Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-01-03

passed through the forms Of legislation, Il took its plar
ia the statute book standing open 10 repeal, like an
other act Of douhtnl cott-iftstonalitv suhleet "a h
pronounced null and void BY the courts Of Law. an
possessing no possible efficacy 10 control the rights
the States, which might thereafter be organized out Z
any part Of the original territory OF Louisiana.
la all this, II any aggression there were, any innOva
lion npOn prs-exiStiEg rights upon which portion VI m
Union are they justly eharycabley
This controversy passed away with the occasion. moth
ihg surviving Il save the dormont letter OF the statute.
nat long Afterwards when- the proposed Accession O
the Republic Of Texas, the United States we're to tai
their next step la territorial greatness, a similar c0u
ungency occurred. and hecame The OCCASION Far "
temaiised attempts IL interfere in the domestic anairs q
one section % the Union, Ia denlnce OF their RICH l. q
States, sRd at the stpulaliOns VI the constitution
shape GI peTseSenng endeayor =, ~ some OF Tie repre-
seHtalige-, ia both houses Of Congress, 10 deprive tn
Southern States Of ihe provisions VI the Bel authorizing
thr organization Of H. stale Of Missouri.
But the good sense Or The people and the vital fOrc'
OF lhecoDstliuIl0n, ~triumphed over sectional prejudice
and the political errors of the day, AMI Tue Stale @
Texas ueUraed L. the Union as she was, with social In
stiuiiioRs which, her people had ehosA for themselve.
and with express agreement, BY the re-annexlng act
that shs shoaii be susceptible " subdivision into 2 pu
ai1y 81 States.
Whatever advantage The Interests Of the souiherr
Ni9tes. as such gained by This. were far inferior In 70
suits. a. They unfoltcd in the pr gress Of time, 10 thos'
which >Irahg from pres ious concessions made by The
To eysn thoashtfal friend Of the Union-to ibe tru,
lovers Of their cOuntry-tO all who lOnged and labOFed
FOR The fall success Of this great experiment Of republi
cda insiiiuil0ns-i il was cause OF graduation that such
an opportunity mad occurred 10 illustrate our advancing
power On this continent. and 10 furnish 70 the world adj
ditiOnal assurance uf tile strength and stability or the
constitution. Who would wish 10 see Florida still q
EUROPEAN colony Who would rejoice In hail Texas a.
a lone star. instead OF one in the GALAXY OF Staiesy Who
does not appreciate the incalculable benefits 81 the ac-
QUESTION Of Louisiana? And Vet narrow views and See
uonal purposes would inevitably have excluded them
al. from the Union.
But another struggle on the same point ensued. when
our victorious armies returned from Mexico, and IL de-
volyed on Congsess 10 provide for the territories aequir-
ed 10y the treaty OF Gusdaloupe Hidalgo. The great re-
laiiOns Of the subject had now become distinct and
clear to the perception OF The public mind, which APP
preeiaIed the evil OF sectional controyersv unon ~.
question Of the admission Of new States. In that crisis
intense s,licitnde pervaded the nation. But the patriO-
tic impulses Ofthe popular heart, guided by the admoni-
tory adviees of the Father fhis Country, rose superior
20 all the dihieuldas of the incorporation OF a new EN-
pire into the Union. In the cOansels Of Congress there
was manifested extreme aniagonism OF opinion and ae-
toh between some representatives. who sought by the
abusive and unconstitutional employment Of the lcgisia-
i've power Of the government 20 interfere Ia the condi-
lion OF the inchOaie States, and b. impose their own So
cial theories upon the latter; and other representatives
who repealed the interpOsition Of the general govern
ment in this respect, aud maintained the selfcousuiUted
rights OF the States.
In truth, the thing attempted was, in form alone, ac-
ton OF the general government, while in reality 1t was
tEe endeaNer, Oy abuse Of legislative power, 10 force the
ideas Of internal policy, entertained in particular States,
upon allied independent States. Once more the cons,i-
luton and the Union ~tnumphed signally. The new ter
rHortss were Organized without restrictions on the dis
puied point, and were thus len TO judge In that paiticu-
lar Tor themselves; and the sense of constitutional faith
proved vigorous enough in Congress not only TO accom-
plish this primary object, but also the incidental and
hardly less important one, Of so amending the provisions
of the Statute for the exiradition of fusitiyes from ser
vice, As 10 place that public duty under the safeguard OF
The general government, and thus relieve IL from obsta-
clSs raised mp by the legislation Of some of the States.
vain defamation regarding the provisions OF law for
the eNtraditiOn Of fagiuves from service, with occasional
episodes Of frantic effort TO Obstruct their execution BY
riot and murder, continued for 4 brief time, 10 agitf 10
certain localities But the true principle, Of leaving
each State aud Territory To regulate it, oWn laws Of la
Dor according 10 own sense of right and expedicncy, had
acquired fast hold OF the public Judgement, 10 such a de-
gree, that, 10y common consent, IL was observed Ina the
organization OF the Territory Of Washington.
When more recently IL became necessary 10 organize
the Territories Of Kansas and Nebraska, IL was the nat
ural and ~cgitimaie, If not the inevitable consequence Of
previous events and legislation, that the same great and
sound principle, which had already been applied 10 Utah
and New Mexico should be- applied to them-that tbey
should stand exempt from the restrictions proposed In
the act relative Ia iae State OF Missouri.
These restrictions were, in the estimation Of MANY
thoughtful men, null from the beginning, unauthorized
sy the constitution, contrary 10 the treaty sipulatiOBs
for The cesson Of Louisiana and inconsistent with tho
squality Of the States.
They had been stripped of all moral authority, by per-
sistent efforts 10 procure their indirect repeal throagh
contradictory enactments. They had been practically
a~br0gatcd by the legislation attending the Organization
of Utah, New Mexico and Washington. Ii any vitality
remained In them, IL would have been taken away, in
effect, by the new territorial act, In the form originally
proposed 10 the Senate at the first session Of the last
Congress. Ii was manly and ingenius, as well as path-
otc and Just. TO DO this directly and plainly, and thus re-
lieve the statute-book Of an act which might he Of posi-
BILE future injury, but OF no possible future benefit; and
the measure fits repeal was the final eonsumation ana
of the United states shall undertake, through assnmn-
ton of the powers Of the general government, TO dictate
the social Institutions OF any other portion.
The scope and effect Of the language OF repeal were
not ien i'm doubt II was declared, in terms, to be ssthe
trne intent and meaning Of this act mott legislAte slave
ry into any Territory or State, nor 10 exclude it there
from, bt to leave the people thereof perfectly free to
form and regulate their domestic Institutions in their
own way subject only 20 the constitution of the United
Staies.n
The measure could not be withstood upon lis merits
alone. II was attacked with violence, ON the false or
delusiyP pretPNt. that il constitution "A breach of faith -
Never was objection so utterly destitute Of substantial
Justification When, before, was II imagined by sensible
mon. that n Tegulafiye or declarative statute whether
enacted ten or forty years ago, IS rreparable,-that an
act of Congress Is above the constitutions II, indeed,
there were IN the facts any cause Co impute bad faith. u
would attach Ia those only who have nevereeased,f from
the time OF The enaclmcm OF the restrictive Proyision 10
the present dAi todcnonnce and condemn ~ who have
constantly refused Is complete IL by needfnl supplement
ln'y iegi-latioa; who have spared no exerion 10 depriye
AZ Of moral force, who have Themselves again and again
Attempted lie repeal by the enactment of Incompatible
Provisions; and Who have, by the inevitable ractiOnary
effect OF -thsir own violence ON the subieci, awakened
the country % perception OF the true constitutional
principle Of lsaving the matter involved 20 the discretion
SihieS.~
1t IL nt pretended that this principle, OF any other
precludes tie possibility Of evils IN practice, disturbed
AS political action Is liable ID be by human pa~-i0ps.-
No form Of government Is exempt from isronsenie'@es.
bat Ia this ease they are the result of The abuse, and net
ofths Legitimate exercise, OF the powers reserved or
conferred IL the organizalion Of a Territory. They arc
not TO be chargcdt Ia the great principle OF popular sOse-
reigniy; on the contrary, They disappear before The In
ielligencc AMI patriotism OF the people, eNerting thro'
the ballot-boN their Peaceful and silent oul irresistible
1.-THE friends Of the constitution are to have another
struggle, is enemies could not present more aceepta-
BILE issue, than that nj n State. whose constitution clearly
embraces "a republican form of government" being
excluded from the Union because its domestic iDstita-
what is wise and ~expedient entertained in some other
State. Fresh from grOundless imputation Of breach Of
faith against others, men will commence the agitation oil
this new question with indubitADle violation Of an eN-
press compact between the independent sovereign pow
ers of the United States and OF the republic ofTexas, a.
well as OF the older and equally solemn compacts, which
assure the equality OF all the states.
But, depl0rable a. would be such a violation OF CON-
pact in itself, and in all its direct consequences, that Is
the very least OF the evils involved. When sectional
agitators shall have succeeded in forcing on this issue,
can their pretensions fail TO be met by counter preien-
sions? VIII not different states be compelled respect
lively 10 meet extremes with extremesg And, " either
extreme carry its point, what Is that 80 far forth but dis
solution Of the Union, liza new State, forced from the
territory OF the United States. be absolutely excluded
from admission therein, that fact Of itself constitutes the
disruption Of union between II and otherstaies. But The
process o. dissolution could not stop mere; would moi
a sectional decision, producing such a result by a major
ity of votes, either northern or southern, OF necessity
drive out the oppressed and aggrieved minority, aud
place IN presence Of each other Two reconcheaoiy nos
lille confcderafionsf
Iii necessary to speak thus plainly Of projects, the
offspring OF that sectional agitation now prevailing In
some Of the States, which are IS impracticable as they
are unconstitutional, and which, n persevered IN, must
and will end calamitously. II Is either disunion and
civil war, or II Is mere angry, idle, aimless disturbance
Of nublic peace and tranquility. Disunion for wharf IL
the passionate rage of ianaticism and partisan spirit did
not force the fact upon eur attention, Il would be difi-
cult 10 believe, thai any considerable portion ofthe Peo-
pie of this enlightened country could have 30 surrender
ed themselves 10 a fanafical devotion 10 the supposed In
forests of the relatively few Africans In the United States
as totally TO abandon and disregard the interests Of the
millions Of Anereans-to trample under
foo; the injunctions Of moral and constitutional obllga-
tion-and 10 engage In plans OF vindietive hostility
against those who are associated with them In The enjoy
ment OF the common heritage OF our national insntn-
tons.
Nor is IL hostility against their fellov-ciiizcns OF one
section Of the Union alone. The Interests, the honor,
the duty, the peace, and the prosperity Of tho people OF
all sections are equally involved and imperilisd IN the
question. And are patriotic men in any part ofthe Union
on such an issue, thus madly 10 invite all The
of the forfeiture Of their constitutional en-
gagemcnts? II i impossible. The storm Of phrensy
faction must inevitably dash itselfin vain against The
rock Of the constitution. i shall never doubt
il. 1 know that the Union Is stronger a thousand times
cheuge, which arc generated, one sftei another, In The
unstable minds Of visionary sophists and Interested agi-
tator-. I rely confidently on the patriotism OF the lSo-
pie, on the digsity and self respect OF the states, on the
" isdom Of Congress, and above all, on the continued
gracious favor OF Almighty God, TO maintain, against All
enemies, whether al home or abroad, the sanctiiy OF the
and the integrity Of the Union.
PIERCE.
wAsmSoroS, December 81, 1850.
Orange Co. Democratic Convention.