Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-05-09
From the oLio State Journal.
The Great Issue Of the Campaign.

issue that is before the country, and upoi
which the American people are to decide a
the coming Presidential election:
"The man is as blind as bat, and hope
lessly stupid, who does not see that there
is one overshadowing question which over
,Ohelms and sWaLloUs up all other second
arg issnes,-tte Fundamental and Uita
question of SiGUery. Blink at it as we may
complcate OF conflSe it as much as possible
the fact cannot be disguised, that SlaUery
Is one of TIE real elements Of party digis
IONS, and tooiganise party with the expec
taton that tbs members of it North and
South would unto and harmonic upon thi,
main point Of dispute, is only short Of moon
/ struck madRess"
'g Such are the sentiments of the slave
propagandist They are promptly and
boldly avowed. They force an issue upon
the free people of tho North which cannot
be avoided. We must either submit to the
demands Of the Slave popagandists, or we
mist resist The fact is established.
Now, let Us see who is srcsponsible for this
issue. Who has forced it upon the country
We assert that it is the work of Slave pow
er. And abricf statement viii demonstrate
this fact to the world In lS5O-l the series
of measures known as the compromise acts
were passed. They were generally salts
factory to the North, but there vast to a great
degree, disposition to acquiscc in them,
not from love of some of their provisions,
but because they promised, and were held
out to the world to be fRaEty, an end to
the slavery agitation in this Republic.
No sooner was the new administration of
Pierce fully established than there was
scheme set on foot to disturb all the COM
promises of the past, and to throw wide
open again the door of slavery agitation
This movement the world knows came from
the slave power. Kansas was wanted as
slave Territory, to strengthen and perpet-
uate that institution in Missouri. Atchison,
the prime mover, called to his assistance
the arch intrigucr, Douglas, and by their
united efforts they dragged the administra-
ton of Pierce into the grand scheme of Vi
Olating the compact Of 1920, and throwing
all the western territory north $50 80 open
to the occupancy of Shareholders. The
country knows the result. The South al
most in solid body, voted for the Nebras
ka bill. 1t was an aggressive movement.
II sought by legislation to establish slavery
whore it hal beer prohibited. 1t prevail
ed. All compacts and compromises were
secuted, and tramplcd under foot. Slavery
agitation again became the order of the day.
Let us look at some other facts. From
the commencement of our government it
has been held by both the Federal and
State courts, that if master voluntarially
brought his slave into the free States, that
act Of itself made the slave free man
This well established doctrine Is now denied
and it is now contended that masters have
a constitutional right to bring their slaves
to the Free States and hold them as such
while there. Its practically an annihilation
Of State sovereignty. 1t is saying that the
States have not the power to prohibit slavery
in their own territory. |
Again: it is contendcd, both in and out
Of Congress that the slave master has the
legal right to take and hold his slave in any
territory in the United States. In other
words, that slavery is national, and exists
by virtue of common law, just as much and
clearly as the right of the farmer to his
horses and oxen. l was formerly the senti-
ment of both of our statesmen and of our
courts that slavery was local-that it was
the creature of municipal law, and that it
could not exist except by virtue of positive
law. This is now denied, and strong effort
is being made to reverse the well establish
ed rule and to make slavery national in
stead of a local institution.
We point to these acts, among others to
our position that the real and live
issue at the present time is the question Of
slavery extension, ard that this issue has
been forced upon the people of the North
by the constant and repeated aggresSions of
the slave power. And we repeat the en-
phatie language of the above extract when
we say that 'the man is as blind rs a bat
and hopclessly stupid who does not see that
-hcre is an overshadowing question which
and swallows up all other sec
,ndary isSues-the fundamental and vital
question of slavery"
Now, the only remaining question to be
considered by the free men of the free
States is, what is their duty under these
Is it of any Importance to
insist upon the principle that freedom shall
be national, and slavery sectional! Is it
worth while to take any action to check the
progress of the slave power? Is it advisa-
lble to grant, or yield all these new de-
nands upon the long settled and we'll os-
rights of the free States? Is our
sovereignty worth struggled Is it for
our interest, and that of humanity, that the
rast Territories of Kansas, New Mexico,
Southern California, DC, shall cease to be
irce soil, and shall become slave soil?
Each freeman must consider the ques-
lions and answer himself. There is no mid
lie course. 1t is either abject submission
Or manly resistance. All attempts to get
up new issues, or to insist upon old ones
arc schemes to dcyide us, and thus to throw
the power and influence of the whole coun-
try into the hands of the common enemy.
Those who arc not for us are against us in
this struggle. 1t is an issue not of our
seeking. We have borne much, and have
gone far for the sake ofpcace. But We are
now plainly told that there is no moro COM
promise, and that We must yield everything.
Such Dponle of Ohio. Is tho issue tender !