Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1856-01-10


The war as between foreign powers. aud only
fail to be such in our system. because perPe-
lrated under cover Of the Union.
It is impossible to present this subject as
truth and the occasion requires. without no
,iciur the reiterated, but grOundless sllega-
ton. that the South has Presistensly asserted
claims and obtained advantages in the PraeIi-
cal administration of the General Government
70 the prejudice Of the North, and IN which
the latter aequisseed. That is, the States
which either promote or tolerate attacks on
the rights Of persons and Of property in other
States, 10 disguise their own injustice, PRETEND
imagine. and constantly aver. that they. whose
constitutional rights are thus Systematically
assailed are themselves the aggressors AT
the present time, this imputed aggression, rest
inc as it does, only in the vague declamatory
charges Of political agitatOrs, resolves itself
into misappreheusiou, or misiuterPretation, OF
the principles and facts Of the political organ
l;1ation of the new Territories Of the United
States.
What is the voice Of history? When the
ordinance which provided for the government
of the territory north west Of the Ohio river
and for its eventual subdivision into new States
who adopted in the Congress Of the CoSieder'
alton, tits not to be supposed that the question
of future relative powol, as between the states
which retained and those which did not retain,
a numerous colored population, escaped notice
or failed to be considered And yet the con
cesslon of that vast territory to the interests
and opinions of the Northern Slates-a terri
tOry now the seat of five among the larges
members of the Union-was, in a great meas
ure. the act Of the State Of Yirgui1 ard tho
South.
When Louisiana was acquired by he Uni
ted States, it was an acquisition not less t
the North than to the South; it was impor
tant TO the country at the mouth OF the live
Mississippi to become the emporium OF tn
e country above it. so also it was even more i'm
!, uortant to the whole Union to have that en-
porium; and although the new province, b
# reason Of its imperfect settlement was mani
regarded as on the Gulf OF Mexico yet
c fact, 1t extended to the opposite boundaries {
: the United States. with far greater breadth {
d bove than below, and was in territory, as
?. everything else, equally at least an acsessio
. to the Northern States. II is mere delusio
and prejudice, therefore to speak OF Louisiar
: as ACQUISITION to the special interest OF th
d South.
e The patriotic and Just men who participate
n in that act were Influenced by motives far I
:. bove all sectional jeaousies 1t was IN trul
=, the great event which, by completing for
u the possession Of the valley of the Mississippi
ot with commercial access TO the Gulf of Mexic
y impaired unity and strength to the whole col
al federation, and attached together by lndlsSoll
bic ties the East and the Vest, as we'll as d
North and the South.
Is As to Florida, that was but the transfer
It, Spain to the United States of territory on Il
e. east side ol The river Mississippi, in exchant
er for large territory, which the United Stat
I'd transferred to Spain on the West side of tn
10 river, as the entire diplomatic history Of Il
or trans action serves to demonstrate, NOreovt
its it was an icquisilion demanded by the col
ly mercial interests and the security Of the whC
all Union.
tie In the lLeantime the people of the Unit
to States had grown up to aproper conciousn
,r- of their strength and in brief contest W
m France, and in second serious war W
w Great Britain, they had shaken of all VIII
ch remained OF undue reverence for Europe, q
on merged from the atmosphere of those trans
la lanlic influences which surrounded the inf
republic. aud had begun TO turn their atteut
IT. to the full and systematic development, of
lst internal resources of the Union.
he Among the evanescent controversies Of Il
ur period, the most conspicuous was the questi
er Of re yulation by Congress Of the social CT
ne dition of the future States to he founded
'r' the Territory Of Louisiana.
in, The ordinance for the government Of
ne Territory northwest of the river Ohio /
or contained provision, which prohibited
we use of serve labor therein, subject to the CT
is diton OF the extradtion of fugitiVes from S
eft vice due in any other part Of the United Stat
.us Subsequently to the adoption of the constit
tion, this provision ceased to remain as la
es. for its operation as such was absolutely sup
ID seded by the constitution. But the recoll
to ton of the fact excited the zeal Of social pr
ise agandism in some sections Of the cOnfede
,e ion; and when a second State, that of N
i. souri,, came to be formed in the territory
nd Louisiana, proposition was made to extt
to the latter territory the restriction origins
applied to the country situated between
te, rivers Ohio and Mississippi.
y, Most questionable as was this proposition
lily all its constitutional relations, nevertheless
I'll received the sanction of Congress, with so
he notifications OF line. to save the exist
e. rights Of the intended new States. Tt was
sct uctantly acquiesced in by Southern States
Bs- sacrifice to the cause of peace and of the
ID. non. not only the rights stipulated by
traaty of Louisia-a huE of the nrin einla M