Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-06-19

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an irreconcilable one, between the sys-
TENS of Free labor and Slave labor
They have been at war with each other
ever since the, Government was estab-
lished, and that war is to continue for
ever. The contest, when it ripens be-
tween those two antagonistic elements,
IS to be settled somewhere i: is to be
settled in the seat of central power in
the Federal Legislature. The Consti-
tuition renders it the duty of Congress to
determine questions as often as they
shall arise in favor of one or the other
party, and refers the decision of them to
the majority of the votes in the two
Houses of Congress. 1t will come back
here, then, III spite of all the efforts to
escape from it. This antagonism must
end either in separation of the antago-
mist parties-the slaveholding States and
1.-THE free States-or, secondly, in the
complete establishment of the influence
Iof the slave power over the free-or
else, on the other hand, in the establish
ment of the superior influence of Free
dom over Slavery. It will not be ter
minated by voluntary succession of Ell
Their party. Commercial interests bind
the slave States and the free States TO-
gether in links of gold that are riveted
with iron, and they cannot be broken by
passion or by ambition. Either party
will submit to the ascendancy of the 9TH
er rather than yield the commercial ad-
vantages of this Union. Political ties
bind the Union together-a common ne
cessity, and not merely common ne
cessity, but the common interests of en-
pire-of such empire as the world has
never before seen. The control Of this
national power is the control of the great
Western Continent, and the control of
this Continent is to be in very few
years the controlling influence in the
world. Who is there North that hates
slavery so much, or who South, that
hates emancipation SO intensely, that he
can attempt with any hope of success to
break union thus forged and welded
together l have already heard, with
equal pity and disgust, threats of disu-
Mon in the free States, and similar
threats in the slave-holding States. |
know that men may rave in the heat of
passion and under great political excite
Iment but know that when il comes
TO question whether this Union shall
stand either with Freedom or with Sla-
very, the masses will uphold it, and il
will stand until some inherent vice in
its Constitution, not yet disclosed, shall
cause its dissolution. Now, entertain
ing these opinions, there are for me on
Iy two alternatives, viz: either to let
Slavery gain unlimited sway, or so to
exert what little power and influence /
may have as TO secure the ultimate pre-
dominance of freedom. In doing this,
do no more than those who believe the
slave power is rightest, wisest and best,
are doing, and will continue to do, with
my free consent, TO establish its com
Iplete supremacy. If they shall succeed,
[ still shall be, as I have been, loyal
citizen. If we succeed, | know they
will be loyal also, because it will be sa-
fest, wlsest and best, for them to be so.
The question is one not of day, nor Of
a year. but of many years, and for aught
| know, many generations. Like all
other great political questions, it will be
attended sometimes by excitement, some
times by passion, and sometimes, per
haps, even by faction; put it is sure to
be settled in constitutional way, with
out any violent shock to society Or to a.
ny Of It's great interests. It IS, moreo-
yer, sure to be settled rightly; because
lit will be settled under the benign in
fluence Of Republicans m and Christian
Iity, according to the principles of truth
and justice and human reason. In per-
suing such course, it seems to me OBJ
viousl y as wise as it is necessary to
save all existing laws and constitutions
which are conservative Of freedom, and
to permit as far as possible the estab-
| lishment OF no new ones in favor of Sla-
very, and thus to turn away the tho'ts
of the States which tolerate Slavery
from political efforts 10 perpetuate what
in its nature cannot be perpetual, to the
more wise and benign policy of enanci-
patton.
This, in my humble judgement, is the
simple, easy path Of duty for the Anne
rican statesman. [ will not contemplate
that other alternative-the greatest as
tendency Of the slave power. believe
THAT, if it ever should come, the voice Of
freedom wi Il cease to be heard in these
halls whatever may be the evils and dam
Igerswhichs slavery shall produce. Isay this
without disrespect for representatives
Of slave states, and | say it because the
right of petition and Of debate on that
subject is effectually suppressed--ne-
cessarily suppressed in all the slave
states, and because they are not always
held in reverence and respec CT even now
in the two houses of congress-and when
freedom of speech on subject of such
/ vital interest shall have ceased to be heard
i'm congress, then | shall expect 10 see
slavery not only luxuriating in all new
territories, stealthily creeping into even
the free states themselves. For me, al
least, and all who think as do, that lib
erty is secure just in the degree that
equality prevails and that the security Of
the citizen requires complete response
bility on the part of the government and
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