The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-08-30

harmony remaining. We allude to the Fugl'
tive Slave Law. AS we have said above, no
legislation can take place until some nine or
ten months after the Inauguration of a Repub-
lican President. Even then, he must have not
only the House of Representatives, but the
Senate, on his side, which we know he cannot
have at that period, and perhaps not for year
or more, owing to the fact that the whole South
will be backed by half a score of Northern
doughfaces, who will still hold over Or, 1t may
be that some Southern States may become by
that time so liberaized and enlightened, with re-
gard to the true objects of the Republican Party,
as to join in the repeal of the Fugitive Law, IN
which event it is not at all probable that any
of the States would be disposed to secede. In
fact, we have some reason to anticipate this
result. We published two able essays recently,
from q Tennessee paper, advocating the repeal
of the Fugitive Slave Law, and the restoration
of the Missouri Compromise The articles ap-
peared in leading and highly respectable pa
per- the Franklin Reuiep, just prior to the
State elections, and we are not aware that they
| tended to injure the candidates supported by
its editor.
If the Fugitive Law shall be repealed by
Southern aid, no rupture of the Union will take
place; but if the South refuses to aid in its re-
peal, then it cannot, for the reasons stated, be
repealed for at least three years to come.
We think, for these and other reasons, that
Republcanism is going to work like charm.
But all depends on SUCCESSIVE must remem-
Der the maxim, first catch your hare for
Slavery aggression will 60 on with accelerated
| force, and the monstrous barbarism will be ex-
| tended to Kansas; Mexico will be conquered for
Slavery, 1.-THE work is now in progress, as
may be seen by reference to the current news
from Mexico,) and Cuba will be acquired
by force and fraud. Freedom must triumph,
or else the Northern freemen may as well make
up their minds to suffer all the moral degrade
ton which is implied in submission to the
measures of Slavery extension to which we
have referred.
We have said nothing of the influence of the
Federal Government upon the slaveholding
States That influence should be, and will be,
legitimate. We should be far from counte
nancing any legislative interference with Sla
very in the States, which we regard as uncon-
stitutional; but the Government may legit-
mately use its patronage and influence to
encourage the growth of principles congenial
with its own; and can it be doubted that emf
nent success will attend the exercise of power
on the side of Freedom? There are tens of
thousands of Southern hearts now bursting
with impotence to throw off the yoke of Sla-
very-white men and women, we mean-who
only lack the encouragement and support of
the Federal Government to embolden them to
speak in thunder tones in the ears of the hand
fnl of aristocratic shareholders, who now domi-
neer over them with all the powers of the Fed
eral and State Governments. They will find
bold and manly leaders in the class of slave
holders, thousands of whom are as anxious as
their non slaveholding brethren to be free. A
party of Freedom will at once spring up all
over the South-Savery will be freely discuss
ed, and, in due time, wise measures of enamel
patton will be adopted by the great majority of
the Southern people. But we have no room to
pursue the subject further at present. G.