Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-03-27
[WHoLE NO. 920

the General Government, to make such laws
for them as their welfare, and that Of tbs
nation, may require.
| We deny that Congress may sbdicate a
portion Of its authority, and commit to the
inhabitants Of Territory power conferred
upon il by the Constitution. Such an ab.
dication is an abandonment Of duty, and
cannot be justified on the pretended prin.
C pie Of popular sovereignty That principle
of popular sovereignty That principle, in
deed, is discarded ia the very act Of Con.
gress in which it is Claimed 70 be embodi-
ed. IL sovereignty exiets. IL most be ex.
ercised through the orRsnizcj dcpartmsnts
Of Government--the ieqisIatIve, executive
and Judicial. But the nj 10 organize che
Territories of Kansss end Rebraska pre-
scrbes the requisites of cftlxsnsilip sud the
qualifications ot voters. confers upon the
President and Senate the apl ointment of a
Governor, who is clothed with the veto
power, and Of judges by whom the CON.
mon law shall be interpreted Each de-
partment of the Government thus rests
viz uay in the pow er OF the President of
the Uaited States. To style the small rem
nant Of power which such law leaves
to the people popular sovereignty" is an
abuse Of aDguage, and an insult to common
sense. Yet even this has been effectusly
destroyed, by the invasion OF armed men,
sustained by the General Eovernment, ia
their Eigh-handed endeavor 10 force Slavery
into Kansas against the will of the hardy
settlers who have made it their home.
The whose system Of doctrine by which
Slavery seeks possession of the territories of
the United States, either by asserting the
sJvereignty Of their inhabitants, or by deny
ing the power of Congress to exclude and
! Prohib Slavery from hem, s novel and ALI
en- to the pr pies and the administration Of
our Government. Congress has always asser-
ted and exercised the right of prohi5ition.-
twas exercised by the vote Of the frs, Con-
gress, in 1883, reaffirming the ordinance of
the old confederacy by which Slavery was
prohibited from the territory northwest of
the Ohio river. 1t was exercised n 1920, in
the prohibition of Slavery from the Louisi-
ana territory Moth of 36 Q 80. 1t was
! prohibited from the territory of Oregon.
, Nor is it in the least degree impaired BY
the argument that these territories, when
they became States and are admitted into
the Union, can establish or prohibit Slavery
I In their discretion. Their rights as States
LIDO not begin until their obligations as terri
! tories end. The Constitution knows moth
I Ing Of ~inehoate States" Congress has no
power 10 make "al! needfu rules and regula-
tions.(or them as territories, until they are
admitted into the U.ion as members of the
Common confe ieracy.
GEsERAL lESDEscY OF FEDERAL REGULATION
OF zaE SUBJECT OF SLAVERY.
| In all these successive acts, in the admis-
sion of Missouri and of Arkansas, in the IN.
nexa,ion Of Texas and the provision for ad-
hitting four new tates from her Territory.
| in the war with Mexico and the conquest of
her provinces, in the repeal of The Missouri
| Compromise, and in the cruel wa: nov wag-
| ed against the people Of Kansas for the ex.
tension of Slavery into that Territory, we
trace the footsteps Of a powerful interest,
aiming at absolute political power ard
striding onward to a COMPLETE ascendency
over the General Goyerpment. 1t finds
powerful allies and an ope1 Id 10 the pcliii-
cal arena for the prosecutioo. 81 its purposes.
Always acting as compaef pail, it fnds
its opponents divided by vArielyof interests
Part zan alliances and personal ambitions
have hereto prevented any union against its
aggressions, and not feeling or fearing the
displeasure of their constituents, representa-
YES from the Free States have been induced
to aid in the promotion Of its designs. All
other interests have been compelled to give
way before it. the representatives of Free
dom on the foors of ngress have been
Il
question the right to supremacy of the
SIaveholdlng class. The labor and the COM
merse Of sections where Slavery does not
exist, obtain tardy and inadequate recogniti-
on from the General Government, which is
swayed by its influence and for the accom-.
plishnsst of it's ends. The Executive of
the nation is the willing servant of its be.
hests, and sacrifices to its favor the rights
and the interests of the country. The purse
and the sword o! the nation ore at its COM
mand A hundred millions of dollars were
expended ia the annexation OF Texas, and
the war with Mexico, which was part of its
price. Two hundred millions have been Of
, fered Cuba, and war with all Europe is
:. threatened, if necessary, to prevent the En-
r aucipation of its Slaves Thus s the
decision of great questions Of public policy,
e touching vast interests aud vital rights, ques.
4 tions even of peace and war, made to turn.
not upon the requirements OF justice and OF
: honor, but upon its relation 10 the subject OF
Savery--upon the effect il will have upon
e the interest OF the Slaveholdng class.
The people OF the Free States have cherish.
. ed the hope that the efforts made to extend
E Slavery which have fallen under their no.
tice. were accidental, and indicative OF weak
4 ness. rather than ambition. They have
2 trusted that the sagscious statesmen oil the
c Slaveholding S s'cs " ouli gradually PeresiSe
: an! scsnuwl.dg' the Inconvenience and dam
: ger OF Slavery, and would take such meas
: ures as they might Cesm wise and safe' for
b. ;,s intimate removal. They have feared the
+ effect of ag.la i,n upon this subjec'' relied
{ upon the good faith and honor o the Slave
holding States, and believed that time, the
!. natural growth of population. and the re-
0 copnsed laws of political and social scono'
= nv, would gradually sad peacefully work
l. ut the extinction Of system SO repug-
al ant