The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-12-31

which provided for the government d The sTr,,o,y,
northwest Of the river Ohio, and for is eventual sob
division into States, adopted 10 the C,nses~
Of the confederation, it . not 70 be supposed that The
question d future relative power between At sia.T
which retained, aud those which did not retain, ma.
meT0us cOlored population, escaped notice, failed 10
Sc considered And yet the concession OF that vast terri
tory 10 the interests opinions OF the northern states
territory the seat OF hye among the largest members
Of the Unon was great measure, the act Of the Salo
Of Virginia and 81 the South.
When LOUISIANA was acquired by the United States !,
was an acquisition not less the North than 10 the otb
for while important 10 the country AZ the mouth Of
the river Mississippi % become the enpOrsri of tbs cdu
try above t also il even more important Ia ths
Whole Union IL have that emporium and although ths
now province by reason Of lis imperfect enienf va.
mainly regarded the Gulf Of Me1ieo, yet, n fact n
extended to the opposite boundaries Of The United Sales
with far greater breadth above than below, and Ia
territory, everything else, equally at least aces.
sion TO the northern States IL is mere deuson and pre-
iudice, therefore, 70 speak of Louisiana as acquisition
the special interest Of the South
Tho patriotic End iust en, who participated that act
influenced by motives far above ali sectional iea.
ousies II was ia truth the great event, which, by com
peting for the possession of the valley of the Mss-
ppi with commercial access to the Gulf of Mexico i'm.
parted unity and strength 10 the whole confederation and
attached together By indssulube ties the East and thu
West, as wcll az the North aud the soUib
As TO Fordu thar but the transfer BY Srain TO the
United States of territory tho east side oil the river
Mississippi, in exchange for large territory, which the
United States transferred to Spain the side OF that
ver as the diplomatic history of the transaction
,oryes 70 demonstrate. Moreover il was acquisition
lemluued
the wbels Vrehs
In the meanme the people Of the United States had
crown up 10 proper consciousness of their strength, and
brief contest with France and in second oorioos
9th Great Britain, thsy bad shaken of all which remInad
Jf undue for Europe and emerged from the at
mosphoe OF those transatlantic Influences which surround
Cd the infant Republic, aid had begun TO turn THEFT qe
ion the full and Systematic Development Of 1ie Jtom
resources of the Unebt 43 ta. #G.ss.
Among the eyanescen controversies Of iat period the
most conspicuous tho question of regulation by Con-
zaf lttnt, ~ En ia ba
founded 10 the TERRITORY of IoulsisnH
The ordinance for the government of the territory north
west OF the river Ohio had contained provision which pro-
lbed the of sorve labor therein, subject to the
1ition of the extradiiion Of ugtyes from due
my other part Of tho United States. subsequently to the
adoption Of the constitution this provision ceased 10
nam law for its oHeration MS ruch was absolutely
superseded By the Constitution But The rscelicttloh *
the excited the zeal Of social propagandism in
,econs of the confederation and when second State,
hat of Missouri to be formed in the territory of
Louisiana, proposition made to extend to the latter
erory the restriction originally applied to the country
situated between the rivers Ohio and Mississippi
Most questionable this proposition in all its
tuonal rotations, nevertheless il received this sanction
Of Congress- with SOME slight notifications of nc save
.e existing rights of the intended State II re-,
iuctanty acgaesced in by southern States hs sacrifice
10 the Of peace and of the Union, not only Of tho
tights spunted BY the treaty Of louisiana but of the
principle OF oquay among the States guaranteed by tho
constitution 1t received by the northern States
with angry and rcsentnl condemnation and complaint,
because did not concede all which they had exactngy
demanded Having passed through the forms of legsa
ion il took its place in the statute book, standing open
repeal, hc any other act OF doubtful consutntonaly,
subject be pronounced null and void by the courts Of
taw, and possessing possible efficacy to control the
fights OF the States, which might thereafter be organized
Of any part of the original territory Of Louisiana.
In all this, if any aggression there were, any innovation
upon pre-eSistng rights 10 which portion of tae Union
| they Justly cliargeahos e. II
This controversy passed away with the OCCASION nothing
| surviving il the dornan. letter of the statute
But long afterwards when, by tho proposed accession Of
the Republic OF Texas the United States to take their
next step in territorial greatness similar contingency
cured and became the occasion for systematzed at
emps TO intervene in the domestic affairs Of section
Of the Union in defiance of their rights States, and Of
the stipulatons of the constitution These attempts
ilmed practical direction in the shape of pesevering
eayors, by Of the representatives. in both houses Of
Congress- to deprive the southern States of the supposed
benefit Of the provisions of the act authorizing The organ
| ization of The State of Missouri.
Bot the good Of the people, and the vital force Of
The consition trumphod sectional prejudicc and
he political Of the day. and the State Of Texas re-
urned to the Union she with social institutions
which her people had chosen for themselves and with
agreement by the reannexing act, that she should
susceptible of subdivision in plurality Of States
Wmtever advantage the interests OF the Southern States,
such, gained by this, far inferior in results as they
lno!ded 10 the progress of ia to those which spang
| rom previous concessions made by the South.
To every thoughtful friend of the Unon,-to the true
overs OF their couptry,to all who longed and aoored Tor
he fall success of this great experiment OF republican IN
utons,t Of graduation that such an oppor-
unity had occurred 10 illustrate advancing power on
his continent aud 10 furnish the world additional as
of the strength and stability of the constitution
Who would wish Florida still European colony
Who would rejoice to hail Texas lone star, instead Of
in the galaxy of Staess Who does not appreciate
hc ncalcuiable benefits of the acquisition of louisiana
md views and sectional purposes would new
| ably have excluded them all from the Union.
But another struggle the point ensuod, when our
victorious armies retained from Mexico and 1t devolved
Congress to provide for the territories acquired by the
treaty Of Guadalupe Haoo. The great relations OF tho
subject had become distinct and clear to the percep
ton of the public mind which appreciated the evils OF sec
tiona controversy upon the question OF the admission OF
States In that crisis intense socitudc peryaded tho
nation But the patriotic impulses of the popular heart
guided by the adnonitory advice of the Father of his
Country, superior all the difficulties Of the ncorpo
ration Of empire into the Union In the counses Of
Congress there manifested extreme antagonsm OF
opinion and action between representatives, who
sought by the abusive and unconstitutional employment OF
the legislative powers of the government to Interfere IN
the condition of the inchoatc States and TO impose Their
social theories the latter and other representa-
ves who repealed the nterposton OF the general govern
nent in this respect, and maintained the secontuung
rights of the States In truth. the thing attempted was,
in form alone action of the general government, while IN
reality il The endeavor, by abuse Of legislative power
force the ideas of internal policy, entertained N parcu
lar States, upon allied independent States Once moro
the constitution and the Union triumpled signay he
new Territories organized without restrictions The
disputed point and thus left TO Judge in that paric
alar for themselves and the of constitutional fait
proved vigorous enough Congress not only to accom-
psh this primary object, but also tho incidental and hardly
less important ONE of amending the provisions OF the
for the extradon OF fgitves from service as TO
place that pube duty under the safeguard OF the general
and thus relieve it from obstacles raised up
/ bv the legislation Of some Of the States.