Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1857-03-11

jority speaking in the manner prescribed by
| the Constitution, was heard, and instant sub
mission followed Our own country could
alone have exhibited SO grand and striking
spectacle of the capacity of man for self gov
ernment. What happy conception, then.
was 1t Tor Congress to apply this simple rule,
that tt e will of the majority shall govern"
70 the settlement of the question Of domestic
slavery IN the territories. Congress is neith-
er " to ieglslatc slavery into any territory, nor
| TO exclude 1t therefrom." but to leave the peo-
| pie thereof perfectly free to form and regulate
their domestic institutions in their own way.
subject only to the Constitution of the United
States. As natural consequence, Congress
| has also prescribed that when the Territory
OF Kansas shall be admitted as State, it
| shall be received into the Union. with or with
! out slavery, as their own Constitution NAV
/ prescribe at the time of their admission a
different opinion has arisen in regard to the
point OF time when the people Of territory
shall decide the question for themselves.
! This is happily matter of but little practical
| Importance. besides 1t is a Judicial question
which iegi,imately belongs to the Supreme
Court OF the United States before whom It Is
now pending, and will, it is understood, be
speedily and finally settled To their deci-
sion. IN common with all good citizens, |
| shall sheerfully submit, whatever this NAV
be, though 1t has been my individual
opinion that under the Nebraska Kansas act
the appropriate period will be when the actu
al residents in the Territory shall Justify the
| formation of Constitution with a view to It's
admission as State into the Union But be
this as It may, 1t Is the Imperative and indis-
pensable duty of the Government OF the Tni-
ted States, to secure to every resident inhab-
tant that free and independent expression of
us opinlon by his vote This sacred right OF
each individual must DC preserved THIS be
| ing accomplished, nothing can be faircr than
to leave the people cfa Territory free from
all foreighn Interference, to decide their own
| destiny for themselves, subject ouly to tue
Constitution of the United States. The whole
Territorial question being thus settled upon
the principle of popular sovereignty-a rrin-
ciPle as ancient free government itself
everything ofa practical nature has baen de-
clded. No other question remains for adjust
inenf, because all agree that, under the Con-
siitutiop, slavery Ia the States is beyond the
reach OF any human power except chat Of the
respective States themselves wherein il exists
May We not, then, hope that The long agisa-
'ion on this subject is approaching It's end,
| and that the geographical parties to which ii
has given tirth--so much dreaded By the
Father of his Country-will speedily become
extinct? Most happy will it be fer the coun-
try when the public mind shall be diverted
from this question to others Of more pressing
| and practical Importance Throughout the
whole progress OF this agitation, which has
scarcely known any intermission for more
thau twenty years. whilst 1t has been produc-
tive of no positive good to any human being,
1t has been prolific source CT great evils TO
the master, to the slave, and TO the whole
country 1t has aliena,ed and estranecd the
people OF sIs'cr States from each othel, and
has tr-n seriuusly y endangered the very oxis-
tence OF the Union. Nor has the danger yet
entirely ceased. Under our system :here is .
remedy for ali mere p ,litcal OWLS il. the
sound sense and sober judgment of the people
Tune is great corrective. Political sub
Jects, which but a few, years ago excited and
exasperatcd the pubic mind, have passed a
way and are no. nearly forgotten Bnt the
| question OF domcc;ic Slavery is of lar great r
! Importance than of any mere political qucs-
ton, because. should the agitation continue
II may eventually cndanger the personal afc-
y OF large portion ofour counirymen where
the institution exists. In that event no form
OF Government. however admirable n itself
however productive OF material BENEFITS can
compensate for the loss Of peace and domes-
| tic Aecurity around the family altar. Lit
every Unlon-loying man, therefore, exert bis
bes: influence te suppress this asitatiou.
which. since the recent legislation of Con-
gress, Is without any legitimate object 1t is
an evil omen of the times that men hav un
dcrtaken to calculate the mere material value
or the CHion. reasoned estimates have beer
| presented Of the pecuniary profits and local
advantages which would result TO different
| States aud sections from It's dissolution and OF
The comparative injuries which such an event
would infict oD other States and sections
Even descending TO this low aud narrow view
of the mighty question. all such calculations
are at fault-tne bare reference to a sin gle
| consideration will be conclusive on this point
We at present enjoy free trade throughout
our extensive and expanding country such as
| the world never witnessed. This trade is
conducted on railroads and canals, on noble
rivers and arms of the sea, which bind togeth-
er the North and the South, the East and the
West Of our Confederacy. Annihilate this
trade. arrest its free progress by the geo
graphical lines Of jealous and hostile States,
aud you destroy the prosperity and onward
march of the whole and every part, and in
volye all in one common ruin. But such con-
si6erations, important as they are in them
selves, sink into insigni6cance, when we re-
feet on the terrific evils which would resul,
from disuniou to etery portion of the confed-
eracy. TO the North not more than to the
South-to the East not more than to the
" est. These l shall not attempt to portray,
because feel an humble confidence, that the
kind Providence which inspired our fathers
with wisdom to frame the most perfect form Of
Government and Union ever devised by man,