The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-01-24

have been deeply injured and excited by depreda-
ss Dns On Of any remedy not OPEN opposition to
all redress. II has 80 happened, however, that the
two great parties in our State, or reasons well I'M
derstood At home, have not hitherto enlisted par
| tes with either the North or the South. The sober
and dispasionate counsels and Judgment Of Ken
lucky should be needed by the North and theSouth,
and if not received in good temper should be rung
into their the admontons Of one OF this faIn-
lily of States. which has peculiar right to be heard
1t is but certain, that, il the of disunion
shall be contaminated, Kentucky again, as when the
savage aborigines possessed this country will be-
come debatable and bloody ground
Our main purpose is to speak of the part which
Kentucky should take in the pending difficulties
between the North and the South II will be ne
cessary to state the points in dispute.
The North claims and insists that slavery shall
not be extended and that it shall be abolished
within the rightfu jurisdiction and power of Con-
gress. To accomplish these purposes, the North
claims that slavery shall not be allowed in the Ter
ritories or the new States to be made out of them
and that slavery shall be abolished in the District of
Columbia. The North insists that the Congress OF
| the United States has the rightful and plenary
power to egisatc for the Territories and the Dis
rict of Columbia, and that il is just and proper that
slavery should not be tolerated within its jurisdc-
ton. sff
The South resists these claims violation OF the
spirit OF the Constitution, unfair and unjust to
the slave States, insult to the South and dar
ing aggression on the rights ofsave property The
South also complains that the people Of the North
as runaways obstruct and resist their reception,
that their courts of justice furnish redress, and
that the law made in pursuance of the Constitution
for retaining fugitive slaves is a dead letter by
reason of its covert open violation in the free
States. A
1t is not purpose to examine at length the pc
sitions and arguments Of the statesmen who have
spoken or written on these controversies. The peo
pie Of the North generally opposedsto slavery
as it exists in the South and to its extension They
have perfect right to their opinions, and the right
gress has full power under the Constitution to make
all or any laws for the regulation and government
of the territories Of the United States and the Dis
| trict of Columbia; and, to avoid all controverted
constitutional questions, this will be conceded
| But is it prudent, fair, or Just, that the North
should exclude the South from full participation
in the territorial property Of this Union that she
should urge the abolition of slavery in the District
In this investigation the following positions may
be stated facts, truths, and principles which re-
| ceive the undivided assent of wel-regulated and
/ enlightened men of all parties in Kentucky:
| l. That the territories of the United States, by
whatever title acquired, and not embraced in the
ordinance of 1885, rightfuly belongs to the people
of the United States; and the people of the States,
whether free slave States, have equal right to
their full acquisition and use.
2. That large portion of the people of the slave
States being the owners of slave property, which
in value is only exceeded by their landed property,
it is necessary to their full enjoyment and use of
the territories that they should not be obstructed in
the removal of their slaves to the territories, and
that any act of Congress which excludes the people
of the slave States from removing their slave pro-
perty into such territories would be unequal and
unjust, and would amount TO exclusive appro-
pration of the use of the territories to the free
States.
| 3. That the people of the territories, after they
shall have attained the necessary constitutional
population for admission States of this Union,
have the full right to form constitutions republican
in their character, and to be admitted as States,
whether their constitutions shall permit or exclude
slavery.
4. That the seat of the government Of the United
States having been located on lands coded by the
slave States of Maryland and Virginia, and the
government of the District of Columbia thus cedcd
being conferred on and entrusted to the Congress
of the United States, the abolition of slavery in the
District of Columbia, without the consent of the
owners of slave property, and full compensation
to be paid therefor, would be violation OF the
rights of private property, would be wanton in
sult to the people Of the slave States, and would
furnish the strongest indication of further aggres-
sion on the rights to slave property as 1t exists In
the slave States.
Whatever may be the opinions of our brethren oil
the North upon these subjects, assert with con-
fdence that politicians of all parties in Kentucky
with exceptions uncomfortable not to interfere
with fun and settled MISREPRESENTATION all the
foregoing truths and principles.
The North claims-thc South denies. The North
is the aggressor-the South resists and defends
The North is much the stronger party in numbers
and wealth; and, If il is true that the people Of q
territory have right to make such constitution
they please provided it be republican, may not the
slavery principess Is it honorable just that
she should abuse her strength by appropriating to
herself in exclusion of the South all the territories
of this Union
how does il stand? California and New Mexico
arc the only territorial possessions requiring the
action Of Congress for their government. In both
of these territories, every one knows that the peo-
hoyp ed
| opposed to slavery.
The North, with full knowledge that she will
get what she desires without agitation aggrcs-
sion, would wantonly assert and establish a claim
which is deeply offensive and insulting to the peo-
pie Of the South, and which they believe is an in
supportablc attack upon their rights.
Our fathers, who achieved our independence and
formed this Union Of States, fixed the scat of Gov.
eminent at Washington, and gave TO Congress the
government of the District Of Columbia. Congress
has met and legisated for more than fifty years Al
Washington, and now the North, not only without
the assent but against the expressed will Of the peo
pie OF the District cannot consent 10 legisae longer
in place which she would urge Is soiled with tn,
sin OF slavery. The South views il Justly as a era.
tuitous insult, and aggression on her rights
The South complains Of the North that the laws
for the reclamation of fugitive slaves frustrated
by the bad conduct Of the people in the free States
There Is not neighborhood in any of the coun-
ties of Kentucky bordering on the State Of Ohio
which does not know, feel, ind suffer in this respect
Considering the nature and extent OF the property
Vi VIC aft hus uc1poilcuS IL hds Dcth Hldttti
OF astonshment that II has not aroused and called
forth some explosions Of rctributiye violence and
revenge. We make almost moderate estimate IN
fixing the value Of the slaves scduced from, har.
bored, and lost to their owners by the counsel and
aid Of the Abolitionists of Ohio, at the sum o
$4,000 annualy-that Is 10 say, fifty slaves Of the
average value Of $500 each Suppose the people
Of Kentucky should make forays across the Ohio
and take from Ohio $4,000 worth of horses and
cattle annually, IfKentucky and Ohio were indie
pendent nations, would IL not be just cause o
war? But told that the great body of the
people of Ohio condemn negro stealing and do not
participate in It. The fact is however, that such Il
the strength influence Of the Aboltionsts, IL il
event that n single fugitive slave is recap
tured; IL he is the master has 10 pay about half his
value TO the citizen Of Ohio who assists him, and
the Ohio informer or agent IL a doomed man. We
sometimes tainted with the statement that their
courts open for redress when the fact IL that the
courts are only open to subject 10 costs.
What should be the position Of Kentucky in ref.
crence 10 these disturbing and distressing questions
The remedy proposed by some southern statesmen
is a severance of the Union
The simple utterancc Of the word dsunion in
reference TO confederation CRATES upon our feel
ings, and we may venture the opinion, that there
il not man, or woman, a child, that un-
derstands the fret rudments Of the subject who il
not dcvOtcdy attached 10 the Union nd who wotlld