Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1853-11-11
Free soilism and the Administration.


a right to go where they pleased into the territory
ofthe general government with their slaves-that
the general government had no right to interfere,
and that it remained for the people when they come
to form their state government to say what should
be the character of their institutions. Free Sellers
insisted on it that slavery purely local nsti-
tuition made by state laws, entirely dependant on
state laws for its continuance, and could not exist
properly in the territory belonging all the states.
They objected to the doctrine of Cass only from
the fact that the government and all its autho-
rity, being in the hands of the Shareholders the
purpose of the constitution was defeated and per-
verified, by being used TO keep as slaves in the ter
ritories those who had been made slaves by the
states, and for this reason they demanded the Will
mot proyiso, simply as an authoritative exposition
OF the constitution This wa free so Ism, ard this
the object of free soilcrs. Was there any thing
very bad in it, In ls49 when the matter was rife
the general government had just made immense
additions of new and uno -cupied territory. This
territory, every person could sec, offered wide
field for enterprise and industry. Free Sellers
simply sought to preserve it beyond question to
freedom and free labor and certainly in this there
was nothing very reprehensible, nothing that could
endanger institutions nothing that could detract
from our republican standing, nothing that could
affect prejudiciay our moral rpecuniary well-be-
ing; on the contrary, the reverse, all will admit,
in all these things. What Free Sellers have been
they still arc; what they have sought they still seek
Our government has yet large territories unoccupi-
3 l. II f,,ll,.
blind, can see that slavery is seeking to appropri-
ate all of it that is available for its uses and Free
Sellers seek righteous Interpretation and an ho-
hest application of the constitution and laws to pre-
serve it to free white laborers and to freemcn.
This is the head and front of frce-soilism-its
length, breadth, and DEPTH aHd we do not believe
there is an honest, or decent man in the country,
who is prepared to say that the triumph and appli-
cation of these principles would not be well for the
country. All sympathisc with them, although
they do not it in the line Of their duty to act
with the party that is specially governed by them.
+ Now, one would suppose that government pro-
Tossing democracy, love for free principles, and
all that kind of thing, would at least look with Il
tolerant eyeo men and parties, whose motives, cf
within the constitution, TO the propagation of de.
mocracy, rcpublicanism, freedom and nothing else
Yet the startling and melancholy fact presents
itself, that the Prcsd Mt and all his cabinet are
using all the power of this government to crush
out of the popular heart these sympathics and pur
poses NJ Clelland, the Secretary of the interior,
writes into Pennsylvania that the power of the go
and all rho of the toOal
sury will be used to shield the scoundrels who Vi
olated the laws and outraged every sentiment of
humanity, by beating, shooting, and killing, as
they supposed and intended, a man, for no other
crime than the suspicion of being a slave.
/ Campbell, the postmaster general, informs Col.
Benton that he can not makea certain friend of his
post master, because he is suspected of preferring
free TO slave soil, and finally Caleb Cushing, the
Presidents legal adviser, writes by authority to
the democrats of Massachusetts, that the President
is determined to use oil the power he can bring TO
bear to crush frees out of existence.
The business of the government is supposed to
be to administer the laws, not TO propagate opin-
ions; and this wide departure of the Pierce admin
istrati0n from its legitimate business ought to pro
yoke the active resistance of every republican, but
when this power is used to crush free sentiment,
/ and build up the slave sentiment of the nation
used to wipe out freedom from the territories to
establish slavery forever therein used, in fact to
crush the very sentimento on which all our republic
cansm is based, it does seem to us that people
must be duh and dead indeed if they do not arouse
to vindicate their interests, if not their rights.
And we arc glad that there is evidence that ev-
en- the party which has made this administration
is not without some sense of its ttlcncss and wick
edness. Although that party has little love for free
dom or free soil it has sense enough to see and
know that the attempt of the administration to
influence public opinion by the power of govern
ment patronagc-its interference with the local po-
litcs of the states,-its insulting commands and
threats TO men and parties, result only, if ac-
quiesccd in in central despotism, in the loss of
state and individual independence and self respect
and finally involve all in common ruin. We say
it has sense enough to see and know this and
hence speaks out. 1t is fact, that with the excep
ton of its immediate dependents, and such men as
/ John Van Buren,, who is thought of only with
scom by all men whether honest or not, the admi
nistration is without friends. Our papers, of all
parties come to us laden with scorn, ridicule, and
malcdctions aimed at it. This is well, and en-
couraging. We should indeed despair of the Re
public were it otherwise The people arc superior
to their would-be rulers. We are sure the admin
istration of Pierce will give them surfeit of wick
edncss and littlenesS which will prove an effectual
antidote against the danger of its being repeated.
If any new fields of folly and stupidity had been
left uneXplored by these men, VIC should fear for
the future; but the subject appears to be about cX
haustcd and with this administration surely the
day of small things in that line, will leone to close
So mote it be, is certainly the prayer of all good
men.
BLACKwooD FOR OCToBER-We are in
debted to LEONARD SCoTT d Co. for an early
cOpy of BlackwOod's Marazine for October.