Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-07-16

the east to the west, agitated with it, and it
becomes US to inquire into its seand charac-
ter. We say it is strife for the absolute pos
session of the government, on the part of these
antagonstic principles. We contend that il was
the design of our fathers that this should be 60
vernment of freedom and that the constitution
was made to guard, protect, and advance the
/ principle of freedom. There is not a word or
letter in the constitution, which gives slavery the
least lot or part in the general government Yet
1t has progressed and attained foothold there
The power of the general government is brought
to capture fugitves from slavery-the territories
of the general government have been thrown
open to slavery-the courts of the general go
vernment. lend their influence to slavery, and in
Vulnerable ways is our common government
connected with slavery, until now, in virtue of
the inevitable laws of progress, the question is
before the people: I" shall The FREE or the
SLAVE po,cer hare final and absolute control of
our government" We may blink the question
as we may-we may seek to get up wnat issues
we may-the plain fact stares US in the face that
Mr. Pierce was nominated on this grand issue
he is pledged by his life to the slave principle,
and his triumph will be the temporary, and per-
haps permanent, triumph of the slave power.
Now, as we have before said, we war against
this, not alone because it involves the black race,
but because it involves the principle of freedom,
which in its turn, involves the highest good of
every individual of the race. We must separate
this idea of slavery from the one IDEA of blacks.
1t is not slavery Of blacks but slavery of hu-
man labor, and the question is not whether few
millions of blacks shall continue to be held as
cha.tels, but whether this government shall fall
from its original estate and purpose and become
like European governments, a thing of castles
and divisions, and a mere machine in the hands
of idlers to press the life blood from millions of
hearts.
Our heart goes forth to the suffering and OPP
pressed of every cline, and we have cherished
and yet cherish the hope, that America will by
its brilliant example enghten and redeem the
earth. 1t is this hope that anmates US in the
strife We know that the slavery of America is
in sympathy with that of Europe, and its triumph
here is the destruction of liberty in its last abb
ding place, and knowing this, as we love the race
we will strive while life remains, for the success
of correct principles
1t is our highest ambition to arouse the mass
to a true appreciation of this strife We know
the popular sympathies are right, and if we could
: have spontaneous expression from the popular
heart, all would be we'll Butignolant and dis
honest men, for trifling and transient purposes
OF their own, for petty office, petty power, and
Smal! emoIument,r ecklessly sacrifice these endu-
ring interests, and so befog, bedevil, and mystify
the truth, that it is not strange it should be hard
to discover. We should all seek to look beneath
this fog and dust, lay hold of the true principles
involved, and regardless of the dictation of any
earthly power, rigidly pursue the right, for there
in alone is to be found safety and permanence
for the republic.
On the point as 10 the position of our govern
= ment now compared with earlier times on this
question, it is not necessary we should say any
thing. Any person can compare the history of
early times, as disclosed in Rantoul's speech,
with the facts as they now exist, and draw his
own conclusions. We will only add that this
modern, democratic resolve against freedom of
thought, speech, and pen, is little ahead of the
alien and sedtion laws of John Adams, in our
way of thinking; and also, that it looks quite
preposterous to US, to say that such a feature
as is made the basis of the fugitive slave law,
could not now be engrafted into the constitution
when the great democratic party, by solemn res
olution, have just elevated the fugitive slave law
into an adjunct Of the constitution, when it was
not even incumbent on Congress to make such
a law.