American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-12-13

! OF the law they give, or in the view Of i'm
, parting to it peculiar strength, make j, per.
petual in terms; but they cannot thus bin
the conscience, the judgment, and The will
} OF those who may succeed them, invested
with similar responsibilities, and clothed
with equal authority. More careful inves
tgation may prove The law to be nnsound in
principle. Experience may show it TO be
imperfect IN detail and impracticable in ex.
ecution. And theu both reason and righ,
combine not merely 10 juslify, but to require
its repeal
lhe Constitution, supreme as il is over all
The departments OF The government, legisIa.
tive. executive, and judicial, is open TO
mendmen's by It's very terms; and Congress
or the States may in their discretion pro.
pose amendments to IT, solemn compact Tho
1t Is between the sovereign States Of the u.
mon. In the present instance, political
enactment, which had ceased TO have legal
power or authority OF any kind, was repeal.
ed. The position assumed, that Congress
had no moral right 10 enact such repeal
was strange enough, and singularly 40 in
view OF the fact that The argument came
from those openly refusing obedience to ex.
istIng laws OF the land, having ,he same po
pnlar designation aud quality as comrro.
mise acts-nay, mdre, who unequiv ocally
tive and obligatory injunciions Of the Consti-
tuition itself, and sought, by every mean,
within their reach, to deprive portion of
their fellow Citizens OF the equal enioym enl
OF those rights aud privilege guaranteed
like to all by the fundamental compact of
our Union.
Ihe argument against tho repeal OF the
statute line IN question, was accompanied
by another OF Congenial character aud equal.
~ with the iormer destitute ot foundation i'm
reason aud truth. II was imputed that the
measure originated in the conception of ex.
tending the limits of slave labor beyond
those previously assigned 10 it,, and that
such was its natural Bs well as intended ef-
feet; and these baseiess assumptions Were
made, in the Northern States the ground of
unceasIng assault upon constitutional right.
The repeal in terms of u statute, which
was aifeaiy obsolete, and also null for con.
silutionality, could have no influence TO oh.
strncl or to promote the propagation OF con-
flirtlng views OF political or social nsiiu.
ton. When TIM act organizing the Terrific.
res OF Kansas and Nebraska was passed,
the inherent effect upon that portion Of the
pubic domain thus opened 10 legal settle.
men', was 10 admit settlers from all the
States oil the Union alike, eac h with his con-
vicilons OF public policy and private inter
est, there to found in their discre ton. SUB.
Ject 10 such limitations as the Constitution
and acts OF Congress might prescribe, new
States, hereafter 10 be admitted into the u.
mon. II was free field, open alike TO all.
whether the statute line of assumed res,rc
ton were repealed or not. That repeal did
not open to free competition, 10 diverse o.
pinions and domestic Institutions field.
which, without such repeal, would have
been closed against them: it found that field
OF competition already opened, in fac, and
law. All the repeal did was TO relieve the
statute book OF an objectionable enactment
unconstitutional in effect, and injurious in
terms to large portion Of the States
Is it the fact, that, in all the unsettled re .
gions OF the United Safes, il emigration be
lett Tree to act m this pect for itself, with.
oui legal prohibition on either side, slave la.
Dor will spontaneously go every where, in
preference to free labor? H. it the fac, That
the peculiar domestic institutions of the
uthern States possess relatively so much
Of vigor, that, wheresoever an avenue is
freely open TO all thu world, ihoy will pen
etrate to the exclusion OF the Northern States,
Is II the fact, that the former enjoy, compe.
red with the latter, such irresistbly superior
vitality, independent of climate, soil, and
all other accidental circumstances. as TO be
IL,
OF the assumed moral and natural obstacles
10 lis accom- plishmcnt, and of The more nu
merous population Of The Northern States I?
The argumeD, Of those who advocate the
enacmerit OF new laws of restriction, g. con-
demn the repeal Of old ones, in effect AYERS
that their particular views Of goverumen nt
have no sell extending or selI.sustaining
power oi their own, and will go nowhere
unless forced BY act Of CONGRESS. II Con.
Sress do but pause for a moment In the pol.
ICY oil stern coercion if it venture 10 try the
experiment Of leaving men to Judge for Them
selves what institutions will bes, suit them,
!! II be not strained up to perpetual leaisla.
tive exeTllon on this point IL Congress pro.
ceed thus Ia act in The very spirit of liberty,
u is at once charged with aiming to extend
slave labor into ali The new Territories of the
United States.
OI course, these imputa,ions on the inten-
'ions OF Congress in this respect, conceived
as thcy were in prejudice, and disse minated
10 passion, are utterly destitute Of any iusti.
fication in the nature of things, and contrary
TO all the fundamental doctriues and princi.
pies OF civil liberty and self.government.
While therefore, in general, the people OF
the Northern States have never, at any time.
artogated for the federal government the
power to interfere directly with the domes.
Ito condition Of persons in the Southern
States. but on the contrary have disavowed
all such intentions, and have slrunk from
conspicuous affiIiation with those few who
pursue their faoalical objects avowedly
through the conten plated means of reyoIn.
tonaSy change Of the government, and with
acceptance OF tho necessary consequences
civil and servie war--yet many citizens
saye suffered themselves TO be drawn inlo
one evabescent political issue of agitation
alter another, oppertsiniDs TO the same Sc,
OF opinions, and which subsidized as rapidly
as they arose when il came to be seen, as il
uniformly did, that they were incompatible
with The compacts Of the Constitution and
the existence OF the Union Thus, when the
acts OF some of the States to nulliiy tho ex
isting extradition law imposed upon Con.