Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-02-12

: lie two sections stood arrayed against each other
G the South in favor OF the bill without amendment
and the North opposed to it without it. The debate
and agitation continued until the session was wei
. advanced but it became apparent towards its clos,
that the people Of Missouri were liked and resolved
:. IN their opposition to the proposed condition, ant
That they would certainly reject it and adopt
stnton without it. should the bill pass with the
Il condition Such being the case, it required nc
great effort of mind to perceive, that Missouri once
in possession ola constitution and government, no
simply paper, but with Legislators elected ant
officers appointed, to carry them into effect, the
: grave questions would be presented whether she
was of right State or Territory and if the latter
= whether Congress had the right, and if the right
the power to abrosate her constitution, ,lisperse hel
legislature, and to remand her back to the territor
t a, coi.,.ttion.
q These were great, and, under the circumstances
fearful questions-too fearful to be met BY those
who had raised The agitation, from that time the
only question was how to escape from the difficulty
Fortunately a means was afforded. A conpro-
mise Gas it was caed) was offered, based on the
terms that the North should cease to oppose the
admission Of Missouri on the grounds for which
the South contended, and that the provisions of
the ordinance Of 1877, fer the government Of the
Northwestern territory, should be applied to all
the territory acquired by the United States from
France, under the treaty Of Louisiana lying North
Iof So 80, except the portion lying in the State of
Missouri. The Northern members embraced it :;
and although not originating with them, adopted
it as their own. 1t was forced through Congress
Iby the almost unanimous votes Of the North.
against minority consisting almost entirely Of
;, members from the Southern States.
i Such was the termination Of this, the first con-
hIct, under the constitution, between the two sec
tons, in reference to slavery in connection with ter
|1itories. Many hailed it as permanent and final
adjustment that would prevent She recurrence of
similar conflicts; but Others less sangune took the
Iopposite and more gloomy view, regarding it as the
precursor OF tram OF events which might rend the
Union asunder, and PROSTATE our political system
One oil these was the experienced and sagacious
Jefferson. Thus far tine would seem to favor bis
|forebodnss. May returning sense Of Justice, land
a protecting Providence, avert their final fulfil
ment.
For many years the subject Of slavery in refer
ence to the territories ceased TO agitae the coun
try. Indications however, connected with the
question OF annexng Texas, showed clearly that it
was ready to break out again, with redoubled VIC
lence, on some future occasion. The difference in
the case of Texas was adjusted by extending the
Missouri compromise line OF So 80, from its term-
nus, on the western boundary of the Louisiana ur.
chase, 10 the western boundary of Texas. The agi
tation again ceased for short period.
J The war with Mexico soon followed, and that
terminated IN the acquisition Of New Mexico and
Upper California, embracing an area equal to about
ene-haf the entire valley OF the Mississippi. If to
this We add the portion of Oregon acknowledged to
be ours by the recent treaty with England, our
whole territory on the Pacific and west Of the
Rocky mountains will be found to be in extent but
little less than that vast valley The near prospect
Of 60 great an addition rekndlod the excitement
between the North and the South in reference to
slavery IN Its conneXlon with the territories, which
has become, since those OH the Pacific were acqui-
red, more universal and intense than ever.
These effects have been TO widen the difference
between the two sections, and to give more de-
teTmned and hostile character to their conhict.-
The North no longer respects the Missouri com.
promise line, although adopted by their almost II.
unanimous vote Instead of compromise. they avow
that their determination is to exclude slavery from
all the territories ofthe United States, acquired O.
to be acquired and OF course to prevent the citi
zens OF the Southern States from emigrating with
their property in slaves into any Of them. Their
object, they allege. is to prevent the extension OF
Slavery and ours to extend it, thus making the is
sue between them and us to be the naked question:
shall slavery be extended or not We do not deem
1t necessary looking to the object of this addressto
examine the question so fully discussed at the last
session, whether Congress has the right to exclude
the citizens Of the South from immgrang with
their property into territories belonging to tile CON
federated States ofthe Union. What we propose
in this connexion is, to make a few RENAL Ks on
what the North alleges enormously, to be the issue
between us and them
So far from maintaining the doctrine which the is
sue implies, we hold that the federal government
has no IlSnt 10 extend or restrict slavery, more
than to establish or abolish it nor has It anv right
uhate YER to distinguish between the domestic In
situations Of one State or section and another, in
order 10 favor the one, and discourage the other
AS the federal representative of each and all the
States, tits bound to deal out. within the snbere ot
its powers, equal and exact Justice and favor to all.
To act otherwise, TO undertake to discriminate be-
tween the domestic institutions Of one and another
would be to act iii total subverson of the end for
which twas established; to be the common protector
guardian of all. Entertaining .hese opinions. we
ask not as the North alleges we do. for the ex
tension OF slavery That would make discrimi
al as the discrimination they ask against us in their
favor. Ii is not for them nor for the federal rov.
} eminent to determine whether our domestic ins
pressed or preserved 1t belongs to us. and nc on.
Iy, to decide such questions What then we do in
sist on is not to extend slavery but that we shall
not be prohibited from ENGRAVING with our prop