The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-08-05


subject with fidelity and exactness. Repub-
licanism being but reproduction Of Mis-
souri, agitation, bears precisely the same de.
scription, and is obnoxious to precisely The
same censure. And il is 10 be remarked,
that like its predece essor-it invokes The leg
islation of Congress in case of rank expe-
diency and doubtful power, and hence falls
within the condemnation Of the general
principle as TO limited action by Government,
which b as been topic of this address.
But view Of modern Republicanism
would be Incomplete without soaeg PARTON
lar notice as 10 the feature oi i,s coreer.-
Without tracing its early movements ie the
organization of Abolition societies, the cir.
culalion OF incendiary matter through the
mails, agitations by petitions 10 Congress,
clamorous opposition TO the annexation Of
Texas, and TO the prosec u,ion Of the Mexican,
war, and the acquisition Of territory 10 which
il led il will be sufficient 10 notice some.
what the Wilmot Proviso which preceded,
and The Kansas dispute which accompanied,
the organization of the Republican party ip
lis presen, form.
The Wilmo, ..Proviso was offered in Con.
gress in 1S46, as an amendment TO the war
bill, aud was (brieay described) PROPOSE
tion TO prohibit slavery In Mexican territory
10 be acquired. II created contention which
continued some four years. The national
harmony was disturbed and the public bus-
ness impeded by it, until 1t became necss:
sary for patriotic men, in Congress and out
Of it, 10 unite their utmost efforts 10 restore
peace and secure such Legislation as was ab-
solutely necessary for the territory ia question
The Compromise Measures were therefore
passed in 1850, aud eventually received the
general approval Of the people. In fact, in
1852, both the great parties of the country
endorsed them in their platforms, and their
wisdom and propriety are now al subjec,
of general dispute.
The Territory we acquired from Mexico by
the treaty of peace-ihe treaty of Gaudaloupe
Hidale o--was comprised of nearly the whole
now included in the State of California and
the Territories OF Utah and New Mexico, and
the Proviso, il j, had been adopted, would
therefore have had application solely to Them
But The Proyiso was never adopted or ap.
piled by Congress 10 either. California was
admitted ihto the Union as Sia,e with the
Constitution she formed for herself without
ary decision by Congress on The subject Of
slavery within her limits. That was adjusted
by herself in her Constitution, and by her
own act therefore she entered the Union as
free State. In the acts sor the organization Of
Utah and New Mexico as Territories, there
were no provisions prohibiting or authorizing
slavery, but il was expressly provided that
they should eventually come into The Union
with or without slavery, as the people of each
should decide, in forming Constitutions pre-
paratory to admission. Seven years have
elapsed since these Territorial acts were
passed, and no complain, IS heard against
them, nor has slavery been established in siih-
er territory. 1t is, therefore. proved that the
Wilmot Proviso was wholly unnecessary to
the exclusion Of slavery, and that the agita.
lion from 1S46 TO 1850 10 secure iis enactment
was thing of ananl folly as we'll as OF real
evil.
There stands the fao,sI no longer TO be
perverted or denied, and they exhibit the
Proviso agitation in its true character. Not
adopted, II is seen to have been unnecessary.
Productive TO great mischief to the country
in the contention and alienation il caused, il
was mere abstraction, thing neither prac-
tical nor useful.
A desperate attempt was made last year to
carry the Presidential election upon Kansas
agitation, in which the same class of actors
appeared that did in the Missouri agitation OF
iS2o--men "ready to risk the Union Tor any
chance" OF establishing their party, "and
wrggling themselves to the head of it," But,
a just judgment was pronounced upon these
people and their project, in the election Of
Mr.. Buchanan, and they will soon be oblig-
ed to select some other topic upon which to
disturb the public tranquility, and struggle
for the attainment of power. Their spas
modic attempts to keep up excitement with
out any practical or useful object in view,
but simply that they may thrive upon dis
cord and passion, are even now received by
the public with a feeling bordering very
nearly upon contempt.
The American people are practical and
sagacious. They will require some pracii-
cal good to appear in any movement to
which they are invited and when due time
has elapsed for reflection, they will try par
ties and party measures by the standard of
principles and not of professions. The Viii
mot Proviso was utterly extinguished by
Webster OIL the 7th of March, 1850, in the
demonstration of its utility, and was thence
forth delivered over to history as an impos-
ture; and approval of the Kansas Nebraska
act of 1854, has been growing more and
more general as its conformity TO sound
principles has been examined and estab-
lished That unnecessary things shall not
be done, and that the citizens of each polit-
ical division of the country shall determine
their local institutions, are, in fact, prepo-
sitions SO reasonable and just that it is sur
prising that they should ever have been
questioned.
Three years ago, the Democratic party of
Al. - Ixfz III. L. n.