The north Iowa times. [volume] (M'Gregor [i.e. McGregor], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-12-19

S"t''N u'iNS IA VIZ 1i'"ep Va f" W.
angry defiance at the South. Thus, in
tie progress of events we Lad reached
that contamination which the voice of the
people has now so pointedly rebuked, Of
the attempted portion of the States. by
a sectional organization and movement, to
usurp the control Of the government oil
the u. S.
l confidently believe that the great body
of those who ineonsiderately took this
fatal step are sincerely attached to the
constitution and the Union. They would
upon dcliberation, shrink with unaffected
horror from any conscious act of disun-
ion or civil war. But they have entered
into path that leads nowhere, unless it
be to civil war and disunion, and which
has no other possible outlet. They have
proceeded thus far in that direction in
consequence of the successive stages of
their progress having consisted of series
Of secondary issues, each of which pro-
fessed to be confined within constitutional
and peaceful limits, but which attempted
indirectly what few men were willing to
do dircctly-.hat is. to act aggressively
against the constitutional rights Of nearly
onchalf of the thirty zone States.
In the long series of ac.s of indirect
aggression, the first was the strenuous
agitation, by citizens of the northern
States, in Congress and out of il, OF the
question of negro emancipation in the
southern States. r .@N 4. -
The second step in this path of evil
consisted Of acts of the people of the
| States, AID, in several instances of their
governments, aimed to facilitate the es-
cape of persons held to service in the
southern States, and to prevent their cx-
tradition when reclaimed according to law
and in virtue Of express provisions of the
constitution. TO promote this object,
| legislative cnactments and other means
were adopted to take away or defeat rights
which tho constitution solemnly guaran-
tied In order to nullify the then exist.
! ing act of Congress concerning the extra
dition of fugitives from service, laws were
enacted in many States forbidding their
officers, under the severest penalties to
participate in the execution or any act Of
Congress whatever. In this way that
system OF harmonious cooperation he.
tween the authorities of the United States
and Of the several States for the mainten.
ance of their common institutions, which
existed in the early years of the repub
lie was destroyed, conflicts OF ;urisdic.
ton came to be frequent; and Congress
found itself compelled, for the support o.
the constitution and the vindication Of its
power, to authorize the appointment o.
new officers charged with the execution
of lis acts as if they and the officers o
the States were the ministers, respectively
of foreign governments in state of mu
tual hostility, rather than follow magis
tralcsl of a common country, peacefully
subsis.ing under the protection of one
well-constituted Union. Thus here, also
aggression was followed by reaction; aud
the attacks upon the constitution at this
point did but serve to raise up new bar
riers for its defence and security.
The third stage of this unhappy sec.
tioual controversy was in connexion with
the organization of territorial govern.
ments, and the admission of new States
into the Union. When it is proposed tc
admit the State of Maine, by separation
of territory from that of Massachusetts,
and the State of Missouri, formed of {
portion of the territory ceded by Franco
to the United States, representatives in
Congress objected to the admission of tho
latter, unless with conditions suited tc
particular views of policy. The imposi
ton of such condition was successfully
resisted. But, at the same period, the
question was presented of imposing re
ssrictions upon the residue of the territory
,ceded by France. That question was
for the time, disposed of by the adoption
of geographical line of limitation.
In this connexion it should not be for
gotten that when France, of her own ac
cord. resolved, for considerations of tho
most far-sighted sagacily, to cede Louisi
ana to the United States, and that access
ion was accepted by the United States. the
latter expressly engaged that 'the inhabi
tants of the ceded territory shall be incor
porated in the Union of the United States
and admitted AS soon as possible. accor
ding to the principles of the federal con
stitution, to the enjoymentof all the rights
advantages. and immunities Of citizens o
the United States; and in the mean time
they shall be maintained and protected il
the free enjoyment of their liberty, proper
ty, and the religion which they profess
that is to say, while it remains in ter
ritorial condition, Its inhabitants ar,
maintained and protected in the free en-
joyment of their liberty and property
with a right then to pass into the condi
ton of States on footing Of perfect equal
ity with the original States.
The enactment, which established thu
restrictive geographical line, was acqui
esced in rather than approved by thu
States Of the Union. 1t stood on tic
statute-book, however, for number o
years; and tie people of the respective
State acquiesced in the re-enactment O
the, principle as applied to the State O.
Texas and it was proposed to acquiescc
in its further application to the territory
acquired by the United States from
Mexico. But this proposition was sue.
4 r. 4