The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-06-09


Lewis and Clarke We're sent upon their expedition TO th
Columbia river In 1914 under the treaty with England
providing for the restitution of conquered places Asor
surrendered to the United States The
ths mutual occupation of Oregon in 1918, between THU
government and England, made while Mr. John Quincy
Adams was Secretary OF State went upon the assertion
cur title under France II il true also insisted
guity oferrory and discovery but the only paper title
we had, Up to 1879, under the French treaty Oul
title to Oregon part Of Louisiana sustained by h,
first statesmen in the country by Calhoun Clay Buchanan
and others Il insist therefore, that Oregon part
Louisiana At any rate this government by its declara
tons and acts, is estpped from denying IT, submit
therefore, that the reputation of the Missouri line in
isted II 4 So n ~ '7'oo7' 'f7 'aoT- 'f'' 'T
There is nothing in this idea OF violated faith The
objection to the repeal Of the Missouri restriction lies
deeper than this IL originates from the strong anti
slavery feeling Of large portion Of the North This anti
slavery feeling 10 the mastepassion of The northern heart
Its intensity is apparent from considering its nature ard
incentives It's basis is conscientious antagonism to
Sassrx considerations belief fever s.rgassss when
every other feeling When It possesses entire communi-
ties It becomes real madness These moral m;tnas
social tornadoes which sweep over the surface Of society at
intervals in history The followers OF Mahomet devastated
the world under such impusion The crusadcs
another instance Of this moral madness The thirty
years. war; which made Germany bleed at every pore
another sad instance History Is full Of them they
the melancholy blot and blur OF many page They are
the only passions which admit of no settlement They
must their course it is the law Of their being To
with them is idle because they founded
higher law than reason-a belief sentiment perempt-
ory abstraction This ant-savery feeling of the North
rests then, first moral fnatcism the most powerful
and most dangerous of all the social elements Besides
this it is impeed by strong additional motivesthe
love Of power and of place. 1t is natural for want
power Each individual desires it for himself his
munty, his State, his section This feeling is the
prolific of personal and national struggles In
vast conederay like ours there practical advantages
in controlling the government and moulding its egisa-
ton to promote special interests Mankind have
been scrupulous in thus gaspng power and turning it
to their advantage The magnitude of the object OBJ
erates all sense Of injustice Upon the admission of Mis-
souri, this feeling first strongly developed The North
appehensve they would lose the preponderance of
power and hence the opposition her admission This
idea openly avowed by Rufus King, Otis, Taylor,
Pumer, Cook Holmes all northern representatives This
feeling still operates with increased intensity.
In addition to this sectional power feeling the antisla
very agitation urged by aspiring politicians There
is mode by which ambition readily climb up
wards than by connecting itself with popular idea This
popular idea has been presented to ambitious at the
North in this antslavery feeling 1t is not strange that
many of them have avaed themselves of it. Wehave thus
the North impeed forward by the strongest possible
ves to human action fanaticism love of sectional power
and personal ambition. II is only from such strong
ves this idea could have fully possessed the northern
mind-a mind signay prudent reflective and sagacious
Nothing could strongly illustrate the intensity OF
this passion than the excitement at the North in reference
to the bill before One who not informed upon
the subject would suppose there remarkable
cesson to the South in this bill. Is it so2 Let
This bill repeals the Missouri restriction but reyves
local law protecting slavery The effect is simply remit
the South to their rights in the Territory under the
stituion All that the bill does is make the constt-
ton operate in the Territory And this slightest conceive
BILE act Of simple justice has agitacd public sentiment
the North TO its deepest depths.
This ansavery feeling the evil genius of the repu-
nc Mankind are never content WIN theiI lot however
auspicious it may be- Nations possessed by the same
| restless discomfort They satisfied with any
amount of present good but constantly seeking and
striving after the unreal and the unaainable II would
be impossible to invent state Of society perfect but
that desire would still exist for something additional
II is the constant struggle between the actual and the
IDEAL As the actual necessarily partakes of the imperec-
tions Of human nature the ideal always has charms
because Is not Of the earth There is nothing das
trous TO the individual the nation than ardent
pursuit of the ideal at the expense of the actual The pur-
suit Of military glory the OF the ideal has opened
perpetual fountains Of human blood The blind pursuit
the ideal in morals politics has inflicted incsculabe in
jury the human 1t ia at least doubtful whether
men, with the best intentions in reckless attainment
the ideal have not done injury TO the world than
men of the worst intentions seeking merely the actual
What have occasoned more desolaon and despair than
| religious wars What infinite slaughter did not men
with the best intentions In search Of revolutionary ideal
inact upon France2 Nothing is more dangerous than
| philanthropy let loose
This pursuit of the ideal in this country has taken the
form of abolition large portion Of the North passing
by the numerous objects for philanthropy at their own
DOORS exhaust their abstract on the black
of the South Founding themselves the captivating
abstraction that all born free and equal they hurry
TO the conclusion that general emancipation Is desirable
and that they should seek IL They do stop to consider
whether emancipation il attanabe would not be curse
rather than blessing TO the slaves They overlook the
sanguinary struggle which emancipation at the South
would bring between the races they forget that in this
struggle the blacks would necessarily he overwhelmed and
exterminated they overlook the disasters emancipation
would bring upon the whites OF the South who should be
entitled to at least much Of human sympathy the
blacks they overlook the disasters such commissions at the
South would necessarily superinduce their section
they forget that the African Of the South better
off, In many respects than the laborug population Of any
portion Of Europe and far better OF than the number
Of Africans arc have been in any period of history
They do not look at this question practical II Is
only tina ideal that has any charms for them They pursue
this ideal at the expense OF the best interests Of the very
objects OF their sympathy, at the expense OF their country
the constitution epublicanism and the of humanity
ITSELF In all the prolific history of human toes
absurd unreasonsble more pregnant with
disaster than this II Is emphatcay the evil genius Of
the republic.
In reviewing the history Of tho human rnce we find how
seldom and for what short periods any portion of
kind have enjoyed the blessings good government The
folly and wickedness Of have almost invariably
incapactated them for good government An avenging
Divinity TO have inoesanty pursued them pun
shed them through their governments Oppression nse
curity injustice perpetual wars wholesale murders have
been the constant and sad lot of tho human race IL now
and then temporary geam Of liberty and peace and JUS
tce lights up the dark pages OF the past has almost al
ways Immediately disappeared and left the world in more
profound darkness and despair Ii once seemed that diff
fcrent and better fate reserved for our own country
but " appears that eyentualy TO run the same
career Of folly and disaster that all nations have
before Enjoying higher degree Of prosperity,
and all the advantages OF good government TO greater
extent than has been granted the human race
fore have appeared TO be the especial yortes OF be-
ngnant Providence but blessings were too great and
the spirit OF dscord madness and evil rose in our midst
bsst glorious Inheritance Henceforh fear we are
disasters that a other nations have acted and en-
durcd