Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1856-01-16

The controversy passed away with tn
occasion, nothing surviving 4 save ths
dormant letter Of the statute.
But long Afterwards when. by the pro
posed accession Of the Republic Of Tex.
as, the United States were 70 take theil
next step in territorial greatness. 9 SINH.
lar contingency occurred, and became
the occasi n for 1systematized attempts e
interfere in the domestic affairs Of one
section Of tie Union. in defiance Of their
rights e States, aud Of the stipulationa
| Of the Constitution. These assumed Z
practical direction, in the shape Of per.
servering sndeayors. BY some Of the rep
resentatives, in both houses Of Congress-
10 deprive the Southern States Of the sup
posed benefit Of the provisions Of the
act authorizing the Organization Of the
State Of Missouri.
But the good sense.of the people, and
the vital force Of the Constitution tri-
umphed over sectional prejudice. and the
political errors Of the day, and the State
Of Texas returned to the Union g she
was, with social institutions which her
people had chosen for themselves, and
with express agreement. by the re-annex-
ing act. that she should be susceptibI.
Of subdivision into plurality Of States.
Whatever advantage the intcrests9of
the Southern States, rs such, gained by
this, were far inferior il results, as they
unfolded in the progress Of time. to those
which sprang from previous concessions
made By, the South. llz. &
To every thoughtful friend Of the I'm
ion--to the true lovers Of their country
to all who longad and labored for the
full success Of this great experiment Of
republican institutions--it was canse Of
graduation that such m opportunity had
occurred to illustrate our advancing pow
er on this continent, and to furnish to the
world additional assurance ofthc strength
and stabili.yof the Constitution. Who
would wish TO see Florida still . Europ-
can colony! Who would rejoice to hail
Texas as lone star, instead Of one in
the galaxy Of States? Who does not APP
preciate the incalculablc benefits Of the
acquision Of Louisiana? And yet narrow
views and sectional purposes would inev-
itably have excluded them oil from the
Union.
But another struggle on the same point
ensued, when our victorious armies re-
turned from Mexico, and it dsvolyed on
Congress to provide for the territories ac-
quired BY the treaty Of Guadalupe Hi
dalgo. The great relations OF the sub
ject had now become distinct and clear
to the PERCEPTION Of the public mind
which appreciated the evils Of sectional
controversy upon the question Of the adj
mission Of new States.
In that crisis intense solicitude perya-
ded the nation. But the patriotic i'm
pulses Of the popular heart, guided by the
admonitory advice Of the Father Of his
Country. rose superior to all the difficult
ties Of the incorporation Of new empire
into the Union. In the counsels Of Con-
gress there was manifested extreme an
ngonism Of opinion and action between
some representatives, who sought by the
abusive and Unconstitutional employment
Of the Legislative powers Of the govern
ment to interfere in the condition Of the
inchoate States, and to impose their own
social theories upon the latter, and other
representatives, who rcpelled the inter
position Of the general government in this
respect and maintained the self-construc-
ting rights ofthe States.
In truth, The thing attempted was, in
form alone, ac,isn of the general govern
ment, while In reality It was the endeay-
or, by abuse oflegislatiye power, to force
the ideas Of internal policy. entertained
in particular States, upon allied indepen-
dent States. Once more the constitution
and the Union triumphed signally. The
new Territories were organized without
restrictions on the disputed point, and
were thus left to Judge in that particular
for themselves; and the sense,of constitu-
tional faith proved vigorous enough in
Congress not only to accomplish this
primary object, but also the incidental
and hardly less important one, Of SO
amending tho provisions Of the status for
the extraditipn Of fugitiyes from service,
as to place that public duty under the
safeguard ofIthe general government, and
thus relieve IL from obstacles raised up
by the legislation Of some Of the States.
VAN defamation regarding tho pro
visions Of law for the extraditien Of fu-
gitives from. service, with occasional ep-
isodes Of frantic efforts to obstruct, their