Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-12-12

incompatible regulations upon the ubj-ct
And II. asiit thus appears. the supposed
compact had no obligatory force as TO th,
North. Of course it could not have hac
any as TO the South. for all such com
pacts must be mutual and of reciproca
obligation.
II has not unfrequen,ly happened tha
law-givers. with undue estimation of ,h.
value ofthe law they give. or in the vie v
ofimparting to it peculiar strength, make
. 1t perpetual in terms /; bat they canno
thus bind the conscience. the Judgment
and the will of those who may succeed
them. invested with similar responsible,
ties. and clothed with equal authority
More careful investigation may prove til.
law TO be unsound in principle. Expert
ence may sh"w it TO be imperfect in detail
and .impracIicable in execution. Aud
then both reason and right combine not
merely to justify. but to require its repeal
The constitution. sup. eme as il is all over
the departments of ahr government. legis.
lative, executive. and judicial. is open to
amendment by its very terms and Con
gress or the States may in theiI discre
ton. propose amendment to it. solemn
compact though it in truth is between the
sovereign States of the Union. In the
present instance. u political enactment.
which had ceased to have legal power or
authority Of any kind. was repealed. The
position assumed. that Congress had no
moral right to enact such repeal. was
strange enough. and singularly SO in view
OF the fact that the argument came from
those who openly refused obedience to
existing laws Of the land. having the same
popular designation and quality as com
promise act<--nay, more, who uue9uivo
cally disregarded and condemned the most
positive az obligatory injunctions of the
constitution itself. and sought. by every
means within their reach, to deprive a
portion of their fellow citizens of the equal
enjoyment of those rights and privileges
guaranteed alike to all by the fundamen-
tai compact of our Union.
This argument against the repeal OF
the statute line in question was accompa>
nied by another oi congenisl character.
and equally with the former destitute OF
foundation in reason and truth. IL was
imputed that the measure originated IN
The conception of extending the limits Of
SLAVE labor beyond those previously as
signed TO it, and that such WAS its natural
AS well as intended effect; and these base
less assumptions were made, in :he nor.
lhern States. the ground OF unceasing as
sault upon constitutional right.
The repeal in 'etms of a statute which
was already obsolete, and also null Tor
unconsli.uli"nali,y. could have no influ
ence to obSsruct or promote the propaga-
tion Of conflicting views of political or so>
cial institution. When the act organizing
the Territories of Kansas aud Nebraska
was passed The inherent effect upon That
portion Of the public domain thus open d
to legal settlement was 10 admit settlers
from all the States Of the Union alike,
each with his convictions Of public policy
their discretion. subject to such limita'
tions as the constitution and acts OF Con
gress might prescribe, new States, here
after to be adfnit,ed into the Union. Ii
was free field. open alike 10 all. whether
the statute line oil assumed restriction
were repealed or not. That repeal did
not open TO free competition Of The dl
verse opinions and domestic institutions a
field which. without such repeal. would
have been closed against them: it found
that field Of competition already open. in
tact and in law. All The rel cal did Was
10 relieve the statute book OF an objection
able eractm. nj, unconstitutional III effect.
and injurious IN terms TO large portion
Of the States.
Is il the fact hat. in all the unsettled
regions OF The United States. if emigration
be |, IL free 10 ACT in this respect for itself,
without legal pr Ohibilions on either side
slave labor will spontaneously 90 every
where. in preference to free labor Is II
the fact that the peculiar domestic lnsIIIu
lions Of the southern States possess. reI"'
lively. so much Of vigor. that, "heresoe
kver an avenue is freely open to all The
world. they will penetrate. TO the exciu'
sion of those o: the northern States? L.
it fact that The former enjoy. compared
with the latter. such irresistably superior
vitality, indt pendent OF climate. soil. and
all other accidental circumstances. as lo
be able TO produce The supposed result. ~
spite of the assumed moral and natural
obstacles 10 its accomplishment. and u
the more numerous population OF the nor
Ihern States
The argument Of those who advocate
new laws OF restriction. and condemn The
frepeal Of old ones. in effect AYERS 'ha
their particular viewsof government have
no srlf.exIending or sell sustaining po~eI
Of their own, and will go nowhere unless
forced by act OF Congress. And il Con
gress do but pause moment in the poll
cy Of stern coercion; ii it venture TO Try
the experiment of leaving men TO judge
for the On. elves what institutions best SUI
them; il it lie not strained up TO Perpttu
al legislative exertiun on this point;
Congress proceed thus TO act in the very
spirit Of liberty. il is at once charged will
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