Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1856-01-16
STAR OF THE KANAWHA. VALLEY.

own affairs, not preL1ming oficiously "a
lintsrneddle With tho social institutions 81
the northern states, too many Of the latter
are permanently organised in associations
Ito infict injury on The former, BY wrong
| full acts, which would be cause Of war
a. between foreign powers, and only fail
| ID bs such in our system. because perpe-
ltrated under cover Of the Union.
II is impossible 70 present this subject
| a truth and the occasion require, With
loht noticing the reiteratsds but ground
less allegation. that The south has perss-
tently asserted clsims and obtained adj
vantages in che practical administration
Of thegcneral government. to the preju-
dice of the north, and in which the latter
has acqniesced.e That is, the states,
which either promote or tolerate attacks
on the rights Of persons and Of property
in other states, to disguise their own in
justice. pretend or imagine, and constant
| " aver, that they, whose constitutional
rights are thus systematically assailed,
are themselves the aggresssors. AT the
present time, this imputed aggression,
resting as it does, only in the vague de-
clsmatory charges Of political agitators,
resolves itself into misapprehension or
misinterpretation OF the principles and
facts of the new Territories of the United
States. 3 "a 4s
| What is the voice Of history? When
the ordinance. which provided for the
government Of the territory northwest 81
the river Ohio. and Tor its eventual sub
division into new states, was adopted in
the Congress Of the conferation, It is not
to be supposed that the question Of future
relative power, ~ between the states
which retained and those which did not
retain . numerous colored population,
escaped notice, or failed 10 be considered.
And yet the concessions Of that vast ter
ritory to the interests and opinions Of the
northern states. q territory how the seat
Lof FIVE among the largest members Of the
Union, was, in great measure, the act
Of the State Of Virginia and of the South,
When Louisiana was acquired by the
United States, it was an acquisition not
less to the north than to the south: for
while it was important to the country at
the mouth Of the river Mississippi to be-
come the emporium Of the country above
il, 30 also it was even more important TO
the whole Union to have that emporium;
and although the new province, by reason
Of its imperfect settlement was mainly
regarded as on the Gulf Of Mexico, yet,
in fact, it extended 10 the opposite boun-
daries Of the United States, with far
greater breadth above than below, and
was in territory, as in everything else,
equally at least an accession to the nor
thern states. 4 It ID mere sdslusion and
prejudice. therefore, to speak Of Louis
lana as acquisition il the special interest
Of the south.
The patriotic and Just men, who par
fticipated in that act. were snfuenced by
motives far above all sectional jealousies.
Itwas in truth the great event which, by
completing for US the possession Of the
valley Of the Mississippi, with CONNER
ciAl access to the Gulf Of Mexico, i'm.
parted unity and strength to the whole
confederation, and attached together BY
indissoluble ties the East and the West,
d well as the North and the South.
As to Florida, that was bat the transfer
By Spain. to the United States, of ter
ritory on the east side Of The river Missis-
sippi, in exchange for large territory,
which the United States transferred to
Spain on the westlside Of that river, as
the entire diplomatic history Of the trans
action serves to demonstrate. Moreover.
twas an acquisition demanded by the
commercial interests, and the security Of
the whole Union.
In the meantime, the people Of the
United States had grown up to proper
consciousness Of their strength, and in .
brief contest with France, and in . Sec
ond serious war with Great Britain, they
had shaken off all which remained Of
undue reverence for Europe, and emerged
from the atmosphere Of those transatlan-
tic influences which surrounded the in
FAINT Republic and had, begun to turn
their attention to the full and systematic
development Of the internal resources Of
the Union. ea
Among the evanescent controversies
Of that period, the most conspicuous
was the question Of regulation by Con.
gress Of the social condition ofthe future
States to be founded il The territory Of
The ordinance az he government II