Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-09-02

let rs have Peace.
We can heartily second the wish Of our cotcmpo-
rary Of the Baltimore American, that the country
possessed some statesman, elevated in patriotism aud
commanding in influence, whose voice could be heard
throughout the land rallying to his aid the conserva-
tive majority Of all sections, and bidding Northern ia
naticism and Southern ultraism .-Freesoil aggression
and pro-slavery agitation alike be still. We are tired
OF this everlasting commotion about negrodom-the
Southern people are tired Of it, and they want
peace and quiet, il it can be obtained without the sac.
ri6ce Of their inalienable rights.
When the question of the repeal of the Missouri
Compromise was pressn ed to them by 4 Northern
Senator, they naturally took sides in favor OF that
repeal. Its existence was an odious and unjust dis
elimination against the South, and when the oppor-
tunity was afforded to remove that discrimination the
great mass Of the Southern people felt it a duty they
owed to themselves and to their institutions to COS
operate in effec,ing its removal. Whether it resul,e
in any practical advantage TO them, or not, was not so
much 4 matter Of consideration as was the repudra-
ton Of n principle unf,ir and anti. Republican. They
only asked Of their Northern brethren to be admitted
on equal terms with them into the territories Of the
United States-the common property Of all. They
asked for no Congressional legislation, making those
territories Stare States, but they did, and had a right
to ask for the repeal of such Congressional legislation
as made them free States.
Was this demanding too much Of the North? Is
it fair that our Northern brethren should insist upon
the interposition Of Federal power TO aid them in max.
ing free States out Of the public domain, by prohibit
ing the citizens Of the South from an equal participa.
ton therein. The North would never recognise the
power Of Congress to interfere and make slave States,
then why should they insist upon its interfe-
renee to make free States? If it has the power in
the one case it has in the other, yet, the North would
resist to the last the exercise of any such power in
the former instance. Will they ask for themselves
that which they refuse to others, and to which others
have as much right as they haveP The whole ques-
ton has been forcibly illustrated by showing that the
people Of the territories are as much entitled to the
right of ~disposing of the subject of slavery. or, in
other words, their domestic institutions, at the time ot
their admission Us a State, as any. sovereign State,
Northern or Southern has; and this is all that is re.
quired.
Having obtained this in reference to the territories
of Kansas and Nebraska, the South is content. As
to the existence or non-cxistence Of slavery in those
territories it is a matter that must be decided By the
natural course of events. The South has taken no
steps to fill up those territories with slave holding emf
bN''1 ~ sS oA VI 'Sad SOClclltS, U lO PIlItT
into any sort of a scramble for the ascendancy there.
She is content with the right for Southern e%migran,s
to rsmove into Kansas or Nebraska with their slaves,
and that right she intends to maintain whether her
people choose to go there or not.
The New York Courier is righ; when i, SAYS in a
late issue of that paper that at We are to Judge
by the general silence OF their journals, the people OF
the South take but very little concern in the struggle
uhi,h k-r la., -.
new territories. Having eSsayed to assert principle
oy wipirg the Missouri Compromise line of SO. 80.
out OF existence, they seem indisposed to carry the
contention farther" Ii the North gain the practical
advantage in the end by Kansas aud Nebraska COM
ing IN as free States, let them have it. While they
gain that advantage by the free and u~ntrammeled de-.
cision oil the people OF those territories the South will
never object, but let them gain it in that way AMI
not seek to convert the Federal Government into a
machine Tor manufacturing free territory, or into an
instrument Tor destroying the rights and privileges of
the people of any portion Of the confederacy.
They boast nov that they will gain every advan.
tage in the end-that Kansas and Nebraska must and
will be free. Then why longer continue agitation ?
Why seek to ~re.instate the Missouri Compromise
while they contend that the very territory over which
1t operates will be As much free territory nfthout that
compromise as o'm ~! Why not let the subject
alone If they are satisfied of such result? They all.
init themselves that before Congress could act, ami
"the repeal of the repeal be cff.cted, under the mos,
favorable circumstances, the whole matter of slavery
or no slavery in those territories will be finally settled
by the popular will OF those inhabiting them.
We believe ourselves that the question will be set
tied definitely one way or the other by the citizens of
Kansas and Nebraska long before Congress could j s
pose Of l., and that before the Missouri Compromise
could be re-establishei, or its repeal re.afHrm.d, tic
question will be placed beyond the territorial bower
of Congress. Further agitation therefore by tn,
North can result in no practical good. That is man .
fest by their own reasoning. Why keep it up then {?
All the South asks is to be let alone, and why not let
us have peace?