Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-09-30
A Good Article.


man in Belmont county. Republicans,
especially, should peruse il carefully, and
well digest its wholesome truths. Scarcely
a day of our lives passes that We do not
hear persons who should be in the Eocofoco
party, with caniing tongues endearoring 10
persuade Republicans that they should
abandon their former positions, and take up
Popular Sovereignty. The Neao York Tribune
in the article below, exposes the impracta-
biliiy of such scheme in clear and con-
vincing light, and holds up that myth
Squattef Sovereignty-in all its hideous
nakedness. By all means read it IL is
from The Daily Tribune OF the 2lst inst. +
The Republicans are now urged from
various quarters TO surrender or waive their
demand that Slavery be legally excluded
from the Federal Territories, and take their
stand instead upon the platform Of Popular
Sovereignty, SO called--ihat is, of the right
of the People inbabi'ing any Territory TO
establish or ipterdict Slsveholding as they
shall think proper. We cannot comply " ith
this requi<ition, for these reasons:
|. When Mr.. Clay, in 1850, undertook to
settle this dispute by compromise which
should preclude any positive prohibition of
Slavery, he laid down as his first premise,
that Slavery, in the absence OF affirmative
legislation, had no legal or rightful existence
in the Territories; Secondly, as TO those Jusi
acquired from Mexico, that there was no
probability OF lis going tbither. On til,
basis, it was not difficult to assent TO the
policy of non-action or non-intervention by
Congress. But the Dred Scott decision has
radically changed all this, by establishing,
as judicial doctrine OF our Government,
that alb Territory Of the United States f:om
which s avery has not been legally
excluded is legally Slave Territory-thai
any STAKEHOLDER may carry Slavery practi-
cally thither and require the Government to
protect him in the use and enjoyment o.
his human property. This novel and mt n
strous doctrine imposes on those wi G
would save the Territories for Free Labor
the duty of active and vigilant resistance Il
the encroachments of Sli very.
II. We fnd that Popular Sovereignty
with respect to the Territories, is rendered
by this decision snare and a delusion.-
The Supreme Court decides expressly tina
the Territories can do nothing in the way
of excluding or prohibiting Slavery, what
ever they may do in the wuy of protecting
IT. So that, while Messrs. Douglas, For
ney and others are appealing TO us to leave
this whole matter to the People of-ihe Ter
ritories, the Supreme Court has taken tht
whole ground from under their feet by de
Gliding that the People of the Territories
sha Il have no power over it Whatever
When they shall haze ceased to be people Of {
T.rr it0rg, and become people of a State
Hgn they may act in the premises, unles:
the Supreme Court should give the screw
another turn, aud decide that the rights o
property acquired under the Federal Con
stitution and laws are sacred and indestruc
tibe, and that slaves already in the embry,
State must, with their pos.erity, remail
slaves for ever. No man who defers TO tn
bred Scott decision as law has any right t.
talk of Popular Sovei eighty in the Terrific
ries, SO far a. Slavery is concerned. 1t ha
clearly no existence; and those who talk O
il use ords without definite meaning or Us
them for the purposes of deceit.
iii. When a Territory throws off tn
Territorial condition, forms State ConSii
tuition, and applies .or admission into tn
| Union, she OF course makes sach Constitu
ton as she will, and is morally certain to b.
admitted with that Constitution. We ma
| favor or resist her admission, but pra cticall
and historically We know that she will no
be excluded because she is or is not slave
holding Everything depends, therefore, ol
the character Impressed on her uhile sh. re
la ms her Territorial condition. "Just as tn
| twig is bent, the trees inclined" or, as tn
wise king expressed the idea, "Train up
child in he way he should go, and when b
is old he will not depart from it." Th
Slave Territory in fact becomes a Slav
State, while the Free Territory ma,ure
into Free Safe. How vast the issues, hov
momentous the consequences, depending OIL
the impress originally stamped on a new
Territory. A few years of infancy decide
it's character for an indefinite term-perhap
for generations. Let Us be faithful to tn,
duries o: the day.
~. The practical Interpretation given t.
the Popular Sovereignty doctrine BY it
votIries is Indifference TO the triumph of Ere
or Of Staue Labor in Territory MIR. Doug
las insists that Kansas shall be admitted a
a Free State because that is her deliberat
and overwhelm. ng choice, not because III
cho ce is inTinsically right aud beneicent
Were she struggling to come in as Slav
State, he would support her demand wit
equal energy and emphasis. Indeed, b
clearly intimaies that, while he c'.nsider
Free Labor probably best for her he conside.
Slave Labor as decidedly prefereble 70
other and more tropical regions. There i
nothing wrong, according to this view, il
J making one man work for a1other's prof
all his life, leaving his children to follow il
The same dreary round; it is only mistak
TO do this where the mercury often sink
below zero. We cannot assent to this view
1t is not that Of Washington, Jcff'e e.son an,
Madison, shareholders though they were.
V. If the Free States should consent L
> regard, with Mr.. Douglas. the Wertw ar
progress of Free and of Slave Labor witt
equal favor or equal Indifference, the Slav
States manIfesily will not and do not
Their ruling classes have great pecunar,
and political interest in the Extension o
Slavery. Every new Slave State increase