The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-01-11

| occurred and become the occasion for system
affixed attempts to intervene in the domestic
affairs OF one section Of the Union, IN def
ance Of their rights rs States and Of the stiP-
ulations Of the Constitution. These attempts
assumed a practical direction. in the shape Of
persevering endeavors by some Of the repre-
sentatives in both houses of Congress TO de-
! prive the Southern States of the supposed
| benefit of the provisions of the act author
| izing the organization of the State Of Mis-
souri,.
But the good senee Of the people 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 rs she was, with social institutions
which her people had chosen for themselves,
and with express agreement, by the re annex
ing act, that she should be susceptible Of sub
division into plurality of States.
Whatever advantages the interest of the
Southern States, as such, gained by this, were
far inferior in results, as they unfolded in the
progress Of time, to those which sprang from
previous concessions made by the South.
To every thoughtful friend of the Union, to
the true lovers Of their country, to all who
/ longed and labored for the full success of this
great experiment of republican institutions
it was cause of graduation that such an OPP
portunity had occurred to illustrate our I'D
vancing power on this continent, and to fur
nish to the world additional assurance of the
strength and stability of the Constitution
Who would wish to see Florida still a Eu
ropean colonyi Who would rejoice to hail
Texas as a lone star instead of one in the gal
axy of Statesi Who does not appreciate the
incalculable benefits of the acquisition of
louisiana And yet narrow views and Sec
tional purposes would inevitably have eX-
/ Ii Al = IL .o, IT,sA
But another struggle on the same point
ensued when our victorious armies returned
from Mexico and it devolved on Congress to
provide for the territories acquired by the
treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The great re-
| latons of the subject had now become dis.
tnct and clear to the perception Of the pub
lie mind, which appreciated the evils Of seq
tional controversy upon the question OF the
! admission of new States. In that crisis in.
tense solicitude pervaded the nation. But
the patriotic impulses of the popular heart,
guided by the admonitory advice Of the
Father of his Country, rose superior to all the
! difficulties Of the incorporation OF new EN-.
pire into the Union. In the counsels of Con-
gress there was manifested extreme antago
nism of opinion and action between some rep
resentatives, who sought, 10y the abusive and
unconstitutional employment of the legsla-
|
| in the condition Of the inchOate States, and
to impose their own social theories upon the
latter, and other representatives, who repell-
ed the interpostion of the General Govern
ment in this respect, and maintained the self
constituting rights of the States. In truth
the thing attempted was, in form alone, ac-
ton Of the General Government, while in re-
atty it was the endeavor, by the abuse Of
legislative power, to force the ideas of inter
nal policy entertained in particular States up
on allied independent States. Once more the
Constitution and the Union triumphed signal
ly. The new Territories were organized with.
out restrictions on the disputed point, and
were thus left to judge in that particular for
themselves; and the sense of constitutional
faith proved vigorous enough in Congress not
only 10 accomplish this primary object, but
also the incidental and hardly less important
one of so amending the provisions of the
statute for extradition of fngitives from SER
vice as to place that public duty under the
safeguard of the General Government, and
thus relieve it from obstacles raised up by
the legislation Of some of the States.
Vain defamation regarding the provisions
of law for the extradition of fugitives from
service with occasional episodes of frantic eff
fort to obstruct their execution by riot and
murder, continued, for brief time, to agitate
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 expediency. had acquired
fast hold Of public judgment to such degree
that by common consent, it was observed in
the organization Of the Territory Of Washing.
ton.
When, more recently, it became requisite
to organize the Territories of Nebraska and
Kansas, it wns the natural and legitimate. il
not the inevitable consequence of previous
events and legislation that the same great and
sound principle which had already been ap.
piled to Utah and New Mexico should be up.
piled to them; that they should stand exempt
from the restrictions proposed in the act rela-
tive to the State Of Missouri. ... t...
These restrictions were in the estimation
of many excellent men, null from the begin.
ming, unauthorized by the Constitution, con.
trary to the treaty stipuations for the cession
Of Louisiana, and inconsistent with the equal.
ity oe the States.
They had been stripped of all moral au
thority by persistent efforts to procure their
jndireat repeal through contradictory eRsct.
ments. They had been practically abrogated
by the legislation attending the organza.
ton Of Utah. New Mexico, and Washington.
II any vitality remained in them it would
have been taken away in effect by the new
Territorial acts In the form originally pro.
posed to the Senate at the first session of the
| last Congress. 1t was manly and ingenious
as we'll as patriotic and just TO do this d.
rectly and plainly, and thus relieve the
statute book Of an act which might be OF
possible future injury, and Of no possible fu.
ture benefit; and the measure Of its repeal
was the final contamination and complete re-
coguition of the principle that no portion Of
the United States shall undertake, through
assumption of the powers Of the General Gov.
eminent, to dictate the social institutions OF
any other portion.
The scope and effect of the language of re.
neal were not left in doubt. 1t was declared,
in terms, to be 'the true intent and meaning
of this act not to legislato slavery into any
Territory or State, nor to exclude it therefrom
but to leave the people thereof perfectly free
to form and regulate their domestic inst u.
tons in their own way, subject only to the
, Constitution of the United States"
, The measure could not be witbstQod upon
~ its merits alone IL was attacked with VIC
lence. on the false or delusive pretext that il
, constituted breach of faith. Never was
, objection more utterly destitute of substan
tial justification. When before was il imagn
/ ed by sensible men that regulative or de
{ clarative statute, whether enacted ten or for
. ~ years ago, is irrepealabe-thata an act o.
/ Congress is above The Constitution II, in
deed, there were in the facts any cause to i'm
D pute bad faith it would attach 80 those only
, who had never ceased, from the time Of tn,
enactment Of the restrictive provision to tn,
present day. to denounce and condemn it
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