Weekly Clarksville chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 185?-1857, 1857-01-09
LOOK THE QUESTION IN THEFAcE

LOOK THE QUESTION IN THEFAcE.
The feu6 between the southern Iocorseos
and Tho Black Republicans. on the floor Of
Congress. IL q re. enrolment of the scenes of
the canvsss. Those locofocos, in order to
Justify their sectionslism. charge that the
Republicans took ground for the abolition of
slavery In The States, and hence the ne cessity,
10 the South, for sectional contest. To this
charge, the Republicans give the lie, and assert
that they never, for a. moment, conte IN pla ed
anything more than opposition TO the extension
of slavery into territory now free. If it be
true That they contemplate no more than this,
and propose TO carry their point by means
strictly within the meaning Of the Cops,iiu-
ton, the question arses, whether the North
has not as much right to oppose the extension
of slavery as the South has to urge 1t ! Tbi.
Is the simple question Of right involved in the
, controversy means employed, respective
ly, for the enforcement Of that mutual right,
Is a side issue and oil ra,ioRsl men, In
moments Of calm reflection, must admit that
great wrong has beeb pcrpetrated on both
,sidcs. The princiEa al difference ia the crimi'
nality Of the two conteHding factions, Is that
the northern did hct Disguise lts scctionalisu,'
whilst the hcSouihern cloaked, or ATTEMPTED
to cloak, its sectionalism under lie garb Of
nationality. . 1H
Conceding the RICH. TO advocate, and the
right TO oppose the extension Of slavery TO be
common. as il unquestionablS Is, to both sec.
tons, the only question sas TO the constitution.
ality ard legality ofthe means adopted by
either. Under the original practice of this
governne Mt, the territories were wisely left
under the cSntrol of Congress, as provided by
the Consdtution, and when the people were
ripe ,fsf State government, 10 them was con-
ccSed The right to determine, by organic law,
whether slavery should or should not exist
within the limits of such territories And
when The people have so decided, every mem.
Der Of Congress who votes against their nppli-
cation TO be admitted into the Union, Is guilty
Of perjury, because The Constitution requi res
only that the Territory, so applying, shall
preseat republican form Of government, and
lite recognition or rejection of the institution
Of slavery aulhorises no member TO vote
against its admission. II is true, that, in the
case Of Missouri, men bers did vote against its
admission, because its Constitution recognized
slavery and the President elect signed re.
solutions commencing that vote approving
that perjury endorsing that wrong to the
South |; but precedent in the face Of the
Constitution, establishes no rule of future &C.
ton, and shonld rather be repudiated than fol.
loved
Again was the practice of tao government
departed from In the enactment of the Ne
braska Kansas bill. and oil the advantages
held on, by II, are in favor Of The North. The
loco'oco party, all over the North, and por-
tion OF IL, in the South, have, by interpreia-
ion, engrafted squatler sovereignty upon that
BILL and under it, the floating population of the
north caa settle territory, before the south
can make up lis mind to try the experiment
of ENGRAVING slavery upon free soil, Southern
locofocos yield this advantage to the North by
are chidishly weak if they think the North
will make no eff1rt to exclude slavery from
every territory thrown opcu for settlement =
Progressive democracy disturbing es-
iSblished ordcr--conceived and reduced to
practice the odous doctrine of squtier soverei-
gritty, and gave the North measure OF free.
dom more effective than even the Wilmot
proviso, and yet threaten disunon because the
boon has been accepted. From the incipiency
Of tho sectional quarrel, they have done every
thing that has been done to keep up the agila.
,ion, whilst tina wings first, and the Americans,
laterly, have exerted themselves to maintaia
/ harmony and cultivate brotherIy love.
Taking all fhese ,bisgs into consideration.
We ask upon what principle Of equity lhs
S,hh claims The right to resort to every svai-
abe means for the establishment Of slavery
IN Territory, whilst It eoudsmns a like &C.
ton on the part OF tho NorIh +! Look at the
subject fairly, and ii resolves Itself lpio The
proposition already SlOted-lhal h. North has
- much right to oppose the exisnsku OF slave.
~, as the South has 10 advocate it and al,
that the ono can reasonably ask nf The other.
'sto play tho game fairly. aud Niihin the
1eanins of tia Constitution aud The laws,-
hut this, neither section seems disposed Ia d..
The northern k'cofocos played the rascal in
imposing sqpshsr sovereignty upon their south.
ctn stethcrn, under IA 81 .ni'c aud The