American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-01-05

fur ned to the Union as she WAS with social |
-insttntions which her people had chosen for |
themselves. and with express agreement, by |
the re anucxiny act that she should be sns. |
ceptib'e Of subdivision into plurality OF |
States.
Whatever advantage the interests of the |
Southern Stetes as such, gained BY th's, were |
far inferior IN resultsss they untolJed in the |
progress Of time. to those wbicb sprang from |
previous concessions made BY the South
To every thoughtful friend of the union--to the
true lovers oftheir countryside all who longeJ |
and labored for the full success of this great ex
pertinent of republican Institutions was cause |
OF graduation that such an opportunity had &C. |
Cured TO illustrate our ndvans ing power on this |
continent, and to furnish to the world additional
assurance of the strength! and stability OF the |
constitution. Who would wish TO see Florida |
still European colony Who would rejoice to
hail Texas as lone star, instead of ono in the
galaxy OF Statcs2 Who does not appreciate the
incalcuablc benefits of tho acquisition of Louisi.
ana? And yet narrow views and sectional pnr-
poses would inevitably have excluded them all
from the Union.
But another struggle OH the same point ensucd
when our victorious armies returned from Mcxi-
co, and it devovcd on Congress TO provide for the
territories acquired by the treaty Of Guadalupe
iidalgo. The great relations of tho subject had
now become distinct and clear TO the perception
of the public mind which appreciated the evils
of sectional controversy upon the question of the
pdmissionof new States. In that crisis intense
socitudc pcrvaded the nation But the patriotic
impulses OF tho popular heart, guided by the aid
moniiory advice of the Father of his Country,
rose superior 10 all the difficulties of the ncorpo.
ration of u new empire into the Union.
In the counsels of Congress there was mani.
tested cStrcmc antngonsm of opinion aud action
between some representatives, who sought by tho
~ mil If he
Legislative powers of the government TO interfere
III the condition of the inchoatc Statcs, and TO
impose their own social theories upon the latter;
and other representatives, who rcpell the intcrpo-
sition OF the general government in this respect,
and maintained the self.constiu,ing rights of the
States. Ia truth, the thing attempted was, in
form alone, action of the general government
while in reality it was the endcavOr, by abuse of
legislative power, tn force the ideas of internal
policy, entertained in particular States, upon al
lied Independent States.
Once more the constitution and the Union tri-
umphed signally. The new Territories were or
gained without restrictions on the disputed point
and were thus left To judge in that particular for
themselves; and the sense of constitutional faith
proved vigorous enough in Congress not only TO
accomplish this primary object, but also the in
cidcntal and hardly less important one, of so u
mcnding the provisions of the statute for the OK
traditions of fngtivcs from service, as TO place
cral government, and thus'rclievc it from ohsta-
clcs raised ny by the lcgisation~of some o.! the
States.
Vain defamation regarding the provisions of
law for extraditon offIgitivcs from service, with
occasional episodes of frantic effort TO obstruct
their execution by riot aad murler, continued,
for a brief time, 10 agitatc tain localites.-
But the true principle, of leaving each State and
Territory 10 regulate its own laws of labor ac-
cording to its own sense Of right and cXpedicncy,
had acquired fast hold of the public Judgment to
such degree, that, by common consent, it was
observed in the organization OF the Territory Of
! Washington
When, more recently, it became requisite to
organize the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas,
it was tho natural and legitimate if not the incv
liable, consequence of previous events and legis
, lation, that the great and sound principle,
which had already been applied to Utah g. New
Mexico should be applied TO them,---that they
should stand exempt from the rcsti lotions propo-
sed in the act relative 10 the State Of Missouri.
These restrictions were, in the estimation of
many thoughtful men, null from the beginning,
unauthorized by the constitution, contrary to tho
treaty stipuations for the cession Of Louisiana,
and inconsistent with the equality Of the States.
They had been stripped of all moral authority,
by persistent efforts to procure their Indirect
peal through contradictory CnacincntS. They
had been practically abrogatcd by the legislation
attending the organization of Utah, New Mexico
and Washington. If any vitality remained in
them, il would have been taken away, in effect,
by the new territorial acts, in the form originally
proposed to the Senate at the first session of the
last Congress. 1t manly and ingcniousy as
well as patriotic and just, to do this directly and
plainly, and thus relieve the statute book of an
act which might he Of possible future injury, but
OF no possible future benefit: and the measure of
lis repeal was the final cousumrnaiou aud com
at ri npiD mt
ton OF the United States shall undertake through
assumption of the powers Of the general govern
'ncnt, 10 dictate the social institutions of any 9th.
or portion.
The scope and effect ofthc language Of repeal
were not left in doubt Ii was declared, in terms,
TO be " The true intent and meaning Of This act
not to lcgisaio slavery into any Territory or State
nor to exclude il therefrom, but 10 leave The pGo-
pie thereof perfectly free 10 form and regulate
their domestic institutions in their own way, sub.
Jcct only to the constitution Of the United States.
The measure conld moi he witlstood upon its
merits alone. II was attacked with violence on
the false dc'usivc prctcxt, that il constituted n
breach OF faith. Never was objection more utter
" destitute of substantial Justification. When,
before, was II imagined by sensible men. that
rcgu!atlvc or dccarativc statute, whether enacted
ten or forty years ago il irrcpcalahIc that an act
oil Congress is above the constitution
If indeed there were Ia the facts any cause TO
imputc bad faith, it would attach 10 those only
who have never ceased, from tic time of the en-.
actnent of The restrictive provision TO The present
day, 10 donounce and condemn it who have con.
SANITY refused 10 complete it by nccdful supple
mcn,ary legislation who have spared no oxcrtion
to deprive ii Of moral force who have themselves
again and again attempted its repeal by the en-.
actnent of incompatible provisions and who, by
the inevitable reactionary effect of their own VIC.
lcnco on tho subject, awakened the country TO
perception of the ,ruo constitutional principle, of
leaving the matter involved to The discretion Of
inc people oil Tic respective existing incipicEt
States.
l, is not pretended that this principle, or any
other pTccluacs the possibility Of evils in practice,
disturbed as political action is liable to be by bu
man passions. No form of government IL cy.