Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-04-21

I.m como MNNUNN lUNh UNN I'NiI NNf VT
Il no dinicult TASK to discover That The rc-
Iccliun ul Kansas would tend 90 The pcipe.
uiiiy and araratntion olthe ifuitlc strife
about slavery this bitter icud, Which b.
rppiily estrhnging the lrolhg OF one sec.
ti6n oftho country from The ollcr rapid.
ly ,Vlmustinr those sources Oi iwtcrnnl
affection without which your fcdcraltics
would he 70 rope of sand ] believe iu the
cultivation of good feeling and affection o.
uong-t the people ns the greatest agency
i'm maintaining the family Of States. That
can only bc done by dealing Justly to ala.
cspccially toward the weak. The Consti-
tuition must he our bond and our guide
Let the two States of Kansas and Mime
sofa come in, ono slave and one free, as an
exemplifcation of the compromises OF
/ 1850, and the beauties of the Democratic
faith. This will be wiser that the pcrpc-
/ tuitv of the war Of elimination and re-
elimination, of assault on the one hand,
rcpulsc on the other. But if Kansas be
rejected, what will be the truth Of history
on the subject? Will it be that the State
was rejected becausc,th the mode Of gcttingit it
up was not satisfactory, or because the
/ Constitution recognized slavery? ! am
confident some Northern members of Con
press are going against the admission OF
/ the State, who would not do so were the
proceedings in Kansas satisfactory Ia
them but am still more confident that
but for the slavery article the opposition
to the admission would scarce have Il
mounted to responsibility. On the stand
MS n witness could give no other tcstimo-
Inv. There may be those who would differ
| 18th me in opinion but, sir it is too clear
that whilst it is conceded on all hands
! that Kansas is to be free State, the shad-
ow of slavery that appears in the Constitu-
| ton is the real cause of hostility to the
admission on the Republican side.
Then, again, sir, what would follow in
/ Kansas werc she rejected on her present
application Let her be turned over to
/ the tender mercics of General Lane and
/ his followers, and what will they do ?
/ Who will guarantee that they will make Il
/ Constitution that could be accepted by
/ Congress? What reason have we to be-
! leve that we should not have repetition
of the scenes of violence and excess that
| have so far marked the progress Of that
distracted people? Who believes that
Lane and his party would exercise power
| with moderation? The conduct of the
recent Republican Legislature is sugges.
tive on this point. | should be disap-
| pointed-agrceably disappointed, sir-ii
| the rejection did not renew and heightcn
the strife and complications in the Terri.
tory. If the one party proceeded to make
Ia State, the other would abstain from all
agency in the work lndcd, one party in
the Territory are at this time engaged in
elccting delegates to another Convention,
/ to make another Constitution. The oth'
cr party refuse to participate, and allegC
that the election is being held without the
authority of any law, the Governor has re-
| fused to sanction it: 50 we are TO have {
new complication. This new Convention
will be violently anti-slavery; and shall
be amazed if they do not incorporate some
extreme anti-slavery feature, having the
defect to keep theIState. out of the Union
They may interrupt the execution OF the
fugtive-slave law, or confscate the prop
erty in the slaves that are now in the Ter
ritory. 1t is evident that even the Senator
from Wisconsin does not like the Consti
tuition now before the Senate because i
protects the property-value in the slaves
now in the Territory. Is this TO he the
policy? Is this to be an issue? 1t is tC
be held that under the doctrines of tn,
compromises guaranteeing to the Terrific
ries admission with or without slavery
slave-owners are liable to lose the proper
ty-value in slaves whenever decision j.
made against the institution.) When thC
people of all the States 90 to the Terrific
ries, carrying with them their property, a
whatsoever kind, in case the Territor,
should become free State, arc the own
ers of slaves to lose the proc erty-value il
such slaves That has not been my un
derstanding of the policy of the Govern
ment. The complications and new is
sues could scarcely fail to perpctuate thi
bitter controversy, which is so rapidly up
roofing fraternity and confidence betweel
the northern and southern States, am
even poisoning the very channels of con-
munication between the people of the sey
eral States.
+, On the other hand, as have enuuircC
, what evil consequences are to FLOW iror
q the admission of the State? As was 5
, forcibly remarked the other day by tn
f Senator from Louisiana, Mr.. Benjamin
what possible wrong do we infict on tn
Q people ofKansas, by conferring upon ther
T. the rights and dignitics of sovereig
State? We hear much about forcing
, govcrnr' ent upon Kansas whilst tn
| truth is, she has proposed to come in, an
q Congress is about to accept her propos
| ton. That is all 1t is said, the Const
tuition is not acceptable to the will of tn
, majority. Well, sir, that is their busines
not ours. If they do not like their fun
= damental law, they can change it. Som
I gentlemen talk about this Constitution
though it was to be- like the laws of I'll
/ Medes and Persians, unalterable. But S
r far from this, the question of slavery, lib
: every other feature of the instrument, wi
f be forever subject to the will of the major
n ity. When this issue first came up in d
r cembcr last, it was question between &C
mission under the LeCompton Constitutio
g on the one hand, and enabling act on I'll
Y other. An enabling actor what? VIII,
f to enable the people to make State 90
). crnment to suit themselves the answer j
e why not do this under the auspices of
@ State Constitution | said then, as sa
3. now, the Constitution is the best enablin