Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-08-01
sECTIONALISNf-

SE6STIONALISM-
IT'S 10 Us z lnatter of Notifying surprise TO
behold throughout the North the efforts max
ing 70 sgser the American Union.
Men fo1auhom welad expected better things,
men cfedpcation, Of experience, Of enlarged in7
Solinstion, and apparently qualified to govern
ns1and guide the State, " seem to hare forgot
tss thsir lessons, all their duties, an their re-
spo1ufftbiiItfes to soriety and the Union, and 70
bssS1 ring to run fastest at the head Of the
theSsh.iesS giddy and pssion-infaned mob at
4hs9S5rth 10, ignorant and thoughtless, are
endaassribs Tie very existence Of the Union
why d ttis9 NE ak plainly Of the intelligent
1Deacf the North, Of the patriots Of the North,
q tbs uen. Of the North who respect the Union,
vho know its value and desire to preserve it,
Why Is It that error is thus suffered to usurp
the minds, inaamc tiie passions and paraiyze the
patriotism Of so many of your best citizens! Is
# NOT because the plain and undrest facts Of the
case are too seldom presented to their minds! Is
# not because passion'is too often met with pas
sion, aud the plain dictates of reason and right,
and friendly effort to correct error for the
sake Of right is too seldom .rcsorted to in The
discussions now going on in ell sections of the
counGyf
We plead guilty to neglect in this particular.
We, IN common with other men, are too often
led by feeling rather than by dispassioned judg-
ment but ii is none the less the duty of patriots
to correct all such eTrors, and to call the atten-
ticn Of Their friends and readers to calm dis
peticnkte aud impartial view Of the real grounds
Of controversy. we propose to do SO as briefly
as possible, IN spirit Of candor and of fairness,
II u well 20 look often TO first principles and
TO first facts, and We must therefore remind our
reeders that st the date Of our Federal Consti-
tuition almost every State in the Union allowed
slavery in its limits. The Constitution was
made in the face Of this fact and bears on its
face evidence Of the fact and its recognition,
while the friendly spirit Of fraternal harmony is
patent on every page Of that organic law. fits
equally apparent that slavery has existed from
that period until the present in the Union as a
part of the Union. These two points are con-
ceded The Black Republican party do not
a9,s advocate abolition in the States. Their bat
Tie Is Tor the territories and free territories or
disunion" is the war cry of the party. This
party proposes to say in advance that Southern
men have NO right to take their property to the
Territoriea Of the Union. They say that the
Constitution does not permit it. The'South de-
mics this proposition and claims an equal right
with the North in the public domain. Here is
plain issue and how is it TO be settled The
Constitution was made for ell sections and by
all sections, and yet one section claims right
to exclude the other section from carrying its
property to the common domain Now waiv-
ing the uuressonableness Of the Northern posi-
ton, for Il lacks the appearance even of equali-
4ty, what is the method of settling this question
as among brethren, members of a common con-
federseys Is it not by an appeal to the laws of
the land? Is it by an appeal to arms? Every
good citizen, whether North or South, win say
that en- appeal to the Constitution is the method
70 be resorted to by people attached to law
and order and to our common Union. If the
Constitution docs not prohibit slavery in the
territories, but gives all sections equal rights
there, then a majority should pause ere they at
tempt that which the Constitution does not au.
thcrize It is then time to count the value OF
the Union and to let expcdiency be slowly exer-
ciscd-e
The South asEs nothing for slarery. This is
not understood at the north. The South asks
only to be placed and kept on Constitutional
grounds She does not ask that Slavery he
lesislotSd into any territory, but only that the
Constitution may be the law of the territory
while il remains a territory and then that the
people OF the state may be permitted TO form
their own government and regulate their own
institutions, just as the old states have done
heretofore. The South asks only th6PcrtormGnee
Of Constitutional obligations and the protection
Of Constitational rights.
whatmore can the North expect or ask of the
souths Is not this fair position, is it not
the constitutional position, and is it not the only
position which can restore peace and harmony
to our Union and replace our people in those
friendly relations originally existing among the
states and designed so to be by the fathers of
our Union. Why do not the men of the North,
we mean those who deserve the appellatiou and
not the miserable hacks and tlemagogues who
look TO themselves only and live but on agitation,
place this matter plainly before tho whole people
of the North; and place it fairly and fully. If
this were done would not agitation ceases And
oughtit not to cease? What real question of
difference is there between honest men North or
SOUTH The Constitution is all we ask of the
North, and is it not all the North should ask of
usS Why does not agitation cease and why
cannot all return to the original, constitutional,
conservative, fraternRl relations which did sub.
sist and should continue to snbsikt between
all sections Of the country. Let patriots
unite. lot the sons of the founders of the Union
and the Constitution come together upon the
broad platform of tho Constitution mon inter-
ference by Congress with Slavery in State, Ter
ritory and in the District of Columbia" Leave
all to the Constitution and to the laws, let them
decide the rights of all persons and all sections
By them We ara willing to rest our rights BY tho
Constitution and its intcrnrntnr. (tha Snnrnmn