Washington sentinel., 1854-04-11


have been subdivided and admitted into the
Union as sovereign and Independent States.
Reminding you again that it was necessary TO
render that section imperative and void in or
der to recognise the great principle Of self.
government and State equality, and to leave
the people free to regulate their local concerns
and domestic institutions in their own way,
you will discover that your opposition is con-
fined exclusively to the principle of popular
sovereignty. II does not vary the question in
any degree, that human slavery is, in your
opinion, great moral wrong. If SO, it is not
the only wrong upon which the people of each
of the States and Territories of this Union are
called upon to act and decide for themselves.
In the opinion of o large and respectable por-
ton of cur people, the manufacture and sale
of ardent spirits and intoxicating drinks is
monstrous wrong, eminently injurious to the
morals of the community. While these opin-
ions are honestly entertained, and vigorous
efforts are being made to induce the legisla-
lures of the different States and Territories to
pass laws for their enforcement have wit
messed no attempt to induce Congress to de-
clare the Maine law to be in force in all the
Territories Of the United States, and to re.
main in force foreverin the States to be formed
therefrom, regardless of the rights and wishes
of the people to be affected thereby.
A very large and exemplary portion of our
Christian community firmly believe that the
practice of carrying the mails, Of running
stage-coaches for the conveyance of passen-
gers, and of keeping open public houses and
barrooms for gain on Sunday, is a great moral
wrong; yet if Congress should propose to de-
clare, by fundamental and irrevocable act,
that, in all time tocome, such practices should
never be tolerated in any of the territory which
we now possess or may hereafter acquire nor
in any new State to be formed from such terri.
tory it is possible that another portion Of
| the Christian community, equally exemplary
and sincere, might rise up and say that it is
our firm conviction, after thorough examina-
ton Of the Holy Scriptures, that the seventh
day, instead of the first day of the week, is
the Sabbath which God has commanded US to
keep holy; and that if this law passes, you
exclude us and our brethren and descendants
| forever from settling in those territories and
States, or compel us to conform to an article
of religious faith repugnant to our conscien-
tious belief Although you may be Of the
| opinion, and doubtless are, that the practice
| of performing secular duties, and attending to
| worldly affairs on Sunday is not in accordance
| with the divine law as recorded in the Holy
| Scriptures, it does not appear that you desire
the interference of Congress in this particular
| to deprive the people of the Territories and
| new States Of the privilege of regulating these
| matters in conformity with their sense Of pro-
priety and duty. trust that the great body
of the American people look upon the manu-
facture, sale, and use of instruments and inn
plements of gaming as wrong eminently in
furious to the public morals yet have heard
no objection to leaving the people of each
State and Territory free to determine that
question according to their sense of right
and proprety.
will not trouble you further with this class
of cases, having cited enough to illustrate the
principle. The entire criminal code Of each
State and Territory of the Union, and every
section and provision thereof, is supposed to re.
late to some great moral wrong which the peo-
pie in their sovereign capacity have deemed it
their duty to prohibit, and, if possible, prevent
by penalties and punishments. Inasmuch as
you are willing to leave these questions, and all
others which are supposed to be injurious to
the morals Of the community and prejudicial to
the best interests Of society, in the hands Of the
people of the respective States and Territories,
would it not be better and wiser to entrust the
slavery question to the arbirament Of the same
authority, rather than to violate the great prin.
cple of selfgovernment which lies at the foun-
dation of all our free institutions? If correctly
understand your position, you do not object to
permitting the people of the Territories, in the
same manner as in the States, to exercise all
rightful power and authority in all matters
affecting the rights, interests, and happiness Of
white men. If the people are capable Of self
government, I do not understand that it requires
any higher degree Of intelligence, virtue, or
civilization, to legislate for the negro than for
the white man. 1t will not be pretended thatthe
legislature of any Territory or State would or
could, under the Constitution, deprive any free
l. IL a.. 1r Il: e.
crime; nor wi it be insisted that Congress has
the power to confer any such authority. Hence
there is no possibility ofa free man beingreduced
to slavery, or of the number of slaves in the
United States being increased by the passage
Of the Nebraska bill. The only effect it could
possibly have in respect to the slave is that, in
a certain contingency, he might be permitted
to enter the country. and remain there as such,
and in a certain other contingency he could
not. If a slave should be removed from Ken
tucky to Nebraska, the effect would be to re. .
duce the number on the east side of the Mis-
sissippi to the same extent that it was increased
on the west without enlarging the political
power of the master or producing any injurious
consequences to the slave; while, by the mere
fact of his removal from an old country to
new one, from poor lands to rich ones, from
scarcity to an abundance of provisions, his
physical comforts increased. His presence in
the new Territory could not in any mode or
degree affect or injure any human being in any
other Territory or State. If his presence should
be offensive or injurious to any body it would
be TO the people Of the Territory or State where
he was located. Then, why not leave it to the
people of such Territory or State TO decide for
themselves whether he shall be permitted to
come or not2 No body else has any interest
in it; no other State or Territory would be af.
fected by it. It is purely question of domes-
tic concern, which, for veal or for woe, affects
the people Of such Territory or State, and no
body else. You think that you are abundantly
competent to decide this question now and for
ever. If you should remove to Nebraska, with
the view Of making it your permanent home,
would you be any less competent to decide it
when you should have arrived in the country
Thus, you see that the principle of the Ne
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