The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-09-22
General 1qteiiigcqce.
From TIE PA!zadelphia Sun.
The Duty of the North,


The old Democrat and Whig parties
have been successfully disrupted by the
agitation of the Slavery question ; and
the American party is now eonrulsed By
the same influence. 1t seems to us that
ealmness, and brotherly feeling brought
to the discussion, might settle it but we
almost despair of ever hearing another
calm word from the South on the subject,
or the exhibition of any fraternal senti-
ment from that quarter. Slavery, or
persons held to compulsory labor. is re-
cognizei by .hc Constitution, that is
fixed fact, which We cannot get over;
but the extension of slavery never was
intended by that instrument on the con-
trary. it was the design of its trainers to
eradicate the system Us soon as possible.
Slavery, then, is local institution, but
slavery extention is great neces-
Sry national question, which cannot be
eyaded. but must be met firmly, tenn
perately and patriotically. While slavery
exists as the Constitution left it, in the
States, and under their sovereign &C ntrOl,
Congress has no more business TO inter
fere with it than it has to regulate the
employment of tie free domestics of the
North but the very moment the aSlta-
lion of Its extention commences, then 1t
becomes national in its scope, AMI ma
lority Ofthe federal representatives have
Alright to dispose of it. Four times in
our history it has thus become nation
al question, and ever has been and ever
must ha settled by national compact.
Those four eras may thus be stated:
|. At the formation of the Federal
Constitution, when all its embarrassing
compartments were settled upon the
basis Of the national compact itself,
boxing to the protection of the right of
property in slaves, but not to the extern
sion of slavery.
Ii. In 1920, when Missouri applied
hr admission into the Union as a State,
aud it was again adjusted by national
compact, known as the Missouri Compro-
mise.
Ill. In 1850. when to stop the agita-
uon and discussion of the slavery ques-
tDn, the Compromise measures of that
Year, including the Fugitive Slave Law,
were passed as a great national COM
pact.
". 1t is now again made the absorb
inS national issue before the country in
the next Presidential election, and upon
The nation promises to be more dis
'iacted than ever before, unless the
american party can again propose some
uennlte national compact to harmonize
contrary opinions and antagonistical in
erests.
Its to be regretted, after all the final
s'es' that the South should again have
prced this issue upon the North. The
itee States had settled down with a
as'ermlnation to abide the compromises
81 iS5o-and 1890, when Southern in
aaence re-opened the whole agitation by
se refusal to recognize the Legislation
=, :. 1859 as final. and by the repeal OF
la' ofiS20. The South objects to dis
sassloh or agitation of slavery in the
.,o'th, and yet is continually making
,aieats of secession itself. Nothing
rSasesit. After the passage ofthe Com
iSe roaiiSe Act of 1850, many of the most
ave aud influential slaveholding rep
1sSseasativesin rs Congress. Including Henry
Sy, Of Kentucky, Foote, of Mississippi,
aeephens and Cobb, of Georgia. and
,'ass, OF Texas, boaaI themselves in a
n'Aleh pledge to maintain that COM
f,ouaise lnviolate, TO resist its alteration
eal, and to oppose the election ol
-. nan of whatever party who would
say iorm, attempt to renew the dis
!. assloa and agitation of slavery. Dul
- emPtation 10 extend the area oI
@'ery, and thus inereass Its political
Fpaef. b.: was too great to be resisted
,L 'ans tools ike Senator Douglas, who
'1sh a Northern Senator, is South.
\. ~ asaseholder. were fBund to introduce
= Aaasas Nebraska Bill under the
e,.! siest efforts of party discipline, it wa.
,Iae e through Congress And thu.
L agitation was re-opened more bitter
saa serimoniously llan ever before.
...,s ,eia th,s base betrayal of the peopt
sss a'a hase been acquiesced in. from tn,
ss''y oil lhe case; patriotic men a