The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-11-20

Almost every Northern man, 10 whatever
party he msy belong. desires the spread Of
free institutions. The genius Of The age de-
mands il. Commerce is free science is
free, and man, made IN the image Of his
Maker, should be free. Chains, whips and
bondage lilly become the American RePub-
lie. Slavery is a curse, and cancer eating
out and poisoning the life blood Of society.
Still, it exists in fifteen States Of the Conied.
eracy, and We in Ohio have no more power
over il, than over the local institutions OF
Great Britain. It was fastened upon us by
the Mother country. Washington, Jeffer-
son and other OF the Fathers, regretted its
existence; but they. for the sake Of the bles-
sings which would flow from the formation
Of the Union, were willing to form free and
slave States into one Confederacy. They
framed the Federal Government upon the
principle that slavery is local, and that each
State should be at full liberty to form and
ma mage it's own domestic affairs, and be re-
sponeioIe Tor the same
| The doctrine of popular sovereignty did
not begin with the Nebraska bill. 1t began
with the Declaration of Independence, which
declares that all power of government is de-
rived from the consent Of the people gov
erned. The issue OF the right Of the people
of State or Territory TO manage their own
affairs. was not first made and decided in the
Presidential contest of 1856; it was made
between the colonists and King George
eighty years ago. 1t is only rerired row
By the election of Buchanan. the people
have decided that it is inexpedient for Con-
eress to interfere with the question Of slavery
in the Territories-that it is the right Of tht
!, bona .fde inhabitants to settle that question
according to their own good pleasure.
This matter being decided, the question
comes up: Under this decision, what is tn
. fate Of Kansas Is she to be cursed b.
. slavery or blessed by the benign influence c
= J. free institutions How will the people,
left to manage affairs in their own way, an
;. If protected from all invasion from withou
decide! Our answer is unhesitatingly. tho
THEY WILL MAKE KANSAS A FREE STATI
= According to the bes; authorities, majr
!. ty of the people there now. are opposed
!. slavery. The laws of emigration are suci
that fertile country in the west, if left
:. the uninterrupted settlement Of all clusse
- will be occupied mainly by freemen and th
:. advocates of free labor. No Emigrant Al
Societies are needed from either Msssuchl
setts or South Carolina. Both are out
time and place, and can do only injury. l.
the freemen who "of their own free will an
. accord" have made Kansas their home, 0
the day OF the election, without any parade
l. buster or taunt, 60 up to the ballot box an
-. deposit their votes, and when the polls al
counted, Kansas piR haze free constitution
~ There is only one thing to feaI-and TIL
is-the leaders of the Republican part
!. Freedom in the Territories is death to the
-. hopes. They have falsely charged the D
:. mocracy with having desire to extend tt
,ss institution of slavery, and now to make go'
bs their charge, they themselves will spare l
:, pains to rivet chains on the free and grown
10 Territories of the West. They attempts
this by the passage OF Dunn's bill-they e
=, hibted their base intentions by refusing
>; abolish the Kansas code, and now witt
these things have failed, they seek to preUe
~, emigration to Kansas from the free States,
~, ths circulation Of falsehoods and n'isreprese
m tations. BY the publication of accounts
AZ. "Kansas outrages," which are general
manufactured to order, the Republican pre-
is doing infinitely more TO make u slave Sta
than any and oil other agencies combine
H. It prevents the emigration Of thousands
is- free laborers, who would otherwise ma
rs, their home in the west, and by their vo'
ub. and influence build up free institutions.
nn. ----seesa---------