New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-03-01


and with or without Slavery their inhabitants
might decide. The General Government thus made
virtual provision for The addition Of fee Slave
Ststss 10 the Unexpectedly securing to the slave
holding interest ten additional members 10 the Senate
representing States, il might be, with less than
100000 inhabitants, and outvoting FIVE Of the old
States with an aggregate population of 600.
The corrupt and tyrannical Kings of England, when
votes were needed in the House Of Lord TO sustain
them against the people created Peers a. the euer
geDcy required. Ia there in this anything in more
fragrant contradiction to the principles Of Republican
Freedom, or more dangerous TO the public liberties,
than in the system pracced by the savehodng inter-
est n presented in the General Government
But third opportunity was cose at band, and slav-
cry made third struggle for the extension OF It's do
main and the enlargement Of its power.
The annexation of Texas involved us in war with
Mexico. The war was waged on our part with yigor,
skill, and 1t resulted IN the ceSsi0n TO the
United States of Mexico, California and Deseret
vast territories which was extended by MEXICAN
law prohibition Of Slavery. The slaveholders de-
handed access 20 them a-resisted the admission oil
California and New-Mexico, which the energy OF Tree
m, n outstrpping in It's activity the Government ana
even the slaveboding interest," had already converted
into Free States, and reasonably menaced Congress
and the Union with overthrow If Its demands were
not conceded. The free spirit OF the country was
reused to indignation by these pretensons, and fora
time the whole nation rocked to the tempest which
they had created. Untoward events aided the wrong.
The death of the President threw the whole power of
the Admin is,ration into timd and faithess hauds.
against the right Great men, leaders of the people,
from whom in better days the people bad
learned lessons Of principle and patriotism, yielded
to the hOwlings Of the storm and sought
slavebOdiDg interest was again victorious. Cal
forDa, with her free constitution, was indeed admitted
to the Unoni but New Mexico, with her constitution
forbdding Slavery within her borders, was denied
admission and remanded to the condition Of Terri
tOry:-and while Congress refused 10 enact positive
prohibition of Slavery in the Territories OF New
Mexico and Dessert, It was provided that when they
should apply for admission States they should come
in with or without Slavery their inhabitants might
decide. Additional concessions were ma lie TO the
Slave Power:-the General Government assumed the
recapture Of fugitive slaves, and passed laws for the
accomplish ment of that end, subversive at once OF
State sovereignty and Of the established safeguards
of civil freedom. Then the country again had rest.
Wearied with It's efforts content with their success,
the saveholding interest proclaimed a truce.
When Franklin Pierce, the 4th Of March 1853,
became President of the United States controversy
growing out of Slavery was agatng the country Is,
tablished laws, some of them enacted with unusual
sOcmDity and under circumstances which made them
Of more than ordinary Obligation had fixed the charac
ter Of all the States and ended the contest concerning
the Territories. Sixteen States were Free States and
fifteen States were Slave States. BY the Missouri
Compromise of 1920, Slavery was forever prohibited
from all the Louisiana Territory lying north Of the line
Of &c deg 80 min.; while over that Territory lying
south of that line, and over the Territories of New
Mexico and Deseret, no such prohibition had been ex-
ment All sections and all interests, whether approving
il not seemed to acquiesce III its terms. The slave
holding interest, through all its organs, and especially
through the General Government, proclaimed that this
was final and irrepealabe adjustment of the struggle
between Freedom and Slavery for political pOwer:-
that had been effected by mutual concessions and IN
the spirit of compromise that should be as en-
during the Union and sacred as the Constitution
itself Both political parties gave it their sanction in
their National ConventiOns:-the whole country as
scented to its validity; and President Pierce in his first
official message to Congress, pledged himself TO use all
the power of his position to prevent 1t from being dis
turbed.
But all these protestatons proved delusive and the
acQuiescence and coDtentment which they produced
afforded the opportunity not only for aggressions
on the part of Slavery bat for the reputation of en-
gagements into which its agents had soemny entered
Lees than year had elapsed before these pledges
were broken, and the advantages which they secured
to Freedom withdrawn by the slavehOlding power.
REPEAL OF THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE.
In the course of time and the natural progress Of
population, that portion Of the Louisiana Territory
Wing west of the Mississippi River and north of the
line OF Sc deg 80 mn, came TO be desired Tor occupa,
tom and the oath OF May, 1854, act was passed
erecting upon il the two Territories of Kansas and
Nebraska and organizing governments Tor them both.
From this whole region the slaveh9idiSg interest
"inyountary servtude, otherwise than in the punish
"ment of crime, should be forever prohibited and
had received, the price OF this agree ment the ad
mission of Missouri and subsequently the admission
of Arkansas, into the Union. By the Kansas and Ne
braska BILL this prohibition was declared to be " ~
"operatire and road and the intent and meaning OF
the bill was further declared to be, mot TO eglslate
"Slavery into any Territory or State nor TO erctHde
ct therefroa but to leave the people thereof per-
fectly free form and regulate their domestic lnStl-
"tutions in their own way subject only TO the Const-
tuition of the United States Thus, without single
petitiOn for such action from quarter OF the UmOn
but against the earnest circumstances of thousands of
our citzene-agans the settled and profound convic
tons of the great body of the people IN every portion
of the country, and in wanton disregard OF the obhga-
tons Of Justice and of good faith, the Missouri CON-
premise of 1920 was repealed, and the seal which had
guaranteed Freedom to that vast Territory which the
United States had purchased from France was
snatched from the bond. Oregon, Washington New
Mexico Deseret, and the new State acquired from
Texas north of SO deg. 80 mn., by compact were all
opened UP to Slavery, and those who might first be-
c6me the inhabitants thereof were authorized to make
laws for its establishment and perpetuaton.
THE INVASION OF KANSAS AND ACTION OF THE
GENERAL GOVERNMENT.
Nor did the savehodng interest stop here in it cru
SADIE of injustice and of wrong. The inst election OF
members for the Territorial Legislature OF Kansas was
fixed for the 30th of March, 1885, and the law OF Son
gress prescribed that at that election none but actual
residents of the Territory" should be allowed to vote.
Yet TO prevent people of the Territory themselves
from exercising the right to prohibit Slavery, which the
Act of Congress had conferred upon them, the slave
holding interest sent armed bands of men from the
neghboring State of Missouri, who entered the Terri
tory on the day of election, took possession OF the
polls excluded the legal voters, and proceeded them
selves to elect members of the Legislature without the
slightest regard to the qualifications prescribed by law
The Judges of Election appointed under the authority
OF the Administration at Washington aided and abeted
in the preparation Of these ourages upon the rights
Of the people of Kansas and the President of the
United States removed from Office the Governor whom
he had himself appointed but who refused to acknowi-
edge the Legislature which the saveholdng invaders
from Missouri had thus imposed upon the Territory.
That Legislature met on the 2d of July 1855. Its
frst act was to exclude those members duly elected,
who xnnld cnnsent 10 the enactment of lave for