Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-01-11

tile lntefesls anu opinlons OF the Nor
thern States, territory now the seat If
five among the largest members of tho
Union, was in a great measure the act If
the State of Virginia and the South.
When Louisiana was acquired by The
United States, it was an acquisition not
less to the North than to the South. For
while it was important to the country Mt
the mouth Of the river Mississippi to be-.
come the emporiun of the country allow.
it, so also it was even more important to
the whole Union, and although the new
province, by reason of its imperfect SET
Element, was mainly regarded as on the
Gulf of Mexico, yet in fact it extended
to the opposite boundaries of the United
States with far greater breadth above
than below, and was in territory, as in
everything else, equally at least an ac-
cession TO the Northern States.
tits mere delusion and prejudice there
fore, to speak of Louisiana as an acqui-
sition in the special interest of the South.
The patriotic and just men who par
ticipated in that act were influenced by
motives far above sectional prejudice. L.
was in the South the great event BY
which they would compete with us for
the possession Of the Valley of the Mis-.
sissippi, while commercial access TO the
Gulf of Mexico impaired unity and
strength to the whole confederation. and
attached together by indissoluble ties the
East and the West, as well as the North
and the South. As to Florida, that was
but the transfer by Spain to the United
States of territory on the east side ofthe
river Mississippi in exchange for large
territory which the United Sta4et had
transferred to Spain on the west side of
that river, as the entire diplomatic histo-
ry of the transaction serves to demon
strate. Moreover it was an acquisition
demanded by the commercial interests
and the security of the whole Union.
In the meantime the people of the Uni
ted States had grown up to proper cor
sciousness Of their strength, and i'll Il
contest with France on second serious
war with Great Britain they had shaken
off all which remained Of undue reve-
renee of Europe, and emerged from the
influence of those transatlantic influences
which surrounded the infant republic
and had begun to turn their attention to
the full and systematic internal resources
of the Union. Among the evanescent
controversies at that period, the most con
splcuous was the question of regulation
by Congress of the social condition of the
future States to be founded in the terrific
ry Of Louisiana.
The Ordinance for the government of
the territory northwest of the river Ohio
had contained provision which proh;b-
tied the use of servile labor therein.sub-
jet to the extradition of fugitives from
service due in any osher part of the Uni
ted STATES. Subsequently to the adop-
ton of the constitution, this provision
ceased to remain as law, for its opera
ton as such was absolutely superseded
by the constitution. But the recollection
OF the fact excited the zeal of social prop
agandizement in some sections of the
confederation, and when a second State.
that OF Missouri, came TO be formed i'll
the territory Of louisiana, opposition
was made to the proposal to extend to the
latter territory the restriction originally
applied to the countries situated between
the rivers Ohio and Mississippi.
Most questionable as was this PROPOSE
ton IN all its constitutional relations. new
ertheless received the sanction of Con
9resS' with some slight modification Of
lihe' TO save the existing rights of new
States 1t was reluctantly acqniescod in
by Southern States as sacrifice 70 the
cause OF peace and the Union not only
oi Inc rights stipulated by the treaty Of
louisiana, but of the principle of equal
ity among the States guaranteed by the
constitution. 1t was received BY the
Northern States with angry and resent
!'i condemnation and complaint, because
u aid not eoncede all which they had ex-
aclingiy demanded. Hayingpassedihro'
the form of Legislation, it took its place
IN the Statute book, standing open to re-
peal like any other act of doubtful con.
sututonality, subject to be pronounced
null and void by the Courts of law, and
possessing no possible efficacy to control
The rights Of the States which mighs
thereafter be organized out of any por-
lion Of the original territory of Iouisi-
ana.
In all this, if any aggression there