Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-01-03


in that act, were influenced by motives far
above all sectional prejudice, 1t was, in truth,
the great event, which, by completing for us,
the possession of the valley of the Mississippi.
| with commercial access to the Gulf of Mexico,
impaired unity and strength to the whole con-
federation, and attached together by indssolu-
| BILE ties. The East and the West, as well as the
! North and the South. As to Florida that
was but the tranfer by Spain to the United
! States. Of territory on the East side of the
river Mississippi. in exchange for large terri
tory which the United States transferred to
| Spain on the West side OF that river, as the
entire diplomatic history of the transaction
serves to demonstrate. Moreover, it was an
acquisition demanded by the commercial in
| terests and the security of the whole Union.
In the meantime, the people Of the United
! States had grown up to a proper conscious
i ness of tlleir strength, and in a contest with
France, ana in the second serious war with CIR.
Britain, they had shaken off all which re.
manned of undue reverence of Europe, and
emerged from the atmosphere Of those trans.
atlantic influences which surrounded the in.
FAINT republic, and had begun to turn their at
tention to the full and systematic internal re.
sources of the Union. Among the evanescent
controversies of that period. the most conspic-
uous was the question of regulation by Con-
gress of the social condition of the future
States to be founded in the territory of Louis
lana.
| The Ordinance for the government of the
territory northwest of the river Ohio, had oc-
casioned provision which prohibited the use
of servile labor therein, subject to the condi-
tion of the extraction of fugitves from SER
| vice due in any other part Of the United
States. Subsequently, to the adoption of the
constitution, this provision ceased to remain
| lav fOr oh OH
lutely superseded by the Constitution. But
| the recollection of the fact excited the zeal of
social propagandizement in some sections of
the confederation, and when a second State,
that of Missouri, came to be formed in the
| territory of Louisiana, proposition was made
| to extend to the latter territory the restriction
originally applied to the country situated be-
tween the rivers Ohio and Mississippi.
Most questionable as was this proposition
in all its constitutional relations, nevertheless
it received thesanction of Congress- with some
slight modification of line, tc save the exist
ing tights of new Sta ties. 1t was reluctantly
acquiesced in by the Southern States as sac.
rifcs to tbs cause of peace and of the Union.
not only of the rights stipulated by the treaty
of Louisiana but Of the principle of equality
among the States guaranteed by the Constitu-
ton. 1t was received by the Northern States
with angry and resenful condemnation and
| complaint, because it did not concede all
which they had exactingly demanded Hav.
ing passed through the form of legislation, it
took its place in the statute book. standing
| open to repeal like any other act of doubtful
| eoestitutionality subject to be pronounced
null and void by the Courts of law, and pos
sessing no possible efficiency to control the
rights Of the States which might thereafter be
organized out Of any part of the original ter
ritory oil Louisiana.
| In all this, ii any aggression there were, if
any innovation upon the pre-existing rights,
to which portion of the Union are they Justly
chargeable? This controversy passed away
with the occasion, nothing surviving it, save
the dormant letter ofthe statute. Butlong af-
forwards, when by the proposed accession of
the Republic of Texas the United States were
TO take their next step in territorial greatness,
a similar contingency occurred, and became
the occrsion for systematized attempts to Ill.
teryene in the domestic affairs OF one section
of the Union, in defiance Of their rights as
States, and Of the stipulations of the Consti.
tuition. These attempts assumed practical di-
| rectien In the shape OF perseyering endeavors
by some of the representatives in both Houses
| of Congress to deprive the Southern States of
the supposed benefit of the provisions of tie
act authorizing the organization Of the State
Of Missouri. But the good sense of the peo-
pie, and the vital force Of the Constitution,
triumphed over sectional prejudice and the
political errors of The day, and the State of
Texas returned to the Union as she was, with
social institutions VIII oh the people had cho-
sen for themselves, and with the express agree.
ment by the re- annexing act, that she shottld
| be susceptible of SUD- DIVISION into plurality
of States.
/ Whatever advantages the interests of the
Southern States, as such, gained by this,
were far inferior in results, as unfolded la
the progress of time, to those which sprang
fTom previous concessions made by the South.
To every thoughtful friend of the Union to
the true lovers OF their country; to all who
long and ardently labored for the full success
of this great experiment of Republican Insti-
tutions, it was Of great congratulation that
such an opportunity occurred to illustrate our
| advancing power on this continent, and to
furnish to the world additional assure nee of
the strength and stability of the Constlt tuition.
| Who would wish to see Florida still Euro
pean Colonys Who would rejoice to hail
Texas as a " lone star. . instead Of one in The
galaxy Of Statess Who does not appreciate
the incalculable bel efts OF the acquisition of
Louisiana; And yet, narrow views and Sec
tional purposes would inevitably have exclud-
ed them all from the Union.
But another struggle on the same point en-
sued when our victorious armies returned
from Mexico. 1t devolved on Congress to
| provide loI the territories acquired by the trea-
| ~ of Guadaloupe. Hdago. Thelgreat rela-
| tons of the subject had now become distinct
and clear to the perception of he public mind,
which appreciated the evils of sectional con-
troyersy upon the question of the admission
| oil new States
| In that crisis intense solicitude pervaded
the nation, but the patriotic impulses of the
popular heart, guided by the admontory ad-
vice OF the father OF his country, rose superior
| to all the difficulties OF an Incorporation of
new Empire into the Union. In the councils
| Of CONGRESS, there was manifested extreme an
| tagonism Of opinion and action between some
| Representatives, who sought by the abusive
and unconstitutional employment OF the legis-
lative powers of the government to interfere
in the condition of the inchoate State, and to
| impose their own social theories The thing
attempted was, in form Alone action of the
general government, while in reality, it was
the endeayor by abusive legislative power, to
force the ideas OF internal policy entertained
in particular States upon allied independent
States. Once more the Constitution and the
| Union triumphed signally.
The new territories were organized without
restriction on the disputed point, and were
thus left to judge in that particular for them
selves, and the sense oil Constitutional faith
| proved vigorous enough in Congress not only
to accomplish its primary object, but also ils
incidental and hardly less important one ,oi so
amending the provisions oil the statute for the
-.