Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-05-13

and bears heavily upon and depresses the moral
energies of the poorer classes The
acquisition of respectable position in the scale
of wealth appears 50 difficult, that they decline
the hopeless pursuit, and many of them settle
down into habits of idleness, and become the
almost passive sub jects of all its consequences.
And l lament to say that / have observed of
late years that an evident deterioration, is TAX
ing place in this part of the population, the
younger portion of it being less educated, less
industrious, and in every point of view less re-
spectacle than their ancestors"
In the January number. 1850, of DeBcw's Re-
view, in article on Manufactures in South
Carolina" we have an exhibition of the fears
entertained of bringing together masses of nom
slaveholding Southern white population even
for manufacturing purposes:
$50 long as these poor but industrious people
could see no mode of living except by degrad
ing operation of work with the negro upon the
plantation, they were content to endure life in
its most diseouraging forms, satisfied that they
were ADORE the slave. though faring often worse
than be. But the progress OF the world is on
ward and though in some sections ii is slow il
Is still ora~drd' and the great mass of our poor
white population begin to understand that they
have rights, and that they, too, are entl. ed 10
some Of the intolerable wrong; and the South
hitherto has granted their premises, and attempt
ed to Justify negro Slavery an exception TO a
general rule, or, if wrong, as a matter Of bargain
between the North and the South. The laws
of God and nature immutable, and man can
not bargain them away. While it is far more
obvious that negroes should be slaves than
whites-for they only fit to labor. not 10 di-
reet-yet the principle Of Slavery is itself right
and docs not depend difference of complex
ior"
Under this doctrine it follows that here
more direct enslavement of the white race NAV
be insisted upon than that obtained in Mexico
under the contrivance of the debtor vassalage
The doctrine is a positive sanction TO the bond
age of the white race, and asserts that 1.-THE laws
of God and nature immutable in It's sup-
port, and man cannot bargain them away
1t is practically illustrated now in the Utah
Territory, where a man holds multitude OF
women as slaves, calling them his wives What
| ls there in Mr. Ritchie's principle to prevent
Brigham Young from holding ninety white men
as slaves under bills of sale. well as ninety
white women under pretense of the bonds of
matrmony?
Mr. Ritchie's explanation of the Southern doc
trine of Slavery, together with Mr.. Douglas act
for the Territories, which a leaves the people
perfectly free to form and regulate their dornes-
tic institutions in their own way, subject only
to the Constitution of the United States" GER
! tainly authorizes the Mormon State to come into
the Union with the Turkish system full blown
which makes slaves of all colors and wives
without number. 1t is sad commentary on
our progress, that at the moment when the new 5
arrives of the Sultans frman putting end to
the traffic in slaves in his Empre-ot the Gar 5
steps for the liberation of the serfs in Russia,
| and of their actual franchisement in the Danub-
ian Princi palites-we should have negro Sla-
very forced one Territory by an usurpation
set mp by the sword, and the right of the Nor
mons recognized in another to hold gentler
in servitude, under the unnatural law OF {;
plurality of wives!
We hold that Congress is bound by the Con-
stitution :" to make all needful rules and regu-
lations for the Territories of the United States -
and during their pupilage and preparation to
become members of the Confederacy. to prevent
the growth within them of systems incongruous
with the pure and free, the just and safe princi-
pies iRaugurated by the Revolution.