Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1856-12-06

and equality as compromising acts--nay, more
who uneqnivocaly disregarded aud condemned
the most positive and obligatory injunctions OF
the Constitution itself, and sought, by every
means within their reach. to deprive portion
OF their tcowcitzens OF the equal enjoyment
Of those rights and privileges guaranteed alike to
all By the fundamental compact Of our Union.
This arguFent against the repeal of the stat
ute line in question was accompanied 10y another
Of congenial character, and equally with the for
lter destitute OF Foundation in reason aud truth
1t was imputed that the measure originated in
the conception Of offending tie limits of slave
labor beyond those previously assigned to it, and
that such was its natural as well as intended eff
feet; and these baseless 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 nall for unconsttu-
tionaity, could have no influence to- ebstruct or
To promote the propagation of conflicting views
oil political or social institution. When the act
organizing the Territory OF Kansas and Nebras-
~ was passed, the inherent effect upon that por-
sion of tie public domain thus opened to legal
Settlement, was to admit settlers from all the
States of the Union alike, each with his cohyic-
tons Of public policy and private interest, there
to 1oand in their discretion, subject to such mi-
tatlans IS the Constitution and acts of Ceiigress
might prescribe new States hereafter to be adj
United into the Union. 1t was free field open
alike To all, whether the statute line of assumed
restrictions Were repealed or not That repeal
did not open to free competition of the diverse
opinions and domestic institutions a field which,
without such special repeal, wenld have been
closed against them; it found that field of com
petition already opened, in fact aud i'll law. Ali
the repeal did was to relieve the statute-book OF
~ Objectionable enactment, unconstitutional in
eheft and injurious in terms to large portion
OF the States
Is It she fact, that Il. al the unsettled region
OF the United States, if emigration be eft free t6
act in this respect for itself without legal rrohi-
billions on either side Slave labor will spontaue-
9usly 60 where. in preference to free labor
Is it the fact tat tie peculiar DOMESTIC in5tiu-
eidiis o. tie southern States possess relatively so
much of vigor, that, whereaoeyer an avenue is
freely open to al the world, they will penetrate
to the exclusion of those northern States Is it
the fact, that the former enjoy, compared with
the lstscr such rrcsistibly superior vitality, in
dependent OF climate, of soil, and all other acc-
dental eireuinatanees.a to beabe to produce tie
supposed result in sbits IF tic assumed moral
and natural obstacles to It's accomplishment, and
Of the more numerous population Of northern
States?
The argument of those who advocate the en-
tho repeal of old ones, in effect avsrs that their
particular views of government have no self ex-
tetding or set-sustaining power of their own,
and will go nowhere unless forced by act of Con
gress. And if Congress do but pause for mo-
ment in the policy of stern coercion; if it ven
ture to try the experiment of leaving men to
iudge for themselves what institutions will best
suit them; if If be not strainedrp to perpetual
legislative sxertQp % IBIS .paint; if Congress
proceed tIlas n act in the very spirit of liberty
it is at once charged with aiming to extend
slave Ia or into all the new Territories of the T.
nited States.
OF course, these Inspirations on the intentions
OF Congress in this respect, conceived as they
were in prejudice, and disseminated in passion,
are utterly destitute of any justification in the
nature of things, and contrary to all the funda-
msr.as, doctrines and principles of civil liberty
and eltgoyernners.
While therefore, in general, the people Of the
northern States have never, az any time, ar-oga-
ted for the federal government the power TO
interfere directly With the Celsesti3 condition
of persons in the southern States, but en- tbs con-
traty have disavawed all such intentions, and
have ahrunk from conspicuous utilization with
those few who pursue their iantastical objects a
vowedly through the contemplated means OF rev.
dictionary change of the government, and with
acceptance of the necessary consequence civ
il and servile war--yet many citizens have snt-
fered themselves to he drasfn info ore evanes
cent po'itical tissue of agitation after another,
appertaining TO the same set of opinions, and
which subsidized as rapidly as tarose when it came
to be seen. as it uniformly did, that they were
incompatible with the eompaets Of the Gonstitu-
tion and the existence Of the lrian. Thus,
when the acts of seifs OF the States ~ nullify
tbs existing extrsdition law imposed npen Con-
gress the duty Of passing new one, the eoun-
try was invited by agitators to enter into party
organization for its repeal; but that agitation
speedily ceased by reason of the ilnpracticability
Of its object. So when tho statute restriction
epon the institutions of new States, by a geo.
graphical line, had heeen repealed, the country
was urged to demand its restoration, and that
project also died almost with its birth. Then
followed tire cry Of alarm from the North a.
gainst itabuted southern encroachlnents which
cry sprang III reality troia the spirit Of revolu-
tonary attack on the domestic institutions of
the St,ath, and after troubled existence of a
few Inhtths, has been rebnked by the voice of a
patriotic people.
Of this last agitation, one lamentaLle feature
was that it was carried on at the immediate ex
pense OF the peace and happiness of the people
of the Territory of Kansas. That WAS made
the battlefield, not so much of opposing factions
or interests within itself, a. of the conflicting
passions Of the Whole people of the United
States. Revolutionary disorder in Kansas had
its origin inprojects of Intervention, deliberate
ly arranged by certain members of that Con
gress which epacted the law for the organize
ton OF the Tsrrtory. And when propaganda
colonization societies fer karisas had thus been
undertak er in one section of the Union, for the
systematic promotion of its peculiar views pol
ley, there ersaed, as matter of course, a coun-
teractiun Will opposite views, in other sections
OF the Enion.
In consequences Of these AID Other incidents
many acts Of disorder it is undeniabls, have beer
perpetrated in Kansas, to the occasional inter.
ruption, rather than the permanent suspension
OF regular government, Aggressive and most
reprei,ensle ineursions into the Territory were
undertaken, both in the North and the South,
and entered it or! lis nothern border by the way
Of Iowa, as well as on the eastern way by Mis-
souri, and there has existed within it state OF
Instruction against the constituted authorities,
not without countenance from inconsiderate
persons in each of the great sections &c the T.
MON. But the difficulties in that Territory have
been extravagantly exaggerated for purposes
of political agitation elsewhere. The number of
and gravity Of the acts of violence have been
maahitied partly by statements entirely untrue,
onI y,artlv raitaratcd eeconnte of tho anna ri.