Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-01-07
VOL. xxI.-.-NO. SO.

5 doctrine should prevail And Illus we are ea-
, Jolcd into making this (iI it hasnot already be-
cohc SOY Gosernmcnt Of expediency. For
! my own.part, prefer the Government of the
; Constitution. q
have alluded, sir, 10 these differences Of
!. opinion aad construction which exist between
Democrats, as elements of weakness in the par
ty organization. No good can result from con-
ce:ilng them, or harm from aludng, 10 themsl
The differences are notorious; and tits the part
OF wisdom and of patriotismto reconcile them
ri once and for Us alto occupy u common.
ground which may be clearly defined and clear
ly understood both al The North and the South.
If the advocates Of squatter sovereignty persist
in their construction Of the. Kansas Nebraska
act they will inevitably drive. off many of US I
from the South, who desire to act in conGert
with them. Can they do without us!s No.
Nor can We do without them, and retain any
party strength. We believe that sqhat tter SOW;
cTeiynty is us fatal 10 Us asthe Wilmot proviso;
and SO beesing, it. would be suicide to wink at
it. With them it.,is not u matter of HE and !.
death. Many distinguished Northern gentlemen
give adhesion to the Southern construction OF 4
the act. Why, then, should We notsall;. agree I
that The Territory of Kansas shall ibezfree and
open TO every citizen, Of the United States, With
every kiEd OF property, slaves. included and
uamed, until the people of the Territory shall, anal
have formed State constitution, which act Of
sovereignty they may perform whenever they
number ! population of ninctv-three thousands};
four hundred and twenty, and not before; and
"when admitted rs 4 Sae or States, The slld
Territory or any portion Of the same, shall be
| received into the Unioa with or without slavery
as their constitution may prescribe at the time &
Of their admission" -
My Individual opinion, Mr.. Speaker and lss
give it for whatcvcr it is worth, is that the prin-
cipic of The Kansas bill. as generally understood
at lie South, is worth more to The South than
line Territory itself; and, .for my own part,l
would willingly given up the Territory, ,toSse-s%,
cure he principle but for the fact that the
equilibrium uf the great sections ';ouii thereby
be honeiessy y'deslroycd in the Senate, and that
the permanent majority woud afterwards laugh
at the principle.
take the following extract from the thirty :,
second section of the Kansas Nebraska act:
=" That the Constitution aud laws OF the UNI
ted Saes which are not locally inappcable,
shall have the same rJrce and effect within the /,
said Territory of kalsrs as elsewhere III the
United States, except The eighth section OF the
act preparatory TO the admission Of Missouri
into .lEe: Union, approved March sixlh,- eighteen
hundred and twenty. which heinz iucaasistant-
rs recognized by the legislation OF eighteen :
hundred and f,y, commonly called Tie comp:o-
mise, mcasuresis declared imperative and void;
it being the true intent. and meaning of this net
not to egislate slavery into any territory or
State, nor to exclude it therefore, but to leave
the people thereof perfectly free, to form and
regulate their domestic Institutions in their own
way, subject only 10 the Constitution OF the
United States: PlorileA, That nothing here
in contained shall be construed to revive or put
in force any law or regulation which may have
existed prior 10 the net Of sixth March. ci@h:cen
hundred and twenty, either protecting catab-
fishing. prohibiting. OF aLoiisllng -lavc::"
Til, paragraph seems to be dcr!aratrrT OF
the intentions of ih. tfamcrs and supporters or
the act. How understand it has aircady been
expressed. Its mra;iag appeared clear It" me
then; !, se2tas 50 now. In voting for tie bill
hoprd and believed That my influence was being
contributed towards transferring the agitation nt
slavery in Terr'ories from these Halls to tic
Territories themselves. lanced that the bill
embodied principle, just anil right in themselves.
ana in strict conformity viii! the prinrip'Gs oi
States Right and tc Constitution. Inc more
slrguilIc nr II, cherished both The hope and be-
lief ii;at an easy solution oi sectional difficulties
had been discovered, and that our Rational area
would indefinitely ,xpnd--cac!l State and
Territory revolving in its own oroit--thc whole
system warmed ana enlightened 10y the sun OF
The Constitution, and the dangers of renIra!iza-
lio,i be corrected by the extent os oar national
dnm,ain and the remote separation ofits sovereign
pruprielors.
II is vet within The power Of the members of
the Democratic party 10 cause TO bt realized