Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-07-03

~ A
3 founded on religious Of political
towards one class Of a.
nleriean citizens, whether born inf
pnr own Of ID q foreign land can long !
continue to exist 10 this country.-
Wears equal before God and the
Constitution; and the dark spirit Of
desposism and bigotly which would /
create odious distinctions among our
fellow citizens, viii be speedily rel
buked BY . free and enlightened
public opinion. /
The agitation on the custom Of
Domestic Slavery has too long dis
-tracted and divided the people of this
Union, and sIieBated their affections
from each other This agitation has
assumed many forms since its; GEM
meuoemsnt, but it now seems to be-
directed chiefly to the Territories,
and judging from its present .charac-
ter, | think we may safely anticipate
that tits rapidly approaching a "final-
ity." The recent legislation Of Con-
Igress respecting domestic slavery,
derived, as 1t has been, from the
original and pure fountain Of legiti-
mate political power, the will Of the
majority, promises ere long to allay
the dangerous excitement. The leg
,islation is founded upon principles,
Jas ancient as free government itself,
land in accordance with them,. has
simply declared that the people Of a
Territory, like those OF State, shall
decide for themselves, whether slave
Try shall or shall not exist with in
their limits.
The Nebraska Kansas Act does DO
more than give the force Of the law
to this elementary principle Of self.
government; declaring it to be "the
true intent aud meaning of this act
not to Iegislate slavery into any
Territory or State, nor to exclude it
therefrom; bot TO leave the people
thereof perfectly free to form and
regulate their domestic institutions
in their own way, subject only to the
Constitution of the United States.
This principle will surely not be con.
trover!ed by any individual Of any
party protesting devotion to popu-
lar Government. Besides, how vain
and illusory would any other princi-
Iple prove in practice in regard to
the Territories? This is apparent
from the fact admitted by all, that
after Territory shall haye entered
the Union and become State, nc
:. Constitutional power would then ex-
list which could prevent it from Ell
ther abolishing or establishing slave.
Try, as the case may be, according to
tits sovereign will and pleasure.
! Most happy would it be for the
flor the country if this long agitation
were at an end During its whole
progress it has produced no practica
good to any human being, whilst i
has been the source Of great ant
dangerous evils. 1t has alienatet
land estranged one portion Of thu
Union from the other, and has seri
ously threatened its whole existence
To my own personal knowledge, i
Ibas produced the impression among
foreign nations that our great ant
glorious confederaey is in constant
danger of dissolution. This does
us serious injury, because acknowl
edged power and stability command
respect among nations, and are among
the best securities against unjust az
erosion and in favor of the main
tainance of honorable peace.
May we not hope that it is the
mission of the Democratic party, noN
the only surviving conservative party
of the country, ere long to overthrow
Jail sectional parties and restore the
peace, friendship and mutual conf.
dence which prevailed in the good
old time, among the different mem
bers of the confederacy9 It's char
acter is strictly national, and therefore
asserts no principle for the guidance
Of the Federal Government which i
not adopted and sustained by its
members in each and every State.
For this reason it is everywhere the
same determined foe of all geograph-
ical parties, so much and SO justly
dreaded by the Father of his Country.
From its very nature it must contin-
ue to exist so long as there is Con-
stitution and a Union to preserve.
A conviction of these truths has in
duced many Of the purest, the ablest
and most independent Of our former
opponents, who have differed from US