The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-11-11
POLITICAL.
.V @ ~. u. v n .

gI EHE " hcii tiC uuSCF,lllieH( or inc
United, States was established, the
two sections were nearly equal
sntrtspcct to the two clements Of
which it IS composed; 4 fact Which,
doubtless, hail much influence,
in determining the Convention to
select them as tho basis of its
construction. Since then, tlcir
equality in reference to both, has
been destroyed, mainly through the
action Of the Government established
tor their mutual benefit. The first
step towards it occurred under the
old Congress Of tic confederation.
1t vas among its lost acts. It took
place while the Convention, which
formed the present Constitution and
Government, was in session and may
DC regarded rs contcmporancous with
It. | refer to the ordinance Of 1857,
which, among other things, contained
aprovision excluding slavery from
the North Western Territory; that is,
from the whole region lying between
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
The effect of this was, to restrict the
Southern States, in that quarter, to
the country lying South Of it; and to
extend the Northern over the whole
Of that great and fertile region. It
was literally to restrict the ono and
extend the ether; for the whole ter.
ritory belonged to Virginia, the
leading State Of the former section.
She, with a disintcrcstcd patriotism
roscly cqnallcd, cedcl the whclc,
gratuitous'y, to tic Unioh- with tho
exception Of Il very limited portion,
reserved for the payment of her
officers and soldiers, for services
rendercdin the war Of the revolution.
i'h.se 8Sesth -sreceised5 \ no equivalent
gsy sssS s 's
slieilas Iff & con.
st,tutissa the ss:s, to
IS deliver 81 Rngitivc slaves. A.s'' It is
probable that there was an nm.
dcrssandinS anon. the parties, that
It should be inserted in both
Instruments; rs the old Congress aid
the Convention were then in session
in tho same place: and that it con.
tributcd much to induce the Southern
mclabcrs of the former to agree to
the ordinance. But be this as il
may, both, in practice, have turned
opt equally worthless. Nci,lcv
have, for many years, been respected.
Indeed, the act itself was unauthor.
led The articles Of confederation
conferred not a shadow Of authority
on Congress to pass the ordinance
--as is admitted by Mr.. Madison;
and yet this unauthorized, onc.sidcd
act Gas it has turned ont to be, }
passed in the last moments of the
old confedcracy. was relied on, as a
precedent, for excluding the South
from two.thirds Of the territory
acquired from France by the
Louisiana treaty, and the whole Of
the Oregon territory; and IS now
relied on to justify her exclusion from
all the territory acquired by the
Mexican war~-and all that may be
acquircd-in any manner, hereafter.
The territory from 'rhich she has
already Jee,, ercluacd, has hal tie
Effect to destroy tie cquiHJ,lum be.
f'eecn tic sections as IL originally
stood; ana to concentrate, per-
aeanently, u, tie Northern section
the t,ro maJoritics Of mhich tie
Government Of the UHitcd States Is
composed. Should Sic crcluact7
from the territory acquired from
Mertco, 1t wil girc 10 tie Northern
States an overwhelming prcpon-
aeranee IN the Government.
in the meantime, the spirit Of IA.
naticism, which had been long lying
dormant, was reused into action by
tho course Of tho Government as
been explained. 1t aims, openly and
directly, at destroying the existing
relations between the races in the
Southern section; on which dcrcnd
its peace. prosperity and safety
70 effect this, exclusion from the tor.
!ltorles is an important step, and ),
hence, tho union between the
aboiltionists and the advocates of cx.
clusion, to effect objects so intimately
connected.
..eAl' this has brought about state
OF things hostile to the continuance
0t The Union, and the duration of The
Government. Alienation is succcc.
'ti'ng to attachment, and hostile
feelings to alienation; and these.
insurn, will be followed hyrcvoluton,
or disruption Of tho Union, unless
timely prevented. But this cannot
be done by restoring the Government