The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-02-25

was az little danger of the abduction or escape
of slaves az in some Of the older slave States
Kansas had been unto 'tunate in its Governors
aud it's Governors had been unfortunate II
Kansas. Its soil seemed to have tincturet
them with Abolitionisna Yet, through fire an'
storm, Kansas had come out with q Pro-Slaverl
Constitution. She hail conformed to the law
and how could Democt1,ts, the friends OF popu
lar sovereignty and Stbte equality, refuse bel
admission?
The mission of the K, .nsas-N ebraska act wal
to efface the black line If the Missouri compro
mise, which placed ci.ebalf the ConfederacJ
under the ban of inequality and the result o
that act was the Leconfpton Constitution. Inc
opposition to this measure was one of the signs
in the Northern political horizon, which admon
ished the South of her Impending fate. 1t had
been urged that Slaverf in Kansas was an alb
straction; but if the North started back al
an abstraction, how wopld it be if q Territory
with Slavery indisputably established was knock
ing for admission? fsthey we're alarmed a.
shadows, how would they be affected by the sub
stance? The Black Republican," of the
| North had inscribed on their banners, "No more
| slave States," and now the South ought to stand
| by Kansas, and never 6ssert her, though they
marched through FIRE AID blood. They would
no sooner submit to an insult than to blow.
created the Revolution. The equilibrium be.
tween the Northern AMI Southern States had
passed away; and if Kansas was refused upon
the policy of " no more 4lave States" truly the
evil day was at hand, VIXEN Southern men must
look TO themselves for protection and relief aud
1t would not require a srophet to foretell the
end of this proud Repulac.
The Republican parte had no business with
| Slavery. Its extension would not add to the
number of slaves heiefore, their opposition
was not based upon huiranity; and the infer
ence was, that they des red, by restricting the
| institution, to force the South into war of
races. The people of tie North we're deluded
by demagogues but t{seir commercial men,
through their intercourse with the South, came
| generally to understand that Slavery is the nor
NAL condition of the negro. If slave labor
were stricken down, it would bring ruin upon
the North, and the cry o & the starving working
men would then be, B sod and Bread f."
They had been told hat Central America
must be Americanized by the Anti.Slavery
! Enigrant Aid Societies Aboliticnism would
deny an outlet to Slaveru, while claiming it Tor
themselves. But it wot5d be found that New
England men could no. endure labor under
that burning sun; aud i Yankees went there,
1t would only be to live under the shadow of the
institution of Slavery. Che South must see to
it that neither New England nor Abolitionism
was allowed to interfere With their rights, either
in Central America, Mexico, Cuba, or any other
lands in that direction. Let it be the work of
the South to Americani2e those regions, which
were the natural and geographical sphere for
the extension of her own peculiar institutions.
Mr.. Lovejoy, of Ilinoii, said it was desirable
that they should have distinct understanding
of the conflict in which they were engaged. 1t
was not sectional strifp at all, and the terms
North" and "South'i were misapplied in
designating the parties engaged. There was
nothing to array the North against the South,
or the South against the North on the other
hand, there was everything to bind them to-
gether and if anything seemed to array one
section against the othe., let it be brought to
the altar of patriotism, and sacrificed. The
conflict was between Freedom and Slavery
between the principles f liberty and despot.
lam. The great mistake had been in identify.
ing the South with Slavery and saveholding
and it arose from the fac that small class in
the South imagined that they were the South.
If they and their institution were to be annihi.
| lated, there would still be South If the
slaves and their masters we're swallowed up to-
gether, the non.slaveholders Of the South would
be greatly benefited. There would still be q
South, and South reger Grated and jubilant.
| He agreed with the extremists of the South,
that if they had the right Of property in human
beings, they had a right. to take them to Kan
| sas but he denied tina, doctrine which had
neither the sanction of n'stural revealed reli-
| gion, nor of the Constitution. II was q new
| dog ma, entirely unknowt to the fathers of the
Republic. The demon of Slavery had left its
lair, to hurl its blasphemies abroad, ravaging
upon the ghts of men and now the Demo.
cratic party were bowling down to it, and en-.
deavoring to make it the supreme dictator on
! this continent.
Mr.. L. proceeded to g. ow that Slavery was
contrary to the dictates O Christianity aud the
natural instincts of the human conscience
and then contended thai there was no article,
line, word, or syllable, il the Constitution of
the United States, which sanctioned in the re-
hottest degree the idea OF property in a hum an
being. He quoted from the writings of con-
temporaneous statesman in support of this
view. Under the modern construction of the
| Constitution, no more free States could be ad
mitted a. all; and the issue was, whether this
whole country should hereafter be the home of
Freedom or the lair of Slavery. He proceeded
| to argue that the Constitution was Anti.Slavery
in its form and spirit; t,at under it Slavery
| could not be extended to- Kansas, or any other
Territory; and concludedOy portraying the glo-
rious future awaiting this country, if the policy
of the non extension of Slavery prevails, and a
| grand and glorious brotherhood Of free and SOY.
ereign Republics is established all over the con.
| tinent.
Mr.. Shorter next obtain ed the floor, when the
| Committee rose.
| At five minutes before four o'clock, the House
| adjourned.
Thursday, February l8, 1858.
| SENAl f.
| Mr.. Green from tho CIm ittaa IN Terrific
ries, to which was referre the message of the
President OF the United States, communicating
the Constitution of Kansai as q State, adopted
by the Convention assembled at Lecompton
submitted report, accompanied by bill fol-
the admission of Kansas into the Union.
This bill provides that Kansas shall be de-
clared State, and admit d on an equal footing
with the original States, d. ,ines the boundaries
and goes on to say that ste is admitted upon
the express condition that the State shall never
interfere with the primary disposal of the pub
lie LANDS, or with any regulations that Congress
may see tit to make for selling the title of said
lands to bona tide purchasers and grantees, &c.;
and, further, that until the next general census
shall be taken, and an app@rtionment made, the
State shall be entitled tct one Representative
in the House of Representatives
| The report ia somewhat voluminous, and the
reporter can only give a small extract from
the close.
| "The committee do net approve the ordi
nance accompanying the Constitution, and
report against it's allowance; that they do not
regard it as any part of The Constitution, nor
will its approval or disapproval by Congress
affect the validity of that Constitution, if the
State be admitted into tie Union as recon.
| mended.