Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-08-25
NoRTHERS ANNOUNCEMENTS.

10 ~ uioPutiiiS ~. WI hufS VIC ihuCCu duJ oiS-
position to question that of the gentleman refer
red to. He is dead and buried. His body moul-
ders in the grave, his spirit has no doubt ascend
ed 10 that better world, where the "wicked cease
from troubling and the weary at rest"
But if John Davis were as honest as he was re-
puted to be, and could his honest shade stoop
from the beattude Of Heaven to commune for
season with grovelling mortal of this earth, we
would not despair of convincing him that the
above remark, quoted from one of his speeches,
is altogether unfounded.
The speech from which that remark is quoted,
was made on an interesting occasion. That oc-
casion the last night Of his service in the Uni
ted States Senate.
''Slavery rules all"
We will test the accuracy of this remark by
statistics. -Ha
This confederacy was formed by thirteen States.
All of them, save one, were slaveholding States.
Among these were seven Northern, and six South
ern States But short time elapsed before sla-
very, an institution, disappeared from all of
the Northern States save Delaware. There it
existed, and now exists, only nomnally. So
Virginia ceded an empire to the General Gov
eminent when she donated the, Northwest Terri
tory. Her munifcence was as admirable, as her
confidence was unbounded. Though the recipient
of this regal bounty, (and receivers do not usu-
ally attach conditions,) the Federal Govern
ment, influenced by northern chicanery and craft,
induced Virginia to stipulate as follows, in the
famous ordinance of '67:
There shall be neither slarery nor Involuntary
ssrpitpds in the said Territory, oiher,cise than in
the punishment Of crimes, iohsreof the party shall
hare been lairfli conricted Provided aI,cays that
any person escaping into The same, from ,rhom labor
service is larfuliy claimed in any one of the orig
inal States, such fugitive may be acflly reclaimed,
and Conveyed to the person claiming his her labor
service as aforesaid"
Out Of this Terri tory, which Virginia gave, FIVE
States have been made. The ordinance for the
government Of the Northwest Territory provided
for FIVE States 1t said, 'not less than three, nor
more than five States We have the following
list Of States carved out oft:
Ohio, ON the 18th of February, 1903.
Indiana, on the 18th of December, 1916
Illinois, on the Sd of December, 1918.
Wisconsin, on the 2sth of May, ls4S.
Five non-slaveholding States carved out Of ter
rtory coded by Virginia, a slave State
There is not one single instance, that we re-
member, of slave State being formed out of any
territorial contribution from non-slaveholding
State. Indeed, we know of no territorial con-
-,
Union, except few patches from New York
Massachusetts,, and Connecticut. We are aware
that Vermont, originally part of the State
of New York, was formed into a State
with the consent of the parent State, by act o.
Congress, approved February 18th, 1871, to take
effect March 4, 1871. Vermont is non-slave-
holding State-an Abolition State. Maine, part
Of Massachusetts,, was in the same manner formed
into State by an act of Congress, to take effect
on the 18th day of March, 1920. Other North
ern Territory which has been or is likely to be
formed into States-and -slaveholding States
has been acquired by treaties with France or Mex
leo, by means Of "the common blood and treasure
Of the nation.''
When we think of the circumstances con-
LcItSh Win Lite Ritdh tCSSioH 1db maui
10 our national domain, we cannot but be i'm
pressed with the contrast between her and the
Northern States. They showed Yankee craft,
she a most regal and characteristic munifcence
She gave, they received. Yet while she gave,
she made no condition, and they who received,
like bargain-drvers, they are, required con-
ditions. But for the generous unthinking prodi-
81 - do,, ks
at loss to understand how they could first have
ceded such an empire, and then have saddled
themselves with conditions ne of which was
that when the territory should be formed into
States, such States should be free from slavery.
But onerous, mean, and vile as was the condi-
ton, it has been relgiously kept. The whole
territory has been carved into States, and all
these States are what the Abolitonis,s cal
= free States'-what we call non-slaveholdinl
States.
How, on the other hand, did the donees OF
grantees act IL was stipulated that all fugitive
slaves who sought refuge in that territory should
be delivered up on legal demand Of the owners
Now we all know that the most unscrupuou,
and infamous of all Abolitionists live in some o.
that they swarm TO the protection Of every fugi.
tive slave who seeks refuge among them. II i.
next TO impossible for master to recover his
slave, il once he gets amongst them. Thus the
Virginians, who gave this territory to the Union
on condition that their fugitive property should
be delivered up TO them, insulted, imprisoned,
shot, or tarred and feathefed, when they venture
TO demand the return OF such property.
Again: we have had two compromises touch.
ing slavery in this country, by each Of which the
North gained and the South lost. Asif the Con-
stitution were not sufficient, those arrangements
which have received the name Of compromises.
must needs DO resorted 10. Now there il no mode
Of changing the Constitution, save that indicated
by ITSELF and any arrangement, compact, or com
promise that either extends or abridges the Con-
stitution, is species Of higher law that should
never be tolerated.
Again: they began with one non-saveholdng
State. In process Of time they balanced the slave
holding States, and now they out-number them.
There are now sixteen Of the former, fifteen Of