourshej by it. and society be bound together by ties of amiiy and interest,
 Then would our territorial soil he frse-not by restrict ens, psov ions, and the threatening mar dates of federal legislation, but free and scred to the cause of frecdom free for its people 10 lay the foundations of it's government on such principle', ind O gansc is powers in snca form as 10 them s1ztt seem most likely to effect their safety and hap pinessfreedom of opiniOa, of the press--of rclig- ion--of education, of commercial intefeoursc Hay ing vindicated for the people of terr tories the rights of self government enjoyed by every o'her political community 1 fsrreas to speculate whether they will be less discreet in its exercise. than would tlose who desire to subject them to the influences of an external government TT
 Let them who fear 10 ntrust free people with saIr ftr nzg xha too weak or wicked 10 conduct them JndicioRsly, sort to the mistaken and mischieyous policy of restrictive Iegisation-a system founded in blind and selfish eonceits and lmpo,ent B eff et it Is narrow in design. Such territory as we acquire will be free, and thns would leave its people, and it's domestic government Free as the people of New York or of Virginia tc iay the foundation of their government such pfineipses. and organize it's powers in such form to thcaa sha seem most
 likely to effect their safety and happiness If they shall fail 10 do this the experiment of sef govern ncni will fail with them.
 It is noaght 10 me how various crude or inoon- sistent the specuaiioas upon the principles which these resolutions eeatatn and what would be their effect if established. They stand nPod The tu' mutable basis of sef-govcrnment, and will ultimate y he vindcated and sastsined by the American pco- pie in every section of the Union. But they will bc opposed upon grounds various as the motives by which ihs opposition Is induced This Is already evidenced by sections of the public press which notice, not as newsF'aper paragraphs merely but Tor the interest they represent, Already the Charles ton Mercury of South Carolina, paper of conco- ded ability and extensive local influence, declares that their effect would be prohibit forever slavery in the acquired territory, and therefore as guar
 dian of the slave interest calls for their nsIection; and papers in other sections which em Joy the slave question as stalking horse to minister to the aPpe tites of the morbid aid alarm the fsars of the tid, discover ia them not snly lhe eject, but the de- sign 10 propagate and extend slavery. Bat leave ,l.e theories to be adjusted by those who ,has enabled to penetrate the future, and draw opposite results from the sa'Be premises; leave the practical with those vhe shall De ehaFgcd with the high responsibilities of their own eesern. ment-unier our gls1ions free system. under ihe it has framed and the Prov sidence which has watched over It. aa
 It would doubtless be wsll for these antagonisms " who fear that al. newly acqairvd ,erriiesy may be
 re-occuuied and rnonopoiiSsd either bY free labor