The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-12-10

is to-pronounce ON that point, is undoubt-
edly binding on the concience of each
| good citizen of the Republic. But in
what sense can it be asserted that the on
nciment in question was invested with
pcrpetuity and entitled to the respect of
a solemn compact2 Between whom was
the compact ? No distinct conteuding
| powers of the government, no seperate
sections of the Union, treating as such,
entered into trcnty stipulations on the
subject. 1t was a mere clause Of an act
Of Congress, and like any other cantro-
! verted matter Of legislation received its
fiual shape and was passed By comprom-
| ise Of the rouAicting opipions or ,son,i-
ments of the members of Congress. But
| if ii had moral authority over mems con
cicuce, to whom did this authority at
tach ? Not to those Of tho North, who
had repeatedly refused to confirm it ly
extension, and who had zealously s,rivon
to establish other and Incompatible reeu-
lations upon the subject. Aud if, as it
thus appears the supposed compact had
no obligatory force at TO the North, of
course it could not bave had any as to the
South, for all such compacm must be mu-
tual and of reciprocal obligation
1t has not uofrequcnlly happened that
law givers, with undue estimation Of the
value of the law they give, or in the view
ofimpariiue TO it peculiar strength, make
it perpetual in terms but they cannot
thus bind the copcience. 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 the
law to be unsound in principle. Expe
ri,uce may show it to be imperfect in de-
tail and imrracticable in execution And
then both reason and right combine not
NEARLY to Justify but to require its re-
zeal.
The Constitution, supreme as it is over
all the departments Of the government,
legislative, executive, aud judicial.is open
to amendment 10y its very terms and
Congress or the States may. in their dis
erection, propose amendment TO it,solemn
compact though it in truth is between
the sovereign States Of the Union. In
the present instances political enactment.
which had ceased to have legal power or
authority ofany kird, d,was repealed The
position assumed, that Congress had no
moral right to enact such rercal. was
strange enough, and sngularly SC in view
Of the fact that the argumcn. came from
those who openly refused obedience to
existing laws of the land. baving tho
same popular designation aud quality as
compromise acts-nay, more, who uu'
oquivocally disrcgardcd and condemned
the most positive and obligatory injnnc-
tions of the Constitution itsclfau sought
by every means within their reach, to de-
prive portion of their fellow citizens of
the equal enjoyment Of those rights and
privileges GUARANTEED alike 10 all by the
Fundamental compact Of cur Union.
This argument against the repeal of
the statute line in question, was accompa-
nicd by auoiher Of coRgenial character,
and equally with the former destitute of
foundation in reason aud truth 1t was
imputed that the measure originated in
tie conception Of extending the limits of
slave labor hey ond those previously as.
sigued to it. aud that such was It's nat.
ural as well as intended effect and these
bosrlcss assumptions were made, in the
northern States, the ground Of unceasing
assault upon constitutional right.
The repeal in terms Of statute, which
was already obsolete, and also null for
unconstiiutiouality, could have no inhu
cncc to ohsiruct Or to promote the prop.
agation of conflicting views Of political
or social institution. When the act or.
gsniziug the Territories of Kansas and
Nebraska was passed, the Inherent effect
upon the portion of the public domain
thus opened TO legal settlement, was to
admit settlers from all the States of the
Union alike, each with bis convictions of
public policy aud private interest, there
TO found in their discretion, subject TO
such limitations as the Constitution aud
the acts Of Congress might prescribe,
new States, hereafter &c be admitted into
the Union. 1t was free field. open
alike to all, whether the statute line Of
assumed restriction were repealed or not.
That repeal did not open to free compe-
tition of the diverse opinions and domes-
tic institutions field, which, without
such repeal would have been closed
against them it found that field of COM
petition already opened, in fact and in
law. All the repeal did was to relieve
the statutc-book Of an Objectionable en-
actment, unconstitutional in effect, and
injurious in terms to largo portion Of
the States.
Is it the fact that in all the unsettled
regions of the United States, if cmigra-
tiou be lift free 10 act in this respect for
itself,vithout legal prohibitions on either
side, slave.labor will spontaneously 60
everywhere, in preference to freq labor ?
Is it tbefac that the peculiar domestic
institutions Of the Southern States pos.
sess relatively SO much vigor that, where
soever an avenue is freely open to all The
world they will penetrate. to the exclu
sion Of those Of Northern States? 1t is
the fact that the former enjoy, compared
with the latter, such irresistbly superior
vitolity, Independent of climate, soil, and
all other accidental circumstances, as to
be able 10 produce the supposed result,
in spite efihe assumed moral and nat
ural obstacles to its accomplishment, and
Of the more numerous population of the