Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-11-27
n. rnAcr1cAL QUESTION.

rHI flAcrIcAL QUESTION.
We coAmesA to the attention o. those
who are tired Of looking at slavery a.
moral or socia. question, the following re-
marks on its political bearing which We
$500 ftom the Boston Atlas. There has
dosbtless been efficiency and more than
! suasciency Of anti-slsvery sentimentai'sm.
That point Of view eliminated IN Uncle
Toms Cabin, and the countless but feeble
repetitions Of that production have been IN
creased to an extent somewhat nauseahng.
Wath the Distinct asseveration that no sane
man proposes 10 interfere with slavery ~
.ha slave States, unless such proposition
csnes from the people Of those States 'ne
naia question resulting from the subject Is
mot one Of pity for the position OF the negro,
~ il i one Of the political position OF
white men. Those who draw comparisons
between English abolition in the West In
dies. and abolition in this country by any
other power than the Slave States' totally
mist.ke the question, and deceive them
selves by comparing things altogether dis
s;uilsr. The English Parliament had
supreme control over the subject IN the
West India colonies, and abolished slavery
against the wishes and circumstances OF
the unrepresented body Of the planters
The Legislatures OF the Slave States have
similar supreme control. but as they are
elected BY the slaveholders themselves oil
course any motion Of abolition must come
from the people Of the Slave States. Ihere
does not seem to be much present prospect
) Of such motion being nade. But that Is
none of our business.
In regard however to new Slave states
being admitted, -nost unquestionabiy the
people of the whole country, have the right
through their representatives. of expressing
,.he;r opinions and recording their votes on
the subject. We presume no one will deny
Mr.. JefFerson's saying. that in republic the
majority must rule. Nov the question is.
whether three hundred thousand slsvehoid-
esrs shall rule this country, and give 1t its
ooliticL character for oil time to come, OF
shall the immense majority Of freemen also
have a word in the matter, and really
establish republican form of government.
The uuestion to be decided is whether this
country i to be under aris:ocratic or repub.
licsn rule. We quote from the Atias:-
.There are men who suppose that this
Question OF slavery can be covered up and
kept out Of sight forever; but never was
there a more terrible mistake. He who
believes that this institution having been
made an element of political power can be
IGNORED in political discussions. or kept out
Of Congress or the elections, does not very
clearly understand why Congress meets. or
vhy elections are held at all. The differ
ence between the North and the South is
mot moral bot political difference. 1t
finds its true exposition not in poems and
novels, and pathetic or peppery 81 eeches,
sbat in statistical tablet in the representative
basis and in the blue books. There 10 lit
lie need and less possibility of Disgusting
the fact-the struggle now going on is
strueRie for political power. We claim. for
the North, nothing unconstitutional, nothing
Inconsistent with the perpetuity Of the
Union; but We do claim, that power shall
be where the theory of the Constitution
places it. with the population and the wealth
Of the Free States. II the possession OF
the government 10 worth anything to sla-
very, il 10 worth quite rs much to freedom.
II the South finds political power necessary
70 her single interest, we deem it Of equal
importance to the thousand interests of the
North and West. II one system Of labor
seeks to control legislation, all other
systems are interested in preventing such
. monopoly. We demand governmental
policy worthy of great States existing or in
embryo. We ask it for populations numer.
ous, Intelligent and industrious, for com
nerce already immense, yet still in its in
fancy, for manufactures which, against q
thousand adverse influences, have created
for us second independence, for arts, agri-
culture, emigration. We would impress
upon the ENDS of those to whom the adj
nsinstration Of affairs lie committed, the real
greatness of the Pree States. We would
open their eyes to the existence of New
York as well as Of Virginia, of Massachu-
setts as well as of South Carolina. We ask
NO undue share of Official patronage; we
seek for no undue power in the national
6buncis; we demand nothing which is not
ours by the simplest right; but we do ask
that population and wealth may be con-
sidered, in q country which depends, as all
nations must, upon both for existence IT,
SELF"
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