The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-11-23

/ Opamiena.-.ExtEncis Groln the Int
9Peech - Senasor Hammond ofSouel
rnE KANSAS QUESTION.
The Nebraska bill with these new festure.
neither OF them Of any practical importanc
magni6ed and exaggerated bv orators and now
papets into great southern victory, led th
South into the delusion that Kansas might
made slave state, and induced it to join in
false and useless issue, which has kept the vhol
country in turmoil for the last four years, an
gave fresh life and vigOr to the abolition party
Through the most disgusting - well as sragi
scenes Of force and fraud. the territory Of Kan
sas at last came befors Congress for admission
% State with what il known a. the Lecomptol
Consultation, embodying slavery among its pro
visions. But at the same time the convention
BY an ordinance. demanded Of the United State
some twenty three millions Of acres Of land, in.
stead Of the four millions usually allowed I,
new States containing public lands. 1t was a.
most certain that . majority Of the people o
Kansas were opposed to this constitution, bu
would not vote on II; and this additional nine
Teen millions, which, ifallowed, would probably
have kept them again from the recent polls
was what the South was expected to pay fol
that worthless slavery clause, which would have
been annulisd as soon as Kansas was admitted
GVAtSOO uAy VpluIV0 v 08 AHA6 LUG 0UubH HCToSll
should kick that constitution out OF Congress
But the South thought otherwise. When the
bill for its adoption was framed with what il
called the Green provis0, Istrsnuously objected
70 il, and fels very much disposed 10 vote
against the whole, but again gave up to the
South, which accepted it by acclamation. II
that preyiso meant nothing, and 90 interpret-
cd it, it was nonsense, and had no business, be-
ing without precedent. Ii it could be made to
mean anything, it must b something wrong
and dangerous. -
The people Of Kansas have BY an overwhelm
ing majority rejected the land ordinance, as
modified BY Congress, and refused to come into
the Union on such terms. Be 1t 50. Il is what
I suspseted-wbat rather desired. It sorts
precisely with what felt when saw Kansas
shrust herself into Congress. and demand-reek.
ing with blood and fraud-to be enrolled among
the States. Let her stay out. am opposed to
her coming in before she has the requisite pop
ulation, not because she will be free State, but
because fully approved Of the prohibtory
clause OF the conference bill, and for that rea-
son voted against the admission Of Oregon
Unless In exceptional cases-such as that Of
Kansas was last winter-I do not think that
State should be admitted with less population
than would entit'e her to q member Of the
House. 1t 10 not just to the other States, and
is not consonant with the theory Of our govern.
ment.
DISUNIoN REJECTED.
You desire to know my opinion Of the course
the South should pursue under existing circum-
stances. will give you frankly and fully the
results of my observations and reflections on
this all-important point. The first question is,
Do the people Of the South consider the pres
ent Union Of shese States as an evil in itself,
and . thing that it il desirable We should get
rid Of under all circumstances? There are some
| know who do; but am satisfied that an over
majority of the South would, if as
sured that this government was hereafter to be
conducted on the true principles and construc-
tion Of the Constitution, decidedly prefer to
remain in the Union rather than incur the un
known costs and hazards Of setting up a sepa-
rate government. think say what is true
when say that, after all the bitterness that has
our long warfare, the great body
Of the Southern people do not seek disunion,
and will not seek it as primary object, hosev.
er promptly they may accept it as an alterna-.
live, rather than submit to unconstitutional
abridgements OF their rights. I confess that
for many years'of my life believed that our
only safety was the dissolution OF the Union,
and openly avowed it. / should entertain
md without hesitation express the same senti-
ments now, but that the victories we have
achieved and those that think we are about to
achieve have inspired me with hope, may say
he belief, that we can fully sustain ourselves
n the Union and control its action in all great
affairs. 1t may well be asked how can enter
.an such views and expectations, when within
.hese few years the South has lost her equality
q the Senate, and the free States have at
ength decided majority in both Houses Of
> ySDgress, while the. unfortunate contest has
swept into their political graves SO many Of our
ancient friends in those States that it may be
doubted whether they have at this moment, al
er the recent elections-the finale OF the dis
,strous Kansas aoortion-a majority in any sin
yle one Of them; and there seems to be at pres
INT no prospect OF our extending the area OF
slavery in any quarter.
rHE SOUTH NOTHING TO GAIN BY NEW TERRITORY.
The equality Of the free and slave States has
ong been lost in the House. By the admission
If California it was lost in the Senate. Since
hen another free State has been admitted, and
another yet has passed the Senate, and in few
'ears more We shall have Kansas, Nebraska,
Washington, New Mexico, and perhaps others
IN our roll. The immigration from Europe to
he North is sufficient to form one or more new
States every year. To the South there il liter
lily no emigration. We have since the closing
If the slave trade added to our population main
y by the natural increase Of our people, and we
rave no surplus population, white or black, to
,olonize new States. We lost Kansas partly BY
,ur inability to colonize il, and we are perhaps
ret to have . struggle for portion of Texas
The idea, then, OF recovering the equality Of
he two sections, even in the Senate, seems re-
note indeed We have it proposed to re-open
he African slave trade and bring in hordes OF
|layes from that prolific region to restore the
balance. once entertained that idea myself,
out on further investigation abandoned it. |
will not now 20 into the discussion OF it further
han TO say that the South is itself divided on
hat policy, and, from appearances, opposed to
{ by vast majority, while the North is unan
mously az ainst it. 1t would be impossible 10
ret Congress TO reopen the trade. II it could
be done, then it would be unnecessary, for that
result could only be brought about by such an
entire abandonment by the North and the
world of all opposition to our slave system that
we might safely cease to erect any deiences for
i. But if We could introduce slaves, where
could We find suitable territory for new slave
States! The Indian Reserve, west Of Ark nsas,
might make one; but We have solemnly guaran-
lied that to the remnants Of the red race. Ey-
anywhere else, | believe, the borders Of our
States nave TonCuO0 tue SteAt HtseTt WtHCH sep
arates the Atlantic from the Pacific States Of
this Confedsracy. Nowhere is African slavery
likely to flourish in the little oases of tha Saha-
70 OF America. 1t is much more likely, Think,
10 get the Pacific slope and to the north in the
great valley than any where outside Of its pres
ent limits. Shall We, as some suggest, take
Mexico and Central America to make slave
States? African slavery appears to have failed
there. Perhaps, and most probably, it will new
er succeed in those regions. II it might, what
are we to do with the seven or eight millions Of
hardly semi civilized Indians, and the two or
three millions Of Creole Spanards and mongrels
who nov hold those countriess We would not
enslave the IadiansY Experience has proven
that they are incapable ofsteady labor, and are
therefore unfit for slavery. We would not ex-
terminate them, even If that inhuman achieves
ment would not cost ages Of murder and incal-
culable sums Of money. We covld hardly think
Of attempting 10 plant the black race there, su-
pcrior Tor labor, though inferior perhaps in in
telIect, and expect TO maintain permanent and
peaceful industry. such as slave laher must be
10 be profitable, amid those idle, restless, de-
children Of Montexuma, scarcely more
perhaps more sunk in superstition than
in his age, and now trained TO civil war BY halt
. century Of incsssant revolution. What lsay,
could We do with these people or these countries
to add to Southern strengthy Nothingl Could
We degrade ourselves 80 Jar 40 to annex them
on equal terms, they would be sure to come IN.