Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-03-10
Te9E RAFTsmAN's JOURNAL,
THE KANSAS QUESTION IN CONGRESS

Senate for discussion. On Wednesday March
Sd, Mr.. Seward, of New York, delivered
lengthy speech, discussing the following pro-
positions
First-That whereas in the beginning the
ascendency of the slave States was absolute, it
| is now being reverred.
Second-That whereas, heretofore the Ma
| tional Government favored this change of bal
| ance from the slave States to the free States,
| it has now reversed this policy and opposes
! the change.
1hird-That national Intervention in the
Territories in favor of Slave Labor and Slave
States, is opposed to the natural, social and
| moral developments of the Republic.
In arguing these propositions, Mr.. Seward
said that Nebraska was resigned to free labor
without struggle, aud Kansas became thea
| tire of the first actual national conflict between
slaveholding and free labor immigration, met
face to face, to organize, through the machi
merry of republican action, civil community.
In this first hour of trial, the new system of
popular sovereignty signaly failed, because it
| is impossible to organize by one single act, in
one day, community perfectly free, perfect
| ly sovereign: and perfectly constituted, out of
| elements unassimilated, unarranged and IN
| composed. Free labor rig ghtfully won the day.
| Slave labor wrestcd the victory to itself by
| fraud and violence.
In speaking of the opinion pronounced by
the Supreme Court of the United States, in
omened act, it forgot its own dignity, which
had always been maintained with just judicial
| jealousy. They forgot that the province of a
Court is simply s.jus deere" and not at all
':jus dare" They forgot, also that one '.foul
sentence does more harm than many foul eX-
amples; for the last do but corrupt the stream,
| while the former corrupt the fountain.' And
they and the President alike forgot that judi
| cial usurpatioa is more odious and intolerable
| than any other among the manifold practices
| of tyranny. After further argument he add
| ed :-ssNo wonder that the question before US
| cXcites apprehension and alarm. There is at
| last North side Of this Chamber, North
side of the Chamber of Representatives, a
| North side of the Union, as well as South
| side of all three. Each of them is watchful
| and rcsolutc. If it be true, as has so often
| been asserted, the Union cannot survive the
| decision by Congress of a direct question in
| volying the adoption of a Free State into the
Union, which viii establish the ascendancy of
| the Free States, under the Constitution, and
| draw after it the restoration of the influence
I of Freedom in the domestic and foreign con-
duct of the Government, then the day of dis
| solution is at hand"
| Further on he said s.let the Supreme
| Court reccde, Whether it recede not, we
shall reorganize the Court, and thus reform
| its political sentiments and practices, and
| bring them into harmony with the constitution
| and the laws of nature. In doing shall
| not only re-assume our own just authority,
but we shall restore that high tribunal itself,
to the position it ought to maintain, since so
many inalenable rights of citizens and even
States themselves, depend upon IFS impartial
| ity and wisdom. 'sif an attempt Is made
| to coerce Kansas into the Union, under the
| Lecompton Constitution, the people of that
Territory will resort to civil war, if necessary.
/ You are pledged to put down that revolution
by the sword. Will the people listen to your
| hn HarS Of
Let but one drop of the blood of free citizen
| be she'd there by the federal army, and the
countenance OF every representative of free
State, in either House of Congress, will blanch,
and his tongue will refuse to utter the vote
necessary to sustain the Army, in the butchery
| of his fellow-citizens.
Mr.. Seward argued that the expansion of
| territory. to make slave States, will only fail
to be great crime, because it is impractical
BILE, and, therefore, will turn ont to be stu
pendous imbecility. A free republican gov
ernment, like this, Notwithstanding ali its
constitutional checks, cannot long resist and
| counteract the progress of society. Slavery
| wherever and whenever, and in whatsoever
form it exists, is exceptional, local, and short
| lived, Freedom is the common right interest.
and ultimate destiny. of all mankind. All
other nations have already abolished, or are
about abolishing, slavery. Does this fact can
| nothing All parties in this country, that
have tolerated the extension of slavery ex-
cept one, have perished for that error already
| That last one-the Democratic party-is hur-
rying on, irretrevably, toward the same fate.
All administrations that have avowed this pol
icy have gone down dishonored for that cause
except the present one.
A pit, deeper and darker still, is opening TO
receive this administration, because it sins
more deeply than its predecessors. There is
a meaning in all these facts, which it becomes
us to study well. The nation has advanced
another stage; it has reached the point where
| intervention, by the government. for slavery
and slave States, will no longer be tolerated.
Free labor has. at last, apprehended its rights,
Its interests, its power and its destiny, and is
organizing itself to assume the government of
the republic. 1t will, henceforth, meet YOU
boldly and resolutely here it will meet Won
everywhere, in the territories or out of them.
wherever you may go TO extend slavery. 1t
has driven you back in California and in Kan
sas; it will invade you soon in Delaware Mar
yland, Virginia, Missouri and Texas 1t will
meet you in Arizona, in Central America. and
even in Cuba. The invasion will be not mere
ly harmless, but benefcent, if you yield rea-
sonably to its just and moderate demands
1t proved SO in New York, New Jersey, Penn
sylyanla, and the other slave States, which
have already yielded in that way to its
advances. You may, indeed, get start un-
der or near the tropics, and seem safe for a
time. but 1t will be only short time Even
there you VIII found States only for free labor
to maintain and occupy. The interest of the
white races demands the ultimate emancipa-
ton OF all men. Whether that consummation
shall be allowed to take affect, with needful
and wise precautions against sudden change
and disaster, or to be hurried on by violence.
is all that remains for you to decide. For
the failure of the system OF slave labor through
out the republic, the responsibility will rest
not on the agitators you condemn, or political
parties you arraign, or even altogether on
yourselves, but it wiz be due to the inherert