Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-08-29

The statesmen of the North as far a.
we know, and the people of Maine cspec
tally, are law abiding citizens, earnestl,
attached to the Union and the Constitu
ton. If they had devolved on them to
S day, the duty of framing the Constitu
ton anew, they would say, take it as i
is, without change, alteration or dimin
ution. Let the Constitution remain, anc
let the government be administered as il
was in the days of Washington, Jefferson
$ and Madison We ask no morc-wc vii
submit to nothing less. IF this bt
treason" let southern slave holders
make the most Of it"
The Constitution of the United States
was based upon the idea that negro sla.
very was temporary affair, not liable te
extension or perpetuity. Mr.. Jefferson
in page 40 of his autobiography, says
Nothing is more certainly written in
.hc book OF fate than that these people
are to be free"
In his notes to Virginia, he says
The whole commerce between mas
ter and slave is perpetual exercise Of
the most boisterous passions, the most
unremitting despotism on the one part
and degrading submission on the other.
Our children see this and learn to initiate
: it-for man is an initiative animal
This quality is the germ of all education
in him. From his cradle to his grave
he is learning to do what he sees others
do. :; y 'i The parent storms; the child
looks on, catches the lineaments OF
wrath. put on the same airs in the cir
Gle of smaller slaves, gives loose rein
TO the worst Of passions, and thus nursed
educated and daily exercised in tyran-
ny, cannot but be stamped by its odious
: pccularities.
Mr.. Madison held similar views. Re-
, fcring to page 1929. Madison Papers, it
will be seen that Mr. Madison thought it
wrong to admit in the Constitution the
idea that there could be property in
men.
In 1885, writing from Paris to DR..
Price of London, who had sent him an
abolition pamphlet, he gives the follow
: ing opinion as to its reception in Amer
ica;
s.Southward of the Chesapeake it will
find but few readers concurring with it
in sentiment on the subject of slavery.
From the mouth to the head of the Ches
apeake the bulk Of the people will ap-
prove it in theory, and it will find a re-
| spectacle minority ready to adopt it in
practice minority which, for weight
and worth Of character, preponderates
l against the greatest number who have
not the courage to divest their families OF
property which, however, keeps their
consciences unquiet. Northward of the
Chesapeake, you may here and there an
opponent to your doctrine, as you may
find here and there robbcr or murder
er In Maryland, l do not find the
same disposition to begin the redress of
this enormity as in Virginia. This is
the next state to which we may turn
our eyes for the interesting spectacle
Of Justice in conflict. with avarice and
oppress.on-a conflict wherein the sa-
cred side is daily gaining recruits
1t is an established fact, provablc by
historic evidence and not denied,-that
the bargain or compact, entered into at
) the adoption of the Constitution, was,
that the slave States were to rclinquish
| all claim 20 extend their institution into
the common territory, and that the frcc
States agreed to suffer the reclamation of
fugitive slaves. This was the foundation
on which the Constitution and the MON
were made to rest.
The principle agreed to was, that sla-
very was a wrong. an evil which should
not be allowed to spread, but that with
in the limits of the States where it then,
and previously existed, no interference
should be allowed. This is and always
has been the doctrine of the North, or
the non -savehoding portion of the
Union. The few men who made war on
the institution itself as existing IN the
States never embraced any considerable
body of men, in any part OF the country
The same doctrine was held by Il large
majority of the people Of the slave States
till within the last few years.
The Northwest Territorywas therefore
set apart u lIccuoiii, W WV hi"' Noi'
gress, who enacted laws to carry the free
ordinance of 1877 into effect. The Fu-
gitive Slave Act of 1893 was passed in
view of the original compact of the Con-
stitution The new free States of Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wiseon-
sin, have been formed out of the North
west Territory, and Kentucky, Tonnes &C,
Alabama and Mississippi, have hcen
formed without objection out of slave
territory, included in the original thir-
teen States. Daniel webster, speaking
on this subject as late as May 22d, 1851,
uses the following language -
II contend and always have contended
that after the adoption of the Constitu-
ton, any measure of the government
calculated to bring more slave territory
into the United States, was beyond the
power of the Constitution, and against
its provisions. That is my opinion, and
it always has been my opinion.
Il never would consent and never
have consented that there should be one
foot of slave territory beyond what the