The republic., 1851-08-07

| The object being {" TO induce an Intelligent,
honest and cordial cooperation among our
selves and with the Wings of the other States
of the Union,'' if there be intelligence or honor
amongst the Wing party, is it possible that they
I would confirm, for the object of harmony, de-
claration of opinion bearing in its bosom the
seeds of renewed agitation and continued strife2
How could the cooperation" of a Southern
Wing be invited to repeal the Fugitive Slave
law2 How could the friends of this Admins
tration, which has suffered so much aliena-
ton and embarrassment, be expected to heap
with new fuel the altar Of political animosity2
! The purpose, then, we infer, was settle
ment of existing differences upon the basis of
acquiescence-we use term which expresses
the position of many persons in the South--in
the Compromise.
The declarations of the call establishes eff
iectually this acquiescence in the Compromise.
1t affirms "that the laws of Congress, and of
the State Legislatures, pronounced constitu-
tional by the judicial tribunals, must be en-
: forced and implicitly obeyed
Has not the most important law of the whole
seres-the Fugitive Slave law-been tested by
the most ingenious and powerful Legislative and
legal opposltion2 Has it not been pronounced
constitutional by the judicial tribunals" sen
forced' in many signal instances, and ''implcit-
| ly obeyedW Yet the call pledges the support
of the Wings of New York to this and to every
other law upon the Federal statute book in the
following language:
Constitution of the United States, in all its parts
and that they will receive its true meaning and
construction from the judicial tribunals it has Gre
ated for that purpose, and will always sustain and
defend such decisions, the law of the land, until
| they reversed by the same tribunals
| If further proof was necessary that the pur-
pose Of the ''call is settlement" based upon the
support of the Compromise by those who ap-
proved of it and acquiesced in its operations,
on the part of those who did not it will be con-
clusively shown by the extract which follows,
and which reierates the argument of the pre-
ambe
''That all who are animated by sincere desire
to preserve the Union unimpaired, and the free
institutions which il sustains and guarantees, by
which alone individual security and national peace
and prosperity can be perpetuated, must condemn
all attempts to resist, defeat, render Intellectual,
any laws passed by constitutional majorties of
Legislative bodies, in either the Federal State gov
ernments; and that the Wings of New York will
ever be found prompt to render patriotic acqui-
escence in all such laws
This clause of the call completes the terms
of the category by pledging the Wings of the
Union to g condemn all attempts to resist, de-
feat, or render Intellectual any laws passed by
constitutional majorities of legislative bodies,
either in the Federal or Stale governments, and
to render patriotic acquiescence in all such
laws" This establishes the premises with
which we set out: that this Compromise is based
upon acqulescence in the measures of Federal
compromise, with reservation of the right of
private judgment. This view is confirmed by
the just and magnanimous compliment to the
Administration which the call contains
We will find, however, an argument drawn
from the following language of the call: 'That
the Wings of the State as body are infexi-
'bly opposed to the subsection of any terri
tory of the United States now free TO laws
imposing involuntary servitude." 1t is held
that under the foregoing declaration the
! Wings Of New York are pledged to inn
pose the Wilmot provso upon the territorial
possessions of Utah and of New Mexico. We
think, as no such purpose is inferrible from the
character of the call, it certainly is not war
ranted by the passage quoted. We under
stand by this language that the Wings of New
York will oppose any authorization of terrific
| rial slavery by Congress; but it does not pledge
them to insist upon imposing any territorial re-
striction whatsoever. 1t pledges Congress
slona neutrality in regard to territorial slavery;
but coupled with this affirmation is the follow
ing
"They unqualifedly acknowledge the right of
every sovereign State to regulate it's munich
pal institutions, in such manner its people may
deem most conducive to their safety and happiness
without interference, directly or indirectly, by
citizens of other States subjects of other coun-
tries"
Now, is not this in exact accordance with the
language of the Compromise Look at the
acts establishing territorial governments in
! Utah and New Mexico. There will be found
in each the following proviso "And provided
further, that when admitted as State, tie
said Territory, or any portion of the same,
shall be received into the Union with or ,oith-
out slavery, as their constitution may pre-
scribe at the time of their admission
Can any thing more conclusively correspond
with the terms of the agreement set forth in the
cal? 1t means that Congress shall neither au-
thorize or exclude slavery from the Territories.
1t slavery were legalized by the municipal law
OF any Territory when acquired, that law would
still be the municipal law of the Territory.
1t would not be repealed by conquest or pur-
chase. We should take the people with their
laws, so far as those laws are not inconsistent
with republican form of government" If
slavery did not exist in the Territory so ac-
quired, Congress would not establish it there,
but would leave the Territory to be received
into the Union, with or without slavery, as
their constitution may prescribe at the time
of their admission If slavery did exist,
there is nothing in the card to pledge the