The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-12-06
VOL. XVII---NO. Is.

invested with perpetuty, and entitled 10 re-
spcct Of a solemn compact, Between whom
was the compact! no distinct contending
power ot The government-no separate sec
:'ons "i the Union, treating as such entered
u the treaty stipulation on the subject.
w, was mere clause Of On act Of Congress,
'hd IKE any other controyerted matter OF
Nsis'a'ioh received its final shape and was
pasSeu oy cofnprsnise Of conflicting opinions
~ scn''ih'htS oi the members of Congrcs.
out II IL hai moral authority over mems
conSelences, to whom did this authority az
tach: Not 10 those Of the North who cb,a
repeatedly refused to confirm it by c,tan.
sion and who had sedulously striven 10 es.
tablish Other! !andInccmpatibc regulation No.
on the Lject, aud if, AS il appears the sup.
posed compact had no obligatory force. as
to the North, Of course it could not have had
any as 10 the South, for all such compacts
must be mutual and Of reciprocal obligation
1t has not unfrequenty happened that
law-giyers, with undue cstimation Of the
value OF the law they give, or in the view,
oil lmparunS to 1t peculiar strength. make il
perpetual in terms, but they cannot thus
bihd the conscience, the judgment aud the
viii of those who may succeed them. invest
ed with similar responsibilities and clothed
With equal authority. More careful investi-
CATION may prove the law unsound in prin.
cipIe, experience may show it 10 be imper.
feet IN detail, and Impracticabe in execu-
ton, and then both rsason and right combine
not merely 10 justify bat to require its re.
peal.
The Cons tuition, supreme as it is over all
The departments OF the Government, legs-
latve, executive and Judicial, is open to
amendment by It's very terms, and Congress
f,,.f fh..> >.ata l.:- 4.
pose amendments to its solumn compact,
though it III truth is between the sovereign
States of the Union. In the present instance
a political enactment which had ceased to
have legal power or authority Of any kind
/ was repealed. The position assumed that
Congress had no moral right to enact such
repeal was strange enough and singularly so
/ in view OF the fact that the argument came
from those who openly refused obedience TO
existing laws Of the land having the same
popular designation and quality as compro-
mise acts; nay more, who unequivocally
dsregarded and condemned the most posi-
tive and obligatory injunctons Of the Con-
stitution itself, and sought by every means
within their reach TO deprive a portion Of
their fellow citizens Of the equal enjoyment
Of those rights and privilege. guaranteed
alike TO all by the fundamental compact Of
cur Union.
This argument agains. the repeal Of tho
Statute line in quest on was accompanied by
another of con Hgeuia. character, and equally
with the former destitute OF foundation in
reason and ruth. |; was imputed that the
measure originated in the conception Of ex-
tending the limits Of slave labor beyond
those previously assigned to it, and that
such was it, natural as well as intended ef-
feet, and those basciess assumptions were
made in the Northern ; ates ground Of un-
Cea>ipg assault upon constitutional right.
The repeal il terms OF a statute which was
already ab.oltte and also null. for uHconsti-
tut0na,.ty could have no influence to OBJ
s'IUct or promote the propagation Of con-
ficting yi,ws OF political or social nstitu-
tioE>.
When the act organizing the Territories
Of Kansas aud Nebraska was passed, the in.
hercnt elect upon that portion OF the public
~ ann -vrrIvT, ON dn JIr .,tIIcs VI tuv
Union alike, each with his convictions Of
public policy and private interest there no
found III their discretion subject to such
limitations as the Constitution and acts of
Congress might prescribe new states here
after TO be admitted into the Union-it was
a free field open alike to all. Whether the
statute Of assumed restriction was repealed
petition of the diverse opinions and domcs-
tic institutions, field which without such
repeal would have been closed against them.
1t found that field of competition already
open in fact and N law. Al the repeal did
was TO relieve the statute book OF an OBJ
icctienable enactment unconstitutional in
effect, and injurious in terms TO a ar, &c por-
ton of the States 1t is the fact that in all
the unsettled regions Of the United States,
if emsra ton he left free 10 act in this res
uect for Itself without legal prohibitions on
either side, slave labor viii spontaneously
30 everywhere in preference 10 free labore
!. it the fact that the peculiar domestic in
s,itutionS Of the Southern States possesses
relatively much Of vigor that wheresoever
an avenue is freely open 10 all the world
they will penetrate to the exclusion Of those
of the Northern States:
l. ii the fact, that the former enjoy COM
pared with the latter, such irresstably SUI
pcror vitality, indepedent Of climate, soil,
and all other accidental circumstances as to
be able TO produce the supposed result in
spite of the assumed moral and natural OBJ
siaccs to its accomplishment and of the
more numerous population OF the Northern
States: The argument Of those who adyo-
cate tn. enactment of new laws of restric.
in affect AYERS that their particular views of
government have no self extending or self
sustaining power of their own and will go
no where else forced by act of Congress.
And if Congress DO but pause for moment
in the policy of stern coercion, if it venture
to try the experiment of leaving men to
Judge for themselves what institutions will
best suit them, if it be not strained up to
perpetual legislative eXertion on this point.
If Congress proceed thus to act in the very
spirit of Liberty, it is at once charged with
aiming to extend Slave labor into all the
new Territories of the United States.
OF course these imputations Of the inten-
tons of Congress in this respect, conceived
as they Were in prejudice, and disseminated
in passion, and utterly destitute of any JUS
tification in the nature Of things, and con-
trary to all the fundamental doctrines and
principles of civil liberty and self govern
mcnt. While therefore in general the peo-
pie of the Northern States have never at
opv time arrogated for the federal govern
ment the power to interfere directly with
the domestic condition of persons in the
Southern States, but on the contrary, have
disavowed all such intentions and have
shrunk from conspicuous Sliilarion with
those few who persue their fanatcal objects
avowedly through the contemplated means
of revolutionary change of the government
and with acceptance of the necessary con.
sequences, a civil and seryile war; yet many
citizens have suffered themselves TO be
drawn into one evanescent political issue Of
agitation, after another appertanins to the
same set of opinions and which subsded as
rapidly as they arose, when it came to bs
seen, as it uniformly did, that they were
incompatible with the compacts OF the Con-
sttution and the existence Of the Union.
Thus, whom the acts Of come OF the States
to multip the existing sxtradtion laws i'm
posed upon Congress the duty oi passinga
-. ON. tn. country WAS invited by agita-