Washington sentinel., 1856-08-07
THE MISSOURI LINE OF OFFICE,

In late article upon the disasters that
would ensue from the election of J. c.. Fremont
TO the Presidency We merely referred 10 the
ore of appointments to Office in the Southern
States. We are induced 10 present this view
again, because it is in our memory that the
National Era some year or more since, rather
advocated the confinement of federal appoint
ments to the North, even when The duties of
those Offices were to be performed within the
Southern States. We regret we have not a
file Of the Era that we might The better do
justice to it and the subject, by transfer Of
its article to our columns. In the discussion of
these subjects, we are aware that complaint
may be justly lodged against US, for repetition of
views previously presented but this should be
excused by the necessity of making the appro
pirate application of the points, which we are
often induced to make. The true basis of the
Federal Union, aud the considerations which
induced it, are familiar to oil, and, vet, iudg.
ing from the present condition Of parties, it
would seem not wholly work of supereroga-
tion to repeat them again, and again. We
shall not, therefore, fail in this reiteration, be-
cause OF the wiful deafness or hardened and
sinful nature of ouI adversaries.
When the Union Of these States was consum-
mated, the institution of slavery existed in all of
| them but one. The causes Of its non-existence in
that one were not based upon any repugnance
to slavery itself, or any sickly philanthropy
upon the subject whatever. Had this been the
case, the record would have shown it, and had
the question of the right of property in slaves
even been mooted, the conclusion is inevitable
that the Union would never have been accom-
plished. The recognition of the institution of
slavery, then, was not only unanimous by the
States, but in TWELVE OUT OF THE THIRTEEN,
absolutely eristed, and that, too, without
even remonstrance from the one that formed
the exception
But furthermore: Out of the thirteen States
there we're seven Northern, and six Southern
States; the North thus having majority at the
very first date Of the confederacy. OF the seven
Northern States, six we're Stare States, and
one free State. Considering that this free
State made no objection 10 the institution Of
slavery in her sister States, we may Justly as
sumo particularly when we remember that De-
laware is merely in heorya slave State that the
Northern States had practical majority, and
hence, having this institution before, and at the
time, and subsequent to their membership in
the Union, that they are responsible for its ex-
istence III the Union. The South, if she had
SO willed, had not The poper to keep slavery
out Of the Union, because a majority Of the
whole number, and that majority made up Of
Northern land now free) States, recognized
and enjoyed i'll
Thus il viii not be controyerted. that the
right of property in slaves was a right anterior
to, co-eval with, and subsequent to the adop-
ton Of the Federal Constitution-that it was
not only an inherent and undisputed right, but
was one Of those rights that entered into the
compact as clearly as any other right at all
that it was right guarded, guaranteed and
protected by the Constitution, and which can.
not be abated, but by the notification Of that
instrument itself.
With this plain, but veritsbe statement of
the rights Of the States in slave property at the
period Of the compact between the States, and
the definition Of those rights, under the Con-
sttution, which pertain to them in the Terri.
tories or common domain of all the States, we
come to consider the humiating condition OF
things in this connection at the present time.
It will be seen from what we have to say
further, that it is no longer an idle threat, f the
Abolitionists succeed in electing their ticket,
that the equality Of the Southern States is to
be utterly destroyed, and all her rights, privi-
leges, and immunities under the Constitution
are TO be shamelessly ignored and repudiated.
what IS the state Of the case? Conyen-
ton OF the Ani.Slavery party Of the country
is called, and assemblies in a Northern city.
1t is termed national Convention. That this
is misnomer may be Inferred by the fact,
that there we're but about half a dozen men
found who we're base enough to claim that they
represented, in its deliberations--a Southern
constituency. Fifteen Of the States thus were
unrepresented. A ticket was nominated by this
NATIONAL Convention, presenting for the suf
frages Of the American people two individuals,
both residing in free States and holding opin-
ions not only foreign to, but in positive antag
onism with, the constitutional rights and inter
ests Of onehalf Of the States Of the Union.
Two individuals, who cannot obtain single
score of voters throughout the ,ohole extent Of
this section Of the Confederacyl The princi-
Piles enunciated by this national Convention
are at war with the Constitution and in auda-