American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1856-01-03

the rivers Ohio and Mississippi.
eou, ~titntIonai relations. nevertheless e received the
aaclion OF Congress, with some slight notifications Of
line, ~ save the existing righta Of the Intended new
Mate. ID was reluctantly nequieseed Fh BY Southern
States as q sacrifice 10 the Cause Of peace & ofheunion
not only OF the rights stipulated ey the treaty 81 Lou
K~uaranted BY The Constitution. II was received by the
Northern States With angry and reseniIel eonasmnS,
which they had eractingly demanded. Having passed
through the forms OF Iegisiatien, u took ts plaes ~ the
act OF doubtful consttuuonaliiy, subject 20 DO pro-
nounced null and void BY the courts OF law, and pos
aessIne no possible efficacy to control the rights of ths
states, which niightti ereaner be organized out Of any
part Of the original territory OF Louisiana
In ali thls. N any aggression there were, any lnnova-
san mon pre. existing lights, 20 which portion OF The
Un1on are they justly ehaEeabief
This controversy passed away Win the occasion,
nothing surviving Il save tho dorman! letter Of the
statute.
But, long afterwards, when, by the proposed acoes-
bIon ofthe Republic ofTexHs, the United States were
10 take their ne Il etep 10 territorial greatness, q SINH
lar contingency occurred, aBS became the occasion for
~systemaiized attempts to Int Hsre in the domestic nf-
,fSirs ofoue section Of the jUihon, in defiance Of their
rights Us States, and ofthe stipulations OF The eonslitu-
Non. These attempts assumed a pracuehI erection IN
the shane OF perse yerinE endeHvors By some al the
representative in both houses of Congress,to deprive
the Southern States ofthe supposed bcne1t OF the pro-
Visions of the act authorizing the organisation OF Inc
But The good sense Of the people, and the vital force
ofthO constitution ~triumphed 0yes seasonal psyy1.
ofTexas returned to the Union rs she was, with social
institutions which her people had chosen Ter them
selves. and with express ngreenent,h by Ihe re-enneN-
ing aet. that she should be susceptible Of suodiVision
Into u plurality of States.
Whaiever advantage the interests ofthe southern
. STATES, as such gained by this were Ear inferior Ia re-
suits as they uniolded IN Tie progress " hin7, 70 those
which sprang from previous concessions made by the
10 every Thoughtful friend of the Union--to the
true lovers of their cOuniry--to all who longed ana
q ab0rcd for the full success OF this great experiment OF
republican institution-it was cause OF graduation
that such an opportunity had occurred to illustrate
- cur advancing power on this continentnnd to furnish
TO ihs world additional assurance of tue strength and
stability Of the constitution. Who would wish TO see
Florida stu a European eoionyt u Of Of o Maui ofth ,eJo onIs
axy Of StatesS Who docs not appreciate the ineaicu-
liable benefits of the acquisition Of louisiana And yet
narrow view and sectional. purposes MouId lhsVlta-
bly, have excluded them all from the Union.
But another struggle on the same Peint ensued,
md IL deyoIyed IN Congress to provide for the terri
tones acquired by the treaty ef GundGlnpe Hldaigo.
The great relations of the subject had now became
distinct and clear to the perception OF the public mind,
which appreciated the GXls OF sectional controversy
upon the question OF tbs admission ofnew states'-
In that crisis intense solietude pervadsd the nation.-
But tho patriotic impulses of the popular heart, guild
f. ed by the admonitory advice OF the Father OF his
Country rose superior to all the difficulties oftie in
corporation of a new empire into the Union. 1.-The
counsels OF Congress there was mnnif.stec extreme
antagonism OF opinion and acton between some rep
sutional employment OftEe legislative powers OF the
government TO interfere In the condition, oitho M
-choate States and to impose their own social lheorles
upon the latter; and other representatives, who 70
pelled tho interpretation of the general government I'm
this respect and maintained the self constituting rights
In truth, ths thinga attempted was, In form alone, ac-
tionO Of the general government. while In reality II was
tho endeavor by abuse or legislative power, to force
the idea of internal policy, entertained in particular
States, upon allieo independent States. Once moro
the constitution and the Union triumphed slgnally:-
THE now territories werc organized without rsstric-
lions on the disputed point, and wero thus lett 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 incidental and hardly tess important one
of so amending the provisions of the statute for the
uxtradition of fugitiyes from service, as to place that
public duty under tho safe guard OF the general gov
eminent, and thus reliovei it from obstacles raised up
BY the legislation ofsome ofthe States.
Vain defamation regarding the provisions of law
for tho extradition OF ~fugitiycs from service, with &C.
caslonal episodes Of frantic enort to obstruct their ex-
ocution by riot and murder, continued fora brieftime.
10 avitate certain localities. But the true principle. of
leaving each State and Territory to regulate its own
laws of labor according TO its own sense of right and
sxpediency, had acquired fast hold Of tho public judg-
anont, to such II degree. that by common consent. it
was observed in tho organization of tho EsrrEery Of
Washington.
Whom. moro recently, Il became reGaiStc 10 organ,
-iEe the Territories OF Nebraska aud Kansas it was the
natural and egitimato, If not the inevitable conse-
quance of previous cynnts and lcki iNtion. that the
same great and sound principle, which had already
bosn spilled to Utah and New Mexico, should be APP
piled TO them-that they should stand exempt from
ihsir restrictions proposed In the act relative 10 the
Stnte of Missouri.
These restrictions were, in the estimation Of many
thoughtful mon null from the beginning, unauthorized
by the constitution deontrarylto the treaty siipulhtions
for the cession OF Louisiana and INCONSISTENT with til.
equality Of the States.
They had been stripped of all moral authority. by
persistent efforts to procure their indirect repeal thro'
contradictory e%uacimsn.s: They had bean practically
~nbrogated BY this legislation attending the Organizes
ton OF Utah, New Mexico and Washington. II any
vitality remained In them, It would have been taken
away, In effect, by tho new territorial act, In the form
originally proposed to the Senate at the nrsi s,ssion
Of the last Congress II was manly and Ingenious. as
we'll MS patriotic and just, TO do this directly and plain
y, and thus re lievc the statute-book ( Of an act, which
might be of possible future injury. but Of no possible
future bopent; and the measure Of its repeal was the
final contamination and complete recognition ofthe
principle, that no porii ~ of tho United States shall
und through assumption of the powers of the
general government, to dictate the social Institutions
Of any othor portion.
Tbs scope and effect ofthe language. OF repeal wore
not isft In doubt. IT was declared, In tcErnsto be 'the
true intent aud meaning OF this act not TO lsgislato
slavery into any Territory or State, nor to exclude II
therefrom, but to leave the people thereof perfectly
free to form and regulate their domestic institutions 10
their own way, subject only to the constitution of tho
United States.
alone. 1t was attacked with violence, ON the falso or
dclusive pretex t that it constituted n breach of faith
Never was objection more utterly destitute of substan-
,tial justification. When, before, was it imagined by
sensible men, that a regulatiyc or deelaratiye statute,
whether enacted ten or forty years ago, Is irreparable
--Ihat an net of CongresJ Is above tho constitutions
IL indeed, there were in the facts any cause to impute
bad faith, 1t would attach to those only who have never
ceased from the time of the enactment Of the restric-
tive provision to the present day, to dcnounoe and
condemn IL; who have constantly refused to complete
it by nsedful supplementary legislaion; who have
spared no excrtion TO deprive TOT moral forcc; who
have themselves again and again attempted its repeal
by the enactment of Incompatible provisions; and who
by tho inc vitable reactionary effect Of their own vio-
lence on the subject, awakened the country to percep-
ton ofthe true constitutional principle, of leaving tic
matter involved to tho discretion of the people oftho
respective, existing or incipient States.
1t is not pretended that this principle or
any other procludes the possibility of evils
in practice. disturbed as political action is
liable to be by human passions. No form
Of government is exempt from i%nconveni-
ences; but in this case they are the result
Of the abuse, and not of the Legitimate ex-
%ercise, Of the powers reserved or conferred
in the organization Of a Territory. They
are not to be charged to the great princi-
pie of popular sovereignty; on the contra
~, they disappear before the Intelligence
and patriotism of the people, exertiug thro'
the ballot box their peaceful and silent but
irresistible power.
If the friends Of tho constitution ere to
have another struggle, its enemies could
not present a more acceptable issue, than
that of a State, whose constitution clearly
embraces "a republican form Of govern.
ment." being excluded from the Union be
cause its domestic institutions may not in
all respects comport with the ideas Of what
is wise and expedient entertained in some
other State. Fresh from groundfess i'm
putatious OF breach Of faith against others.
WAN will con,rnoooo tLo ou;Ia,;o. sc tL:.