The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-12-16

aiI the States of the Union alike, cnch with
his convictions of public policy and private
interest, there TO found in their discretion,
subject to such lnGtations as the constitu-
ton and acts Of Congress might prescribe
new States, hereafter to be admitted into
tho Union. 1t was frc" field, open alike
to all, whether the statute line of assumed
restriction were repealed hr not. That re-
neal did not open ta free competition of the
diverse opinions and domestic institutions
Il field which. without such repeal, would
have been closed against them; it found
that field of competition already opened, in
! fact and in law. All the repeal did was to
relieve the statute book of nm 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-
gi0ns of the United States, if emigration be
left free to act in this respect for itself
without legal prohibitions on either side
! slave labor will spontaneously 60 evcrwh"ro
in preference to free labor Is it the fact
that the peculiar domestic institutions of
the southern States possess, relatively, so
much of vigor. that whcrcsOevcr an avenue
is freely open to all the world, they will
| penetrate, to the exclusion of those of the
northern States Is it the fact that the
former enjoy, compared with tho latter,
such irresistibIy superior vitality, indcpen-
| dent of climate. soil and all other occiden-
tai circumstances, as to be able to produce
the supposed result, in spite of the assum-
cd moral and natural obstacles to its accom-
plishmcnt, and of the more numerous pop
ulation Of the northern States
| The argument of those who advocate the
enactment of new laws of restriction, and
condemn the repeal Of old ones, in effect
| tl,ott IL of
mcnt have no sclf-extcnding or self sustain
ing power of their own, and will go nowhere
unless forced by act of Congress. And if
| Congress do but pause for moment in
policy of stern coercion if it venture to
try the experiment leaving men to judge
for themselves what institution will beat
suit them; if it be not strained up to per
| pCtual Legislative eXcrtion on this point if
Congress proceed thus to net in the very
spirit of liberty, it is at once charged with
aiming to extend slave labor into all the new
Territories of tho United States.
OF course, these imputations on the in
tcntions of Congress in this respect, con-
ccivcd as they were in prejudice, and dis
scmihated in passion, are utterly destitute
of any justification in the nature of things,
and contrary to all tic Fundamental doc
trincs and principles of civil liberty aud
self government
While therefore, in general, the people of
nothcrn States have never at any time nr.
rogatcd for tho federal government the
power to interfere directly with the dOmcs-
TIC condition of persons in the southern
States, but, on the contrary, have disavow-
cd all such intentions, and have shrunk
from conspicuous affilinton with those few
who pursue their funatical objects avowcd-
ly through the contemplated means of re-
volutionary change Of the government, and
with acceptance of the necessary cOnsc-
qucnccs-a civil and scrvie war-yct many
citizens have suffered themselves TO be
drawn into one cvnnesccnt political issue of
agitation after another, apportaining to tho
same set of opinions, and which subsdcd as
rapidly as they arose when it came to be
seen, as it uniformly did, that they were
Incompatible with the compacts of tho CON
stitution and the existence Of the Union.-,
Thus, when the acts of some of the States
to nullify the existing cxtraditon law i'm
posed upon Congress the duty Of passing n
new one, the country was invited by agi-
tators to enter into party organization for
its repeal; but that agitation speedily ceas-
ed by reason of the impracticnbility of its
objects. SO when the statute restriction
upon the institutions of now States by a
geographical line had been repealed, tho
country was urged to demand its rcstora-
its birth. Then followed the cry of alarm
from the North against imputcd southern
cncroachmcnts: which cry sprang in reality
from the spirit of revolutionary attack on
tho domestic Institutions Of the South, and,
after troubled existence of Il few months,
has been rebukcd by the voice of patriotic
people.
OF TINS last agitation ona lamentahle fen.
tnre was, that it was carried on nt the i'm
mediate expense of the peace and happiness
Of the people of the Territory of Kansas.--
That was made the battle field, not go much
of opposing factions or interests within it
self, rs of the conflicting passions of the
whole people Of the United States. Revo-
lutionary disorder in Kansas had its origin
in projects of Intervention, deliberately mr.
ranged by certain members Of that Congress
which enacted the law for the organization
Of the Territory. And when propapandist
colonization of Kansas had thus been un-
dcrtakcn in one section Of the Union, for
the systematic promotion of its peculiar
views of policy, there ensupd. as a matter
Of course, a conntcroction with opposite
views in other srcti"ns of the Union.
In consequence of these and other Incl
dents many acts Of disorder. it * undcnin-
BILE. have been perfected in Kansas, to tho
occasional interruption, rather than tho
permanent suspension, Of regular govern
m"nt. Aggre ssi,c ard most reprchcnsiblo
ncursions into the Tcrritnry were under.
taken. both in the North and the South,
ana entered il on ts northern border by tho
way of Iowa, well a. Dn fhr eastern bv
way "f Missouri; and therc has existed
within il n state Of insuToctiOn agninst the
constituted authorities, not without conn
tcnnnce from inconsdrrate persons in each
IF tho great sections nf tho Union. But
,h" difficulties IN that Territory have becn
nNtravagantly exaggerated for purposes OF
political agitation elsewhere. The number
and gravity of the acts OF violence havc
been maGHified, partly by statements ep-
ir"Iy untrue, and partly by Perforated nc
counts Of the zane ruuinr- 81? facts. Thu,
.he Territory has been seemingly li.ed viii
extreme violence, when the whole amount
IF such acts has not been greater tnnu what