The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-06-30
Ottaua Stree Graotr ,
OTTAWA, JUNE 80, 1855.
The Kansas Question.

us the false and absurd charge OF making
war on the present administration, and
made itself ridiculous by attempting to read
us out of the democratic party, the RepuJH,
en-, of this city, in that vein Of petty spite
which is so characteristic Of men Of small
calbcr, and the Joliet Democrat, probably
to help along joke at the expense of its
neiehbor, affect to believe the charges ofthc
Signal, and thcreupon make flourish Of
trumpets over what they arc pleased to style
a ''new accession to the ranks Of fusion
and fanaticism. You are entirely too fast,
gentlemen We can enjoy joke, and il
the editors in question had charged US with
sheep stealing, or robbing a hen roost, We
could laugh it Off but when We are 'com
plimcnted" on what we should regard as q
much more absurd act Of folly, it is cutting
quite two deep. We have neither turned
knavc or fool, that we are aware of, and must
therefore resist the charge, made even in
spite or jest, Of having deserted the demo.
cratic party. As, however, qualified re-
mark of ours, ccnsuring President Pierce in
a certain contingency, may lead to a wrong
inference among friends, we shall seize the
occasion to make an article, as we had con
tcmplated doing for some time, on what we
conceive to be the real dangers of the Kan
sas question, and the duty Of the democrat,
ic party in reference toll
The difficulty Of the Kansas question is
no new one. II is the same that has at
tended every measure before our national
councils in which the subject Of slavery was
involved. 1t is point on which northern
and southern ianaticism always have and
always will come into violent collision, and
fatal results in all instances have been, and
can be avoided only by the wise counsels Of
moderate men that stand between the ex-
tremes. As in the contest in the convcn-
tion that framed the Constitution, in the great
Missouri contest, and the agitation in 1850,
so in the present Kansas-Nebraska excite
ment, the same triangular issue is prevented
between the extreme views Of the north and
south, and the moderate counsels that stand
between them. The southern ultraists de-
mand that congress shall foster and protect
slavery, as well in the territories as states
the northern ultraists demand that congress
shall discountenancc and abhor slavery,
gripping it by abolishing the slave trade
between the states prohibiting it in the ter
aitorics, and refusing to admit into the
Union any new slave states. As the sue
cess of either Of the extremes would be in.
compatible with the existence Of the Union,
the democratic party have ever stood upon
the only ground safety which is between
them. This is the ground of the Constitu-
ton, and the foundation rock Of the Union.
1t is the simple principle Of non-ntervention,
ofregardng slavery strictly as a local nsti.
tuition, to be regulated and controlled entire
ly by the states, in their own way, as fully
and freely as the institution Of marriage, or
the licensing of groceries. This the trainers
of the institution hoped and believed would
exclude the subject forever from the nation.
al councils, and secure it against the danger
Of becoming the source Of irritation, contcn-
ton, and discord between the great sister
hood Of states they had SO happily cemcntcd.
This happy settlement Of the question
however was not suffered to remain unds-
turbed. The gangrened eye Of northern
abolitionsm, and it may be of southern ul-
traism, writing under their defeat in the
convention that fra ned the Constitution,
soon found occasion to vent its dsappoint-
mcnt, and after n hundred minor assaults
finally made bold and determined attack
upon the principle Of the constitution when
the question Of the admission of Missouri as
state was presented. Instead of permit
ting Missouri, as an Independent state, to
regulate the subject of slavery for herself,
as all the other states had done, and the
constitution contemplated all should do, the
daring and reckless attempt was made to
force her to conform her local institutions to
the views Of sectional moralists As well
might the attempt have been made to com.
pei her to organize her institutions on the
basis Of Furrierism. OF course the whole
Union was convulscd, and anmosty and
discord became dominent, and immediate
dissolution imminent To avert the dread
cd catastrophe, the most unfortunate expe.
dicnt Of the Missouri compromise was resort.
cd to-the safe principle Of the constitution
violated, and geographical line substituted.
The wise and good, the venerable trainers
Of the constitution, stood blanched at the
monstrous error--thc news Of its commits.
sion fell upon their cars ''likC fire bell in
the night"
OF course a storm thus allaycd, could on.
ly rest for little season TO break forth with
mere destructive fury. The fatal "cou-
PROMISE scarcely adopted before it was
boldly repudiated and condemned, and de.
termination announced to violate it on the
first occasion that presented itself. Occa-
sions were not long wanting. Not to emu.
morate the minor ones, a prominent ono pre-
sented itself on the accession Of the territory
at the close Of the Mexican war. The strug.
gle was protracted and violent, but feeble
enough on the part of the Missouri compro.
mise. II had scarcely a friend in congress,
and settlement on new principle became
necessary. Happily tho counsels of the
great and wise men Of that day-thc Cays,
Webstcrs, and Calhouns, prevailed, and the
principle OF the constitution, abandoned in
an evil hour, was restored, and non.intcryen
ton once more made the basis Of peace ant
bond Of Union between the states.
But fanatcism and utraism only submit
ted to, did not approve, as they never hat
done, this only safe principle, They "ac
3 luiesced' Qha, was the wor(D but it wa.
only because California was "sccured to frce
dom" at the time, and nothing was gainct
by the south The fires were smo,Lered