Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-04-14
THE PIVOT.


the Nebraska bill did, as however it does
not, alphabetically legislate sldrery into Ne
braska and into erery other Territory, would
not the question in its whole height, depth,
length, breadth, and its entire head and 'front.'
be fully expressed in the simple sentence
CHANGE OF RESIDENCE? Beyond this definition,
in moral sense, it has no verge; casting with
out this limit neither light nor shadow.
Those opposed to this bill are bound to
show that it does legislate slavery into the Ter
ritory; that slavery will certainly 60 there; and
that change Of residence of slave, intended
for his benefit, is an intolerable guilt. Those
who object to this change Of residence abide
by, and profess to revere as the ark Of safety,
that Constitution whose cornerstone is sla- |
very which is incontestable from these two
facts first, that, without its acknowledgment,
the Union could never have been effected; nor
can it be abolished without shivering it to
atoms. That Constitution, distinctly and in
terms legalized the slave trade forever, and &C
tually forbade any attempt to interfere with the
slave-tradewith Africa during tweaty years, pur-
.posely to increase the number of slaves; and
it also made it imperative on the federal gov
eminent to perpetuate it, by having all fugi-
tives restored making it the express duty of
the government to protect this property at sea
and on land against all the world; and in case
of any attempt by the slaves to free them
selves, to resist the attempt even to universal
humiliation. All these matters are conceded
by the opponents Of the bill. They are volun-
tary participators in all these things, which their
fathers before them counselled and agreed to
those very illustrious ancestors of the pilgrim
stock whose great virtue can adequately be de-
picted only by those whose tongues, on both
sides, have been rubbed by the killarney Of
New England, plymouth rocky Their children
Willingly abide by, and profess to conform to,
all these acquisitions of the Constitution and yet
stumble at the idea of slave having his resi-
dence changed? Verify, there are those who
can swallow camel, while they strain at q
gnat.
Who will undertake to show any wrong, in
a change of residence of the slave?
The status of no one is changed; no right is
diminished, no right acquired
All this supposes the legislating slavery into
the Territory. But the bill does not, in terms,
legislate slavery into the Territory They,
therefore, who allege that it does, aver that if
slavery be not expressly prohibited, it is law
fully there under the Constitution proprio rig
ore; for if it be not so, their opposition is
baseless. If it be not so, then clear repeal
of the Missouri compromise would not carry it
there But if there be a mere repeal accom-
panied, too, by declaration that it does not
revive slavery, then in what predicament,
do they place themselves who have so furiously
resisted the right Of the south to enter with their
slaves on other territory, in which it is not pro-
hibited, and how iniqutous does it make the |
Missouri compromise itself! The opponents of
the bill cannot escape the force of these posi-
tons: that if the passage of the Nebraska
bill will admit slavery into that territory, then
follows the conclusive inference that, where it
is not expressly excluded, it is certainly there
rroprio cigore. Refute the position who can.
Taking, for the sake of argument, the as
sumption, that the guilt or the wrong of allowing
slavery to change its locality is of SO heinous
a nature as to render Of secondary importance
mutual good will and fraternity of the States
that its exclusion is so imperatively demanded
by sense Of religion and justice, as to cause
us to disregard the arousng Of the bitterest
and most unwholesome dissensions, even to the
swapping asunder those bonds of. union, which
have been the very source Of our safety progress,
and prosperity--the question would then arise,
is there any mode by which we. may escape
alike the evils Of discord, discussions, and the
inevitably mortal blow which would strike all
parties by disunion, and at the same time pre-
serve inviolate our scruples against the trans
mission Of slavery from the States in which we
acknowledge its rgbtful existence to territories
In which it does not exist2
Every pure mind will admit that the first I
question to be solved is, TO ascertain whether
the two things are compatible, or whether any
arrangement can be devised, by which the scru.