Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-03-20

State. The application was s.renuously re-
sisted BY the people Of the Free States. 1
was everywhere felt thst the decision invol
we'd consequences Of the last importance tc
the welfare Of the country, and that, If the
progress Of Slavery was ever to be arrested
that was the time to arrest. The slavehold
ing interest demanded its admission as O
right, and denied the power of Congress tc
impose conditions upon new States applying
to be admitted into the Confederacy. The
power rested with the Free States, aud Mis-.
souri, was denied admission. But the subiec,
was reviewed. The slsveholding interest
with Characteristic, and timely sagacity
abated something of its pretensions, aud set.
tied the controversy, on the basis of com
promise. Missouri was admitted into the
Union BY 40 sst bearing date March 8, 1920
in which Il wab also declared that ain ell
that territory ceded by France to the United
States, under the name Of Louissna, which
lies north of 36 80 of north latitude, not
included within the. limits Of the State of
Missouri, SLAVERY AND INVOLUNTARY sERvI.
TUps, otherwise than in the punishment O.
crimes whereof the parties shall have been
duly convicted, SHALL BE, AND Is HEREBY
FOREVER PROHIBITED" In each House of
Congress, majority of the members from
the Slaveholding States voted in favor of
this bill with these provisions, thus declaring
and exercising by their votes, the Constitute j.
onal power of Congress to prohibit Slavery
even in Territories where it had been pei INIT.
ted by the law Of France, at the da:e of their
cesson to the U. States. A new Slave
State, Arkansas, formed out of that Yortion
of this Territory lying south 36 Q 80, to
which the prohibition was not extended, was
admitted to the Union in 1896. Two Slave
States thus came into the Confederacy oy
virtue of this arrangement; while Freedom
gained nothing by it but the prohibition of
Slavery from vast region, which civilization
had made NJ attempt to penetrate.
Thus ended the first great contest of Free.
dom and Slavery for position and power in
the general government. The slaveholdlng
interest had achieved vital victory. 1t se-
cured all the mme date results for which it
struggled; it acquired the power Of offsetting
in the federal Senate, two Of the Free States
of the Confederacy; and the time could not
be foreseen when in the fullflment of its
compact, it would yield any positive and
practical advantage t. the Interests OF Free
dom. Neither then, nor for many years
thereafter, did any statesman dream that,
when the period should arrive, the Savehol-
ding interest would trampls on is bond and
fling its faith to the winds.
A quarter Of century elapsed before the
annexation Of Texas. Slavery had been
active, meantime, in fastening its hold upon
the Government. in binding political parties
to its chariot, and is seeking in Congress to
stife the right of petition, and to crush a
freedom OF speech and Of the press. In every
Slaveholding STATE, none but slaveholdsrs,
or those interest are identified with Slavery,
were adm!,edto to fill any Office, or exercise
any authority, civil or political. Free whites.
not slaveholders, in their presence, or in the
midst of their society, were reduced TO vas
salage little less degrading than that of the
slaves themselves. Even at this day, al
though the white population Of the Slave
holding States is Gore than six millions, Of
whom but 347,525, or less than one-seusnteenth, /,
are the owners of slaves, none but a slave
OH6 WuO Will Ut Will CAClusltc
reference to Slavery, is ever allowed to repre-
sent the State in any National Convention,
in either branch Of Congress, or in .ny high
position of civil trust aud political power
The slaveholdins class, small as il is, is the
governing class, and shapes legislation and
guides all public action for the Advancement
of its own interests and the promotion of its
Nd crop
that time even to the present, all slavehold
ing delegates in National Conventions, upon
Whatever else they may differ, always concur
in imposing upon the Convention assent to
their acquisitions in regard to Slavery, as the
indespe 1sable condition. Of their support -
Holding thus in their hands power to decide
the result of the election, and using that
power uudeviatingy and sternly for the ex-
toration of ther demands, they have always
been able to control the nominations of both
parties, and thus, whatever may be the issue,
to secure a President who is sure to be the
instrument of their behestsr Thus has it
come to pass that for twenty years we have
neve. had President who would appoint to
the humblest Office within his gilt, in any
section Of the Union, any man known to
hold opinions hostile to Slavery, or to be ac-
tive in resisting i,s asgressious and usurpa.
tions of power. Men, the most UPRIGHT and
the most resp sctable, in States where Sla-
very is only known. have been ineligible to
the smallest trust--have been held unfit tO
distribute letters from The federal post.ofice
to their neighbors, or trim the lamps of u
| lighthouse upon the remotest point OF our
extended coast. Millions of our citizens
have been thus disfranchised, for their opiui.
ons concerning Slavery, and the vast patro'
mage of the general Government has been
systematically welded in its service, and fol
the promotion OF its designs ...
1t was by such a disc. c.pline, and unde
such influences, that the Government an.
the country were prepared for the secon'
grea. stride of Savery towards the dominion
and for the ayowal OF, m olives by which i
, was attended ..
I, ANNEXATION OF TEXAS THE WAR WITH
MEXICO.
Texas was admitted into the Union on tn
29th of December, l8+5,--with a Constitr
= ton furbiddlng the abolition OF Slavery, an
7" a stipulation tina, four more States should b