The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-21

p0lcy and the keystone SSdtc mas suiIered not De-
cause the South has been adverse, but because her
own Democratic representatives have failed her in
the hour of need REPUBLIC
The keystone State.
II was with great pleasure that we noticed in
your paper of yesterday the bill introduced into
the Legislature of Pennsylvania, and which we
are assured will become law, for repeating all
those parts of her act of lS47 which appear in
any manner to manifest disposition to conflict
with the provisions OF the Constitution in rela-
ton to the recapture of fugitive slaves leaving
in force only the first and second sections of that
act, and those, too, with proviso that 'they
impose no barrier to prevent the proper exc
cution of the late act Of Congress, passed by
authority of the third clause, second section,
and fourth article of the Constitution of the
United States, which provides for the recove-
ry Of fugitives from labor, escaping from one
State to another, approved the 18th of Septem
Der, 1850"
In thus seconding the action of Congress in
regard to this distracting question, Pennsylva-
mia entities herself to the thanks of the nation.
Her uniform devotion to the cause of the Union
has secured to her the title of the keystone
State, and her recent course has shown that il
was not undeserved. Of all the States north
Of Mason and Dixon's line, she is almost the
only one of whom it may truly be said that
anti slavery agitation has no existence within
her borders. Here and there may be found an
Abolitionist--a believer in the s'hgher law
but so decided has been the failure of all at
tempts to produce excitement, that the thing is
now abandoned, not again to be resumed. She
stands by the Constitution now, and as we
trust, for ever.
Nevertheless of all the States of the Union,
she is the one that has most suffered, and now
most suffers, under the ntrevenue policy adj
vOcated by her southern friends She ID the
great producer of iron, and could in little time
supply the world; for her coal and ore beds are
imitless in extent, and need but few years of
protection against the unceasing variations of
English prices to enable her to supply it as
cheaply as any country in the world. To the
vast strides she made under the tariff of 1912,
and to the competition thus established with
England ARE to be attributed the present lowprices
of iron; and instead of affording her aid in this
period of extreme depression, we see, to our
great regret, large portion OF the South united
for the maintenance of the system under which
she suffers. She stands by the South, yet is
she crushed by the South. Should such things
be- Is it not time for our southern friends TO
open their eyes to the fact that in crushing that
noble State, the bulwark of the South, they
are injuring themselves; whereas they would
benefit themselves, and secure the maintenance
of their own rights, by aiding her in this her
hour of adversity2 In standing by them
throughout the late contest--in saying to the
North, thus far shalt thou go, but no further
and in doing this when herself severely suffer
ing-she has shown her magnanimity. Should
not her southern friends display some magma
nimity in return?
Iron is produced, as we are informed, in more
than twb-thjrds of the counties of the State;
and, were our southern friends to visit them,
they would find, as we are informed, in every
iponmaster, as well as in every cotton and
woolen manufacturer, staunch friend of the
Union. The exceptions, as we are assured,
are SO few as barely to suffice to prove the
rule. Friends of the Union and Of the Consti
tuition they have been, and such they yet are,
although throughout the State their mines
and furnaces are closed, and being closed, pre-
paratory to passing into the hands of the sher-
| iff; and this in consequence Of Legislation by
their southern friends, whose rights they have
| maintained, and desire still to maintain. Their
hands are being weakened by the men whose
| rights they have advocated. Their workmen
are turned adrft, to seek for food for themselves,
their wives, and their children and this, too,
at the moment when the Abolitionst desires
! them to believe that the object of southern
policy is TO reduce the free laborer Of the
North to level with the slaves of the South,
and that ifthey would have employment, with
| wages to enable themselves to provide for those
wives and those children, they must become
Free soiers-p political Abolitonists. Should
they believe the tale, and should Pennsylva-
MIA, now the buttress of the South, be driven
| to take part with the North, the fault will not
! be hers. She has labored for the Union, and
| all that she asks from the Union is that she
may be protected against the endless changes
| Of British policy, and British prices, until she
shall have acquired strength to meet the COM
petition We entreat our southern friends to
| reflect whether this state OF things should be
permitted to continue, and whether the Key
| stone State, always the friend of the South,
has not right to expect other things at the
hands of the South.