The Rutland County herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1852-1855, 1854-03-03

ralny and honor. Il will Dee .al day
for this Rcpuhhc, when such question
shall be deemed unwosih, Of grave DIS.
cus,ion aud intense interest Even II .
It Were certain that the inhibition OF
Slavery Va the region Concerned wps IN
necessary, and " the question vns thus I
reduced to q mere abstraction, yr, even
that abstraction would involve the tes.
iinony Of The United States on the cN.
podicncy, wisdom morality and Justice,
of thc system of human bondage. with
which this and other portions of The
world have been 50 long afflicted aud
1t viii be a melancholy day Cor lhr Re-
public, aud for mankind. when her
decision ON even such an abstraction
shall command no respect, aud inspire
no hope into the heart. Of the oppressed
But 1t is no such abstraction II was
no unnecessary dispute--no mere con.
test Of blind passion that brougl, the
Compromise into being Slavery and
Freedom were active antagonists, then
seeking for asccndRncy IN this Union.
Both Slavery aud Freedom arr more
! vigorous, active, and scli-acgrandizing
now, than they were then. or ever were
before or since that period. The con
test between them has been only pro.
/ tractcd, not decided. II is great fea.
tnre in our national Hereafter. 50 the
question of ndheriug TO or abrogaing
this Compromise is no unmeanng issue.
and no contest Of mere blind passion
now.
To adhere, is TO secure the occupa-
tion by ireemen with free labor, Of re-
gion in the very center of the Continent.
capable Of sustaining, and in that event
destined, though it may be only after a
iar-distanl period, 10 sustain ten, twenty,
thirty, forty millions of people, aud their
successive generations forever
To abrogaie, is TO resign ali that vast
region TO chances which mortal vision
cannot fully ioresce; perhaps TO the
sovereignty of such stinted aud short
lived communities ms those of which
Mexico and South America aud the
West India Islands present us with ex.
amples perhaps to convert that region
into the scene Of long and desolating
conflicts between not merely races. but
castles, 10 end, like u similar conflict in
Egypt, in convulsive exodus of the
oppressed people, despoling their SUI
periors perhaps, like one not dissimi-
lar in Spain, in the iorcibe expulsion
OF the inferior race, exhnusting the State
by the sudden and complete suppression
of a great resource OF national wealth
aud labor perhaps in the disastrous ex-
pulsion, even of the superior race itself
by people too suddenly raised from
slavery to liberty, as in St. Domingo.
To adhere is TO secure forever the
presence here, after some lapse of time,
of two, four, ten, twenty, or more Sena-
tors, aud OF Representatives in larger
proportions, To uphold the policy and in.
tercsts of the non.slaveholding States
and balance that ever-increasing rep
resenllon of slaveholding States, which
past experience and the decay of the
Spanish American States, admonsh Us
has ouly just begun; to save what the
} non-slaveholding States have in minls.
navy yards, the military academy, and
foriifcatlons, TO balance against the cap.
ital and federal institutions in the slave
holding States to save against any
danger from adverse or hostile policy
TO culture, the manufactures. and the
commerce, as well as the Just influence
( and weight of the national principles oI
the slaveholding States. To adhere, i.
TO save, TO the non-snvehol1ng States
rs well as TO the slaveholding States, al.
ways, and in every event, right ol
way aud free communication hcross the
continent. TO and with the States on tn,
= Pacific coasts, and with the rising State,
on the islands in the South Sea. and
with all the eastern nations on the vasi
continent of Asia.
To abrognte, on the contrary, i, it
commit all these precious interests tc
the chances and hazards of cmbarrass
ment and injury by legislation under
the Influence Of social. political. anl
commercial jealousy aud rivalry ant
in the event Of secession Of the slave
holding States which is so often threat
ened in their name. but ! thank Cos
without their authority, 10 give seryl,
population a La Vendcc NJ the yer,
sources Of the Mississippi. and in il,,
very rocesscs Of the Rocky Mountains
Nor is this last contingency against
which statesman, when engaged il
p giving a constitution for such a terriior,
50 situated must veil his eyes. II is d
slalesman's province and duty to lool
before n well as after. ! know indeed
the present loyalty Of the American
people, Norlh and South, and East and
West. know that it is sentiment
stronger than any sectional interest OF
ambition, and stronger than even The
love Of equality in the n-slayohold.
ing Sialesi and stronger ! doubt moi
than the love OF Slavery la the slave.
holding States. Bat do not know,
and no mortal sagariiy doe, know. tbe
the scduciions Of interest and ambition
and the Influences Of passion. which are
yet 20 be maiured Ia every rcg,on. /
know this, however; that this Union il
safe nos, and that Il will be safe 80 long
as impartial political equality shall con-
stiiuie the basis Of society, a, il has
heretofore done 10 even half II ihesr
States and hey shah thus manisin a
just equilibrium against The .laye-hold-
ing States. Bot am well assured, also,
on the other band. that II ever The slave