Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-12-08

10 UeulOnslTale tnfS inpOSSlOllty, hOiI'
the lrrrconcilable contrast between their
great principles and characieristics.--
Blu, the experience of mankind has con-
clusivelY established il. Slavery, as ]
have already minated, existed in every
State in Europe. Free labor has sup
planted it everywhere except in Russia
and Turkey. State necessities. devel
oped in modern times, are now oblIging
even those Two nations TO encourage and
employ free labor; and already. despoiIc
as they are, we find them engaged in
abolishing slavery. In the United States,
Slavery came into collision with free Ia
bor at the close of the last century, and
fell before it in New England, New
York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania,
but triumphed over it effectually, and
excluded it, for period yet unde,ermind-
ed, from Virginia, the Carolinas, and Geor-
gia. Indeed. so incompatible are the
two systems, that every new Stale which
is organized within our ever-extended
demain makes i,s6rst political act choice
Of The one ami an exclusion of the other,
even at the cost ofcivil war. if necessary.
TIE slave States, without law, at the
last national election, successfully for.
babe, within their own limits, even the
clsiing Of votes for candidate for Presi-
dent of the United States supposed TO be
favorable to the establishment Of the
free-labor system iu new States.
Hitherto, the two systems have existed
in different States, but side by side within
The American Union. This has happen
ed because the Union Is confederation
of States. But in another aspect the
United States constitute only one nation.
Increase of population, which is filling
the States out to their very borders, TO
yeiher with q new and extended net
work of railroads and other avenuec, and
an internal commerce which daily be.
comes more intimate, is rapidly bringing
The Slrier into higher and more perfect
social unity or consolidation. Thu:
these antagonistic systems are continual
ly coming into closer contact, and col
lision results,
Shall tell you what this collision
means2 They who think that it
accidental, unnecessary, the work of in
terested or fanatical agitators, and there
fore ephemeral, mistake the case alto
gether. lIis an irreprsssible conflict be
tween opposing and enduring forces, an
il means that The United States must an
will, sooner or later, become either en-
tirely a slaveholding nation, or entirel
a free-labor nation. Either the cott1
and rice fields Of South Carolina and ih
sugar plantations Of Louisiana will ulli
malely be titled by free labor, an
Charleston and New Orleans becom
marts for legitimate merchandise alone
or else the rye fields and wheat fields o
Massachusetts and New York must agai
be surrendered by their farmers 10 sIav
culture and TO the production Of slave:
and Boston and New York become one
more markets for trade in the bodies ant
souls Of men. Ii is the failure 10 sppre
hend this great truth that induces s
many unsuccessful attempts at final com
promise between the slave and free States
and the existence of this great fact tha
renders all such preterded compromises
when made, vain aud ephemeral. Start
ling as this saying may appear to you
original or even q modern one. Gu
forefathers knew it TO be true, and unan
imously acted upon it when they fran
ell the Constitution OF the United States
They regarded the existence of the ser
vile system in so many OF the Safe
with sorrow and shame, which they open
| ly confessed, and they looked upon ih'
collision between them, which was ther
Just revealing itself. and which we ar
now accustomed to deplore, with fave
and hope. They knew that either the
one or the other system must exclusively
prevail.
Unlike too many of those who in mod
ern time invoke their authority. they hst
choice between the two. They pre-
ferred the system Of free labor. and theJ
determined to organizn the Government
and SO to direct its activity. that tha
system should surely and certainly pre-
vail. For this purpose, and no other
they based the whole structure Of Gov
ernment broadly on the principle tina
all men are created equal, and therefor'
free-little dreaming that. within Ih,
short period Of one hundred years, thei
descendants would bear to be told BY
any orator. however popular, that th'
utterance of that principle was merely I
rhetorical rhapsody; or BY any judge
however venerated, that it was atten lee
by mental reservations, which render il
hypocritical and false. By the ordinance
Of 1897 they dedicated all the nationa
domain not yet polluted by Slavery II
free labor Immediately. thenceforth and
forever, while by the new Constitution
and laws they invited foreign free labo
from all lands under the sun. and inter
dicled the importation Of African slave
labor, at all times, in all places. and ur'
der all circumstances whatsoever. 1t L
tue that they necessarily and wisely
modified this policy of Freedom. by leav
Ing it to the several States, affected a.
they were by differing circumstances. tt
abolish Slavery in their own way and a
their own pleasure. instead of con6ding
that duty to Congress, and that they Sc
cured to the slave States. while yet re
tanning the system Of Slavery, three
ffihs representation Of slaves in the Fed
eral Government, until they should 6nt
themselves able TO relinquish it with safe
ty. But the very nature of these modi'
fcations fortifes my position that the
fathers knew that the two systems could
not endure within the Union. and expect
ed that within short period Slavery
would disappear forever. Moreover, il
order that these notifications might moi
altogether defeat their grand design of 4
Republic maintaining universal equality
they provided that two thirds Of the
States might amend the Constitution.
1t remains to say on this point only