The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-11-09

thy Fhhers for these concessions they ha
tnDn Of The States 10 create, aud 10 ihei
anfn, and generous minds the volun,ar,
reaoval Of slavery by the action Of The sew
eua States themselves, without federal in
ierfrence, seemed no, oaly certain but clos,
a, lind.
These provisions Of The constitution were
IT,. Tha, the foreign slave trade shoul,
not 70 abolished before 1908.
p That any law or regulation which
any State might establish in favor Of freedom
shonI not impair the legal remedy ther
supRsed 10 exis, by common law. for III,
recai ilure, by legal process, in such State
of lo.i'ives from labor or service. escaping
from ,,hcr States.
81. Tha, ihIee.fflhs Of all slaves shcult
be counted in settling the basis Of represent
a,ionsin The several States.
Th,se three concessions, which in them
selva seem very limited and almos, harm
less IRE all ,ha, the Fathers consciously
mad to the privileged class.
Be privileged classes always know wei
how D improve even any indirect advantages
whicl The constitution or laws OF a country
ahrort Such indirec, advantages they ac
quire from two other provisions Of tho con
s,i,nibn. ls,. Tha, provision which make
The Safe authority independent and SOW
ereig in municipal affairs, slavery bein.
understood 10 be purely municipal in its ma
lure. 81. Tha, provision, which ou, of ten
dernes 10 the small States, gives them {
representation in the Senate equal to ,ha
of flhcatges, Safe. freedom builds grca
Safes; slavery mulliplies small States, anc
even iwarfs great ones.
This we see that the American Slave
holdes arc privileged class, standing on {
specii and permanent foundation, aud tha
they nc protected in their advantages by
the oranic law.
Imgh, show priori iha, privileged
class, Inns established on an exceptional
princi,lc, tina, is wrong in itsell and an,ag
onis,icio the fnnlamc.'al principle Of The
government, mus, necessarily be dangerous
ifil be suffered 10 expand and agcrandizC
itself. Blu, unhappily we are not left 10 'h'
necessity ofresorting 10 speculation on iha
subject. The policy Of emancipation wa
sci back in this country duling The reac,ior
agains, revolutionary principles, whicl
necessarily attended the reorganization o
government; and j, was set back still NOR,
cdec,ually by the CONSERVATION which fcl
lowed the ,lsasirious failure fihe frs, re
p;298 y availcd themselves OF the ahvanta
ges which The constitution afforded 10 iorli
fy themselves in the federal government
The last federal acts directed against IN
privileged class. wcrc the abolition OF tn
foreign slave trade aNer 1907, and Ike eier
nal prohibition Of slavery in the broad an,
then unsettled region which extended iron
the north bank oflhe Ohio 10 'he casters
shore cfIhe Mississippi. Even The passag
Of tia, ordinance vas, by its silence. assum
ed 10 imply right on The part of the priv
ileged class 10 colonies with slaves, The re
gion living south OF the Ohio and cas-, OF IN
Mississippi.
Unlocked for events have lent the privll
eyed class advantages which have NOR
than counerbalenced The adverse effects q
this carly national legislation. The inven
lion Of the cotton gin, which easily separate
tho seeds from the fibre, has made cotton n
almost exclusive agricultural staple in the
States OF ,he privileged class, and an EN-
inen, commercial staple Of The whole coun
try. The national territory has neccssaril
been enlarged from time TO time, TO accom-
moda,e an overgrowiny population and al
ever increasing commerce. Favored b.
these circumstances, the privileged clas
have nj III, same time found in home pro
duc,ion o. slaves in Maryland and Virginia
and other States, n compensation for the los
Of the African slave trade, and they hav
not been slphful in unlcarning all The fear
and dismiss.ng all the timiii,y and conclia
lion which marked their conduct, during an,
Immediately after the the Revo'u'ionar.
War. The admission OF Kentucky, Tenne
see, Mississippi and Alabama as slavehold
Ing States into the Union, seemed unayoid
able, insomuch as they were the overgrowi
of some of the old thirteen States aud thu
these new States south OF the Ohio balancin
the growiag-Irec S,ales north OF that river
a sort Of balance was maintained be,wee,
the privileged and the unprivileged classes
which is was though, not necessary 10 dis
iurb. This was the frs, final partition o
the unsettled territory OF the Uniled s'ate
between those classes.
In 1904 France coded 10 the United State
broad belt stretching along the western
bank Of the Mississippi, from the B'i'i'l
possessions on the north, TO The SpanisI
province on the south. This acquislon
which was equally necessary for the saie'.
Of the country and for the uses OF commerce
stimulated the desire Of the privileged clas'
for an extension Of their territory and a
aggrandzement Of their power. New VI
leans, situated practically on the coast {
the Gulf Of Mexico, was already a, onct
an ancient slaveholdiug colony, and an i'm
por'ant commercial mari. II lay contisu
ous 10 the slaveholding States. Under ihes
circumstances, !, was withop, any resistance
soon organized aud admitted into The UnioI
with It's ancient laws and customs, lolera'in
slavery. ST. Louis, though destined TO ac
quire grea, commercial importance, was
as yet, an inconsiderable town, with fe'
/ .l,yahalJo.. 81 .t,,,s The Missis.iul