Demoine courier., 1856-09-25
state Rights and state Equality.

w. M. STONE, MAr1On.
state Rights and State Equality
Among the manifold distractions ahc
windy doctrines which have been pro
mulgated BY The leaders OF modern De
mocracy, perhaps the mos, conspicuous
il the latest version Of the doctrine Of
State right. The substance of this doc
irine is, the Territories were Dough. by
he common treasures and the common
blood. and j, is u%h;ust for any portion o.
the country TO be shu. OUT from a par
,icipation in the benefits arising from ths
Territories, and therefore the exclusion
Of slavery from any part Of those Ter
ri,ories 10 an infringement OF the doc
trine Of State equality. In supper, o.
this doctrine the whole body Of the South
ern political leaders 10 arrayed. Before
i. the boasted doctrine Of Squatler Sow
ersignly has ~eternally fallen, it cons.i-
.u.es a plank in every Democratic plat,
form. 10 in the mouth Of every stumper,
from the meress ,yro up TO the vice-Pres.
idential candidate, and unless the South
can succeed III getting il established a,
the doctrine of all doctrines on the sla.
very question above ali constitutions ant
compacts, they tell us they intend Il
walk forthwith out Of the Union.
We are opposed ~ firmly as anybody
can be, TO any law or doctrine or policy
which works injustice TO any section OF
State more than to another, and il is for
precisely this as much as any other rea-
Q that we are opposed to the extension
of slavery beyond its present limits on
this continent. We are not prepared
TO deny the doctrine Of State rights, in
lie mere naked statement, that is thai i,
il unjust TO deprive any State or section
Of the RICH. TO participate in the bsne.
fits arising from the common treasure.
and U o: tho country. But we
reject in toto The application which the
Southern politicians and their Northern
allies are seeking 10 make Of il. We
hold that exactly the reverse of the ap
plication is correct. The failure 10 pro-
hibis slavery in any Territory where !,
is no, excluded by the laws Of nature,
and which in effect amounts 10 its es
tablishmens, is gross injustice to the
entire on-slaveholding portion of the
people of the United States, 10 an entire
subversion, az far as tina. territory is con
cerned, Of the right Of every Northern
State. Let us see how this subversion
10 effected.
II 10 q fact, which If we are not much
mistaken. very few will feel disposed TO
deny, that wherever slavery exists free
labor is neither respectable nor prof,a.
BILE. Labor is the great l~eveller of So
ciety, it 10 the LOT 70 which most of u
are consigned. is the condition pla-
ced by an offended Deity upon mans
existence here, and a. labor is elevated
Or degraded, honorable or dishonorabla,
so will the condition of tbs laborer be.
When the Offices Of the laboring man
are performed by slaves who are re-
moved at an unreasonable distance from
the condition Of the respectable classes
of society, labor is necessarily degraded,
and any o whom circumstances com
pei to assume the LOT of . laboring man,
will by G natural tendency be reduced 10
the condition Of labor. To be a labor
ing man IN the midst Of slavery is there.
fore Of itself to be degraded. To be
compelled 10 labor eide by side with
those Of an inferior and enslaved race,
cannot be Otherwise than humiliating
and destructive Of ill pride and ambi.
ZION.
Under these circumstances, wherever
slavery 10 established the free laborer 10
effec.ually excluded, for very few we
think, will voluntarily condemn them.
selves 10 q condition not much better
:han that Of the slave. The free indie.
pendent laboring man Of The North and
the non-slaveholdiDg portion Of the
South are thus deprived OF the bene6ul
of this Territory which was acquired by
the common treasures and the commor
blood. Slavery il : benefit to none bu
the stakeholder, and a doubtful one ever
TO him. And it il not only mol . bene6
but il j. . curse of the direst effect TO al
but the s~lavabolder. The question shel
Of Slate rights amounts 10 this: II sla.
very il excluded the only restriction
which it works is 10 prevent the slave
holder from taking a peculiar kind o
properly to the Territories, while j