The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1856-12-09

| possess relative lv so much OF vigor that where
soever an avenue is freely open to all the
world, they will penetrate, to the exclusion
OF those Of the Northern Statesf
1t is the fact that the former enjoy com
pared with the latter such irresistably supe-
perior vitality independent of climate, soil
and all other accidental circumstances as to
be able to produce the supposed result in
| spite of the assumed moral and natural obsta-
cles to its accomplishment and Of the more
numerous population Of the Northern states.
The argument of those who advocate the O.
nactment Of new laws of restriction and con-
demned the repeal of old ones in effect AYERS
that their particular views of government
have no selfextending or self-sustaining pow
or of their own and will 90 nowhere unless
forced by act Of Congress. And if Congress
do but pause for moment in the policy of
stern coercion, if it venture to try the expert
ment OF leaving men to judge for themselves
what institutions will best suit them if it be
not strained up to perpetual Legislative exer-
else on this point. If Congress proceed thus
to act in the very spirit Of Liberty, il is mt
once charged with aiming to extend Slave
Labor into all the new Territories of the Uni
ted States.
Of course these imputations of the inten-
lions of Congress in this respect, conceived
as they were in prejudice, and disseminated
in passion. are utterly destitute of an justii-
cation in the nature of things, and contrary
to all the fundamental doctrines and princi-
pies of civil liberty and self government
While therefore in general the people Of the
Northern States have never at any time arro-
gated for the federal government the power
to interfere directly with the domestic cond-
tion Of persons in the Southern States, but
on the contrary, have disavowed all such in
tentions and have shrunk from CONSPICUOUS af-
filiation with those few who pursue their IA
natIcal objects avowedly through the contem-
plated means of revolutionary change of good
and with acceptance of the necessary conse-
quences, civil and servile war; yet many
citizens have suffered themselves to be drawn
into one evanescent political issue of agitation,
after another appertaining to the same set of
opinions and which subsidized as rapidly as
they arose, when il came to be seen, as it
uniformly did, that they were incompatible
with the compacts of the Constitution and
the existence of the Union.
Thus when the acts of some of the States
to multiply the existing extradition law i'm
posed upon Congress the duty of passing a
new one, the country was invited by agita-
tors to enter into party organization for its re-
peal, but that agitation speedily ceased by
reason of the impracticabiity of its object
So when the statu3e restriction upon the in
sttutions of new States by geographical
line had been repealed, the country was urg-
ed to demand its restoration and that project |
also died almost with its birth, then followed |
The cry of alarm from the North against i'm
puted Southern encroachments which cry |
'prang in reali y from tho spirit Of revolution
sry attack on the domestic institutions of the
South, and after o troubled existence Of n
ew months has bsen rebuked by the voice of
! patriotic people.
Of this last agitation one lanentable fea-
ure was that it was carried on at the imme-
late expense Of the peace and happiness of
he people Of the Territory Of Kansas. That
vas made the battle field not SO much of OPP
losing factions or inherent within itself as of
he conflicting passions of the whole people
# the United States. Revolutionary disor-
Ter in Kansas had its origin in projects of in
ervention deliberately arranged by certain
members Of that Congress which enacted tho
aw for the organization of the Territory,
nd when propagandist colonization Of Kan
as has thus been undertaken in one section
4 the Union for the systematic promotion of
is peculiar views Of policy then, cnsucd as a
natter OF course counter action with oppo-
ite views in other sections of the Union.
In consequence of these and other incl
apts - .. |
ave been perpetrated in Kansas, to the oc-
asional interruption rather than the perma-
ent suspension of regular government. Ag- 4
ressive and most reprehensible incursions in
D the Territory were undertaken both in the
forth and the South and entered it on its
'orthern border by the way of Iowo as well
5 on the Eastern by way Of Missouri, and
here has existed within it state Of insurrsc- {
on against tho constituted authorities, not
lthout countenance from inconsiderate per- {
ons in each of the great sections of the Un- !
m, but the difficulties in that Territory have
cen extravagantly exaggerated for purposes
political agitation elsewhere.
The number and gravity of the acrs Of vi
ence have been magnifed, partly by state {
tents entirely untrue, and partly by reitera-
ID accounts Of the same rumors or facts
hus the Territory has been seemingly filed 8
it'll extreme violence, when the whole a.
cunt of such acts has not been greater than j
hat occasionally passes before us in single !
lies, to the regret Of all good citizens but 7
ithout being regarded as Of general or per- '
anent political consequence. c
Imputed Irregularities in the elections held 7
Kansas. like occasional irregularities Of b
q same description in the States. were be-
md the sphere of action of the Executive;
1t incidents Of actual violence. or of or q
'nized obstruction of Law. psrtinaciously |
newed from time to time. have been met Z
they occurred by such means as we're f'
'ailable and as the circumstances required, n
ID nothing of this character now remains
affect the general peace of the Union. Il
The attempts Of part of the inhabitants
the Territory to erect revolutionary Il
though sedulously encouraged Il
d supplied with pecuniary aid from active a