The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1856-12-10

I
I that Congress had no moral right to enact such
repeal was strange enough, and singularly so in
view Of the fact that the argument came from
( those who openly refused obedience to existing
laws of the land, having the same popular des-
I icnation and Qualty'as compromise acts-nay,
more, who unequivecally diSregarded and con-
demned the most positive and obligatory iniunc-
tions of the Constitution ITSELF and sought by
every means within their reach, to deprive u
portion of their fellow citizens of the equal en-
joyment of those rights and privileges gualan-
tied alike to all by the fundamental compact OF
our Union. 81,
The argument against the repeal Of the statute
line in question, was accompanied by another OF
c0ngehial character, and equally with the former,
destitute of foundation in reason and truth. Ii
was imputed that the measure originated in the
conception OF extending the limits Of slave-lahOr
beyond those previously assigned to it, and that
such was its natural as well as intended effect;
and these baseleSS assumptions were made, in the
northern States, the ground Of unceasing assault
upon Constitutional right
| The repeal in terms of a statute, which was
already obsolete and also null for constitutional
itv, could have no influence to Obstruct or to
promote the propagation of conflicting views o
political institutions. When the act organizing
the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska was pas
sed, the inherent effect upon that part OF the
public domain thus opened TO legal settlement,
was to admit settlers from all the States OF the
Union alike, each with his convictions OF public
policy and private interest, there to found IN
their discretion, subject TO such limitations as
the Constitution and acts of Congress might pre-
scribe new States, hereafter to be admitted into
the Union. Ii was a free field, open alike to all
i Il Al b of tnT
were repealed or not. That repeal did not oper
to free competition Of the divers opinions and
domestic institutions a field, which, without
such repeal. would have bees closed against them
it found the field Of competition already opened
in fact and in law. All the repeal did, was tt
relieve the statute book of an Objectionable en-
actment. unconstitutional in effect, and injurious
in terms 10 a large portion Of the States.
RI Is it the fact. that in all the unsettled regions
of the United States, if emigration be left fre'
to act in this respect for ITSELF without Iega
prohibitions on either side, slave labor will spon
f taneously go everywhere, in preference to ire
, labor? Is it the fact that the peculiar domesti
G institutions of the southern States possess s.
= much of vigor, that wherever an avenue L
freely open to all the world they will penetrat
. to the exclusion of those OF the Northern States
a Is it the fact, that the former enjoy, compared
with the latter, such rresistaby superior vitali
tv independent of climate soil, and all other ac
r cidental circumstances as to be able TO produce
V the supposed result in spite Of the assume'
t moral and natural obstacles to its accomplish
e ment, ard Of the more numerous population c
If the northern states?
@ The argument Of those who advocate the en-
n actment OF new laws Of restriction, and con
: denim the repeal of old ones in effect AYERS tina
G their particular views Of government have n
f selfextenGing or self sustaining power of thei
Y own, and Will go mo where unless forced by &C
c of Congress And ifCongress do but pause for
moment in the bolicy ofsteIn coercion; if it ven
t ture to try the experiment of leaving men t
S Judge for themselves what institutions will bes
: suit them; ifit be not strained up to rerpetua
t legislative exertion on this point; if Congress
proceed thus to act in the very spirit of liberty
. it is at once charged with aiming to extend slay
: labor into all the new Territories Of the Unite
+ States.
t or course, these imputations on the inten
r tons of Congress in this respect conceived u
$ thew were in prejudice, and disseminated in pas
e sion are utterly destitute of any justification
J. the nature of things, and contrary 10 all the fun
0 damental doctrines and principles Of civil hbert
n and self government.
l. northern States have never, at any time, arrc
;, gated for the federal government the power t
: interfere directly with the domestic conditic
If of persons in the southern States, but on til
= contrary have disavowed all such intentions
V and have shTunk from CONSPICUOUS atfiiatlo
with those few who pursue their fanatic;
; objects avowcdly through the contemplate
5 means Of revolutionary change of the govern
ment, and with acceptance Of the necessar
G Consequences--a civil and servlIe war-yt
j. many citizens haze suffered themselves to
!. drawn into one evenescent political issue {
c agitation after another, appeItalmng to IL
= same set of opinions, and which subsided {
IS rapidly rs they rose when it came to be seeI
IS as it uniformly did, dat they were incompat
T. ble with the. compacts of the Constitution an
O the existence Of the Union. Thus when tt
acts of scmc of the States TO nulliiy the eXstiI
e extIadition law imposed upon Congress the d'
le ty of passing new one, the country was inv
" ted by agitators to enter into party organic
,r ton for its repeal; bnt that agitation speedi
c. ceased by reason Of the impracticability of j
le object. So, when the statute restriction upC
Of the institutions OF New States by geograpl
cal line, had been repealed, the country was u
ce ged to demand its restoration, and that pIole
s. also died almost with its birth. Then followt
of the cry of alarm from the North against imp
re ted Southern cncroachments; which cry spral
tie in reality from tic spirit of revolutionary a
1t attack on the domestic institutions OF the Sout
c. and after q troubled existence of few month
has been rebuked by the voice OF patriot
,s- people.
H. Of this last agitation, one lamentabe featu
q was, that it was carried on at the immediate g
H. pense of the peace and happiness of the peoI
of the Territory of Kansas. That was ma
a. the battle field not so much of opposing tactic
MS or interest within ITSELF as Of the conflict
of passions of the whole people of the Unit
nd States. Revolutionary disorder in Kansas h
of its origin in projects Of intervention, dcliberat
ly arranged BY certain members Of that Ca
MT gress which enacted law for the organizati
n, of the Territory. And when propagandist C
b. onization of Kansas had thus been undeTtak
e. in one section of the Union, for the systema
lv promotion of its peculiar views of policy, thu
n ensued, as a matter Of course, a counter acti
at with opposite views, in other sections of
&C Union.
in In consequence Of these and other ineiden
IT. many acts of disorder it is undeniablc, h;
tv been perpetrated in Kansas to the occasional
It? terruptioD, rather than the permanent suspt
ct sion of regular government. Aggressive a
"a most reprehensible incursions into the Terrific
b, were undertaken, both in the North and
- South, and entered in on its northern border
nd the way Of Iowa, as well as on the eastern
Ia the way Of Missouri; and there has exis
by within it state Of insurrecticn against the ct
IT, stituted authorities, not without countensl
it from inconsidcrate persons in each Of the gr
to sections of the Union. But the difficulties
,se that Territory have been extravaeantly exa
to rated for purposes of political agitation ell
,I,, trhara The number and gravity of tLa acts