The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-09-27

~ mand.d thai The y. neral government should i,
ID terpose ON thu q'mst,"n of slavery, AID TAX
y from the people ibe control ot III smhj.c
n This was bl'w al the nt'gri,y If the C.nst,
!, tuition, and at the hts and sovereignty OF III
= people aud 'hs States, as daring rs any I'll,
h had pr vi'usly been t.mp'-d II was IN s,ric
;, Keeping with, and gre" on, "f their ny cher
= 'shed aud settled design /" brig about anrA
!, tension Of the powers # the G ,v-,nmert Lk
i all final struggles, in III agony II death, It wa
{ violent. In the novelty nt tie dernand an,
the exci;emen. of the crasnn, the true char.
5 acter OF the movement and the real design %
IT'S authors were lost sigh Of. Unioriuuaieiy
: number of the Democrats Of tn. North w.r.
caught in the mrshes .f the net which thr
, designing foe had spread. The Missouri res
, niction Commonly called the Missouri Com
} promse) OF Ie2o was the cons. qncuce. The
fatal precedent having b, cen set for Conyr. s.
sionsl interference on this subject, all the sgi
ta.ion that has ensaed from that day to this in
the Halls OF our National Legislature, has fol.
lowed in its train But this last struggle of the
old Fed raj patty 10 regain last power, fatal as
It has been 10 the repnse of the country could
not and did MT save them.
Undeterr"d by the example and fully aware
Ut It's lamentahle results, large portion Of the
Wing party, during the last few years, in the
wane OF their power, have attempted similar
expedient to resuscitaie their strength, and it
possible to postpone the judgment OF the people,
tor their utter extinction Or falling in this.
that it is their fixed design to bring about the
dissolution of the Democratic parry, and if
necessary to overwhelm the country in one
common ruin, is plainly seen in the portentous
signs OF the times. They have pandrred to-
and coalesced with Free Soil,sm, Abolit onisn,
Native A Amercanism, Sc. tarianism, and all the
factions and sns that distract and run wild in
the brain Of an ignorant and bgoted fanaticism
They have done SO i'll the hope Of bringing
strength to their failing cause. It is seen that
they themselves have been drawn into the vor-
tex, and in its boiling and wheeling waters have
lost every trace of their original party organl.
zation. That this is the case is fully attested
BY the recorded votes Of Congress, by the
course and language of their party journals,
and abundant other testimony needless to men,
ton, but unmistskeable in its character.
Here fellow citizens may be seen the secret
cause Of the excitement at present agitating the
northern portion of our country 1t is the last
struggle for the last remnant OF the old Federal
principles. II is the throws of death which
have seized upon the Wing party. 1t is the
final struggle for existence, by the abolitionists
di-unionists, and all the mad factions tina, prey
upon the repose of the country and plo, the
over brow of the Constitution. This question
once finally removed from the Halls of Con
gress and given to the people to determine for
Agitation is the breath by which thoy live
The object of agitation being taken away they
must expire. or this, they are fully aware. The
Nebraska bill in repeating the Missouri restrc.
ton of 1890, merely repeals the Congressional
interference brought about in the death struggle
Of the old Federal party. 1t merely retraces
the one step, and the only step successfully
made by those who were in favor of abridyinp
he rights of the people, and extending the
powers Of the general government. 1t merely
restores this subject like all others, to the pro-
lection Of the great principle of strict con-
stTuction of the Constitutions principle first
proclaimed by, homas Jefferson, ever supported
and adhered 10, by the Democratic party, and
u,hl - hapf IN RI tk.
the rights and liberties Of the people We hold
that Congress has not The right 10 Iegislate on
the subject Of slavery, save where expressly
granted; nor has it the power to control the peo
pie OF territory. Nowhere is it granted, and
nowhere can il be found in the Constitution In
exercising this power by The enactment of the
Missouri restriction Of 1920, il committed an
act of usurpation which never could have been
perpetrated, or allowed by the people, but for
the novelty. of the question: and the unparalleled
excitement that marked the period OF its enact.
ment. a9R ,aaaa Il slalfee ~ sa
That precedent so dangerous 10 the reserv
ed rights and liberties Of The people, as that of
an Unauthorized exercise of power by the gov.
eminent, should be permitted to remain as an
example and encouragement for future usurpa.
tion, We hold to be dangerous in the ext,eme
That it remained So long on the statute books
is surprising. That the earliest moment should
have been embraced TO wipe it cut and bring
back the government TO its legitimate and lin.
tied powers, we hold TO be dictated by the
wsest policy. lis repeal by the Nebraska bill
merely takes from Congress an unauthorized
should not the people be allowed to exercise
this right Why should they not be permitted
to decide this question for themselves? Let
these questions b. answered if they can by the
newfangled anii-Nebraska patty, who style
themselves the peopte, out who are composed
only of the caput n,ortum Of Federal hi1uery
and all the odds aud ends Of sectional fac ions
and isms brought together by the attraction of a
common fate, and which has sprung up like
the mushroom Of the night, as We firmly believe
to wi,her and dissolve and disappear under the
light Of coming day. The right Of self gov
ernment by the people the principle which
gave life to the Revolution. 1t was that which
sundersd our connection with the government
of England, a government which claim-d au
thority over us and denied the right of the
people to govern themselves. II was for this
right that the first gun was fired at Lexington.
and the last shot given at Yorktown. 1t was
upon the right that each political oommunlty
should make its own local and internal laws
hat our constitution was framed and the Union
formed. 1t is right which the people should
struggle for and defend tn the death for it can
never be surrendered but with surrender OF
heir dearest interests aud lbeite', tn ,ir homes,
their fire. sides aud heir al:ars. a
But qnes ion "t no less danger to the in:eg
rity of the Constitution, and the welfare III the
County, is presented in the existence Of an or
ganizaion hitherto unknown in the potl OF
the nation, aud whose principles aud purposes
are sought IT, be velled in i1penetrabl- mysle-
ry. by whatever name known or fur whatever
mad tat,, l..