St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-08-14
st. Charles, Iowa, August Ia, 1856.
The Present Crisis,

Au0 Z AO0OAt VI AoA0s
The EVILS that now threaten the
United States are the natural conse-
quences Of a breach of faith. Be-
tween nations wars occur, and when
they are terminated by treaties, that
party which breaks the terms Of those
treaties commits, not only a great
wrong in itself, but deed that may
lead to incalculable mischief, of conse-
quences that were not thought Of when
the wrong was in course Of perpetra-
ton. In free commonwealth it some
times happens that parties assume
attitudes of such ferocious antagonism
that nothing but mutual concessions
can prevent civil war from breaking
out and when such concessions have
taken the form of a definite compromise,
that act has peculiar solemnity, and
it's terms ought never to be infringed
except by common and universal con-
sent. The Missouri compromise of
1920 was an act Of this kind. 1t was
in the nature of treaty between
contending factions, which had been
wrought to pitch of evaporation
unprecedented in our history, and
therefore it should no more have been
violated than a provision Of the nation
al Constitution. 1t was, to be sure, a
mere act of Congress, and from the
pressure Of circumstances it would be
nothing else. Now, it is on all hands
admitted that what one Congress can
pass, another Congress, or the same
Congress, can repeal But an act like
that Of 1920 has, or ought to have,
and under an enlightened public opin-
ion it will have, higher support than
can be quoted for any ordinary enact
ment. 1t is under the guardianship
and protection of the public. No really
wise men will disturb it. When dis.
turbed, either by foolish or ambitious
men, the consequences are tremen.
dous. This we have seen. We are
living in the midst Of troubles that
have grown out Of a disregard Of
solemnly pledged faith by men who
may have meant well, but who, il
we make such admissions, we are
bound to hold were utterly ignorant
of the state Of the country, and there
fore unfit to be entrusted with the
high places Of it's government. Every
thing that has occurred, Of a nature
most distressing to all who intelligent
~ love their country, is the logical
consequences of the repeal Of the act
of 1920, which the work Of men of
various sections, in which all the
leading statesmen Of that time took
part, which has been repeatedly en-
dorsed by the best Of their successors,
and in which the whole people had
come to acquiesce with the same
that the people of England
agree in upholdins that Act of Settle
ment by which the succession to the
British crown was entailed upon the
Protestant line of Hanover. Public
faith once broken, there is no saying
what the end may be, or through what
misery and crime we must pass before
reaching to that end. If there had
been any pressing demand for the act
of repeal, there might be some
kind Of excuse found for what was
done in 1854 but the memorable
event of that year, and the results
thereof thus far, add another proof to
the many that we previously had of
the truth Of the position, that the
people are better than those who aspire
to conduct, to rule, and to manage
them. The people never demanded
the repeal fthe Missouri Compromise.
The first popular movement in favor
of that repeal was never made. The
proposition to make the change that
has wrought so much evil came upon
the country with as much suddenness
as the eruption of Vesuvius came
upon the old campanian cities. If
any one had changed the government
Of the country with the design of max
ing the question of repeal a political
test, or Of supporting repeal in any
way, only . month before the work
was commenced, he would have been
denounced by its supporters as a
slanderer. Only a week before the
wrong was openly begun the govern
ment organ was firmly opposed to
repeal. The political earthquake,
which was to rend parties asunder,
gave as few warnings as ever were
vouchsafed by any Of it's more palpa-
BILE brethren of the visible world but