M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-01-10

tory to regulate its own laws OF labor
according 10 its own sense Of right and
expediency, had acquired fast hold of
the public judgmentlo such a degree
that. BY common consent, it was ob.
served in the organization Of the Ter
ritory Of Washington.
When, more recently, il became
requisite TO organize the Territories oil
Nebraska and Kansas, il was the nat.
ural and Legitimate, if not the inevit-
able consequence Of previous events
and legislation, that the same great and
sound principle, which had already
been applied TO Utah and New Mexf-
co. should be applied to them-that
they shonld stand exempt from the
restrictions proposed relative to the
State Of Missouri.
These restrictions were, in the es-
timation OF many thoughtful men, null
from the beginning, Unauthorized by
the Constitution, contrary to the treaty
stipulations for the cession of Louisi-
ana, and inconsistent with the equality
Of the States.
They had been stripped of all NOR
al authority, by persistent efforts to
procure their indirect repeal through
contradictory enactments. They had
been practically abrogaled by the leg.
isIation attending the organization of
Utah, New Mexico and Washington.
1t any vitality remained in them, it
would have been taken away, in effect,
by the new territorial act, in the form
originally proposed to the Senate at the
first cession Of the last Congress. II
was manly and ingenious, as we'll as
patriotic and just, to do this directly
and plainly, and thus relieve the stats
ute-book of an act which might be of
possible future injury, but of no possi-
Bile future benefit; and the measure Of
its repeal was the final consummatlon
and complete recognition of the prin-
ciple that no portion of the United
States shall undertake, through assump-
tion Of the powers OF the general gov
ernmept, to dictate the social inslitu-
tions oil any other portion.
The scope and effect of the language
Of repeal were not left in doubt. Il
was declared, in terms, to be "he true
intent and meaning Of this act not to
Iegislate slavery into any Territory or
State, nor to exclude it thereirom, but
to leave the people thereof perfectly
free to form and regulate their domes-
tic institutions in their own way, sub
ject only to the Constitution of the U.
States."
The measure could not he withslood
upon its merits alone. 1t was attacks
ed with violence, on the false or de-
lusive pretext, that it constituted q
breach of faith. Never was objection
more utterly destitute Of substantial
justification. When, before, was it
imagined by sensible men, that regu,
lative or declarative statute, whether
enacted ten or forty years ago, is irre+
parable, that an act Of Congress is
above the constitution II, indeed,
they were in the facts any cause 10 i'm
pute bad faith, it would attach to those
only, who have never ceased, from the
time of the enactment of the restrictive
provision to the present day, to de-
nounce and condemn il; who have con-
stanlly refused to complete it by need
full supplementary Legislation; who
have spared no EXERT on 20 deprive it
of moral force; who have themselves
again and again attempted its repeal
by the enactment OF incompatible pro-
visions; and who, by the inevitable
reactionary effect Of their own violence
on the subject, awakened the country
to perception of the true constitutional
principle, OF leaving the matter involv.
ed 10 the discretion OF the people OF
the respective existing or Incipient
States.
1t is not pretended that this princi.
pie, or any other precludes the posi-.
biIity of evils in practice, disturbed az
political action is liable to be by hui
man passions. No form Of govern
ment is exempt from Inconvenience:
but in this case they are the result Of
the abuse, and not Of the legitimate ex.
ercise, Of The powers reserved or con-
ferred in the organization Of Telri>
tory. They are not to be charged to
ihe great principle Unpopular sovereign
ty; on the contrary, they disappear be-
fore the intelligence and patriotism Of
The people, exerting through the ballot
box their peaceful and silent but ire
sistable power.
II the friends oil the constitution are
to have another struggle, its enemies
'ould not present more acceptable is-
,ue, than that of State, whose con-
,tittlion clearly embraces "a republic
can form Of government" being ex-
cludcd from The Union because its do
nestle institutions may not in all res>
poets ccmport with the ideas Of what
IS wise and exppdient entertained 10
some other State.
Fresh from groundless imputations
Of breach of faith against others, men
will commence the agitation OF this
new question with iDdubitable viola
inn NJ an evnress comna,t hetween