Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-12-09

" zone States.
In the long series of acts of indirect agrees
scu the FIRST was t.ie strenuous agitation ~ the
citizens Of the Northern States IN Congress ana
out Of IL Of the question Of negro enancl p2iIon
/ N the Southern States. the second step II the
r;.rh Of evil consisted il the acts Of The people
Of the Northern States, and IN several instances
of their governments aimed 70 facilitate tie es-
7 ,ar. OF persons held 10 service IL the Southern
states and 10 prevent their eNtradttIou when
reclaimed according 20 llw and IN virtue "I OK
,9ress conditions of tire Constitution. To pro-
mote th; object. Legislative cIactinehts and 9th
CT means were IIoa.ed 10 take away % defeat
rights which tue Constitution soiemnly gTarau-
,eed.
In. order to uullify the then existing &c Of
Congress concerning the e..tradIjIUn fugitive
frauI service, laws were enacted in many 5 ates,
ts-ili. ding their officers, under he scyerest pen
aities 10 participate in the execution OF any act
of Congress whatever. la this way that system
oG harmonious Cooperation between tle author
ic.c5 Gf Tie United States and of the several
States. for the IaaIus;>iIaHce OF their common
Institutions, which existed n the cariy years Of
The Republic, was destroyed. Conflicts Of iu-
rIsslietIon came 10 be frequent, and Congress
found itself compelled, for the support Of the
Constitution, and tie viudicatiau Of lis powers
20 autborl@a the appointment OF new officers,
and the officers of the States Were the Ministers
charged with the execution OF It's acts, rs If they
we're respectively Of foreign governments. In a
F.,
magistrates of q common country. peacefully
sub-lS-Iug under the protection of the one we'll
constituted union. Thus here also aggression
Vas followed by reaction and the attacks upon
the Constitution at thIs point dld but serve to
raise new barriers for It's defence and security.
Tie third stage Of this unhappy sectional
controversy was t. connection with the organI-
cation of Territorial Governments and in the adj
mission of new States INTO the UlIon. When
l. was proposed u admit lie State of Maine bv
serG-a.i-u If territory from that of Massachu-
setts and the State II Missouri formed 4 por-
ton of the territory ceded by France to the
United States. representatives IN Congress OBJ
ec,ed 10 the admission Of the latter, unless with
condition, suited 10 particular views of public
policy. The impe- - OF such a condition was
successfully resisted, hut, ut the same period
the question was presented Ct imposing rcstrIc-
lions uHou the rcsidHc If the territory coded
av France IIa- question was, for the ii9e
disposed Of by the adoption OF a geographical
line If limitation IN this connection 1t should
NOT Be forgotten ;Has France, of her own accord,
resolved Tor considerations Of the most t.r
sighted SaEaci;y- 20 cede Louisiana TO the [ nj
ted States. and that accession was accepted by
oae United Sta-e~. the latter expressly engaged
that iuhab.tau-, Of tie eedcl Territory should
be Incorporated in tie Union Of the United
States and admitted = soon a possible accord
ing TO the principles OF the Federal Constitution
u the enjoyment Of all TIE rights advantages
and immUnitcs OF citizens of the United States
and in tie meantime they shall he maintained
and protected IN me nee enjoyment OF their
liberty, property and the religion which they
protested.
That IS 10 say, while /. remains in a terrific
rial condition. ITS inhabitants are maintained
and protected IN free enjoyment OF their iIaeg-
y and prope y, with q right then To pass into
the condition of States GA footing OF perfect
equality with the original States. The enact
Il.ut which established the restrictive re9arr,l-
zeal line was acdureSced in rather than p.,r,y-
et bv The States Of the Union. Irstood on The
statute book however for a number of years
and the people of the respective States acgui-
e-ced in the re-euactmcut of the priucil,ia "a
applied To the State OF Texas and II was pro-
posed to acquieScc IN its further application to
lne territory acquired by tue United States
from Mexico; bur this Dro,usifiou was srrcre.s-
fully resisted ~ the Representatives. OF the
Northern States, who, regardless of the statute
line, insisted ON applying restriction tu the new
. territory generally, whether living North or
south uf Il-thercb b. repeating Ir Is . Ig--isll
tive compromise, and Oh the part OF the North
TcrSistCUtiy violating tie compact, If compact
there was.
IhcrcUFo1, this enactment ceased to have
binding virtue In any sense, whcthcrls respects
the North ur the Souyn, and 10 in effect ii was
treated ON The occasion of the admission of the
state of California. and The organization Of the
Territories 0f New Mexico Utah and WASHING
ton. Such Va, the state of this question when
tne time arrived Tor the organization Of the Ter
H'oEie@ oi Kansas and y coraaka- II! the pro-
S!eS7 Oh t",s-l-"' i"ha- inquiry ana reflection, II
ILs'i NOE" d, leiS'H come 10 oe '4et ~ seen liit
N'it7fts7 Goes nos posses, e"H~ilt4'4'hai power
Ed impose l,9ttlci9hN Oh tIa i''cet upon any
present o' lUIute N''t,e oi ihe IhioH-
IA q long series OF decisions on the fullest ar
slinenf anu after the most Deliberate consider
- - '-.t : -Ii,ed ; ,aiea