Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-03

doubtful constitutionality, distinctly adopted
as an act of Intervention in favor of slave la
Dor, and made or intended to be made most
effective by the stipulation that the new State
of Texas may hereafter be divided and so re-
organized as to constitute five slave States.
This great act cast a long shadow before it-a
shadow which perplexed the people of the free
States. 1t was then that feeble social move
ment, which aimed by moral persuasion at the
manumission of slaves, gave place to political
organizations, which have ever since gone on
increasing in magnitude and energy, directed
against a further extension Of Slavery in the
United States. The war between the United
States and Mexico, and the acquisition of the
Mexican provinces of New Mexico and UPPER
California, the fruits of that war, were so i'm
mediately and directly consequences of the
annexation of Texas, that all of those trans
actions in fact may be regarded as constitu-
ting one act of Intervention in favor of slave
labor and slave States. The field of the strife
between the two systems had become widely
enlarged. Indeed, il was now continental.
The amazing mineral wealth of California
stimulated settlement there into a rapidity
like that of vegetation. The Mexican laws
which prevailed in the newly-acquired Terri
tories dedicated them to free labor and thus
the astounding question arose for the first time,
whether the United States of America, whose
Constitution was based on the principle of the
and curse with Slavery a conquered land
which enjoyed universal Freedom. The slave
States denied the obligation of these laws,
and insisted on their abrogation. The free
States maintained them, and demanded their
confirmation through the enactment of the
Wilmot Proviso. The slaves States and the
free States were yet in equilibrium. The con-
troversy continued here two years. The set
tiers OF the new Territories became impatient,
init cd Of tbo
They organized new free States in California
and New Mexico. The Mormons also framed
Government in Utah. Congress, after be-
wllderlng excitement determined the matter
by another compromise. 1t admitted Califor-
mia free State, dsmembered New Mexico
transferring large district free from Slavery
to Texas whose laws carried Slavery over H.
and subjected the residue to Territorial
Government, as it also subjected Utah, and
stipulated that the future States to be organ
lied in those Territories should be admitted
either as free States or as slaveStates as they
should elect. pass over the portions of this
arrangement which did not bear directly on
the point in conflict. The Federal Govern
ment presented this compromise to the peo-
pie, as comprehensive, final, and perpetual
adjustment of all then existing and all future
questions having any relation to the subject
of Slavery within the Territories or elsewhere.
The country accepted it with that proverbial
facility which free States practice. when time
brings on a stern conflict which popular pas
siOns provoke, and at distance defy. This
halcyon peace, however, had not ceased to be
celebrated, when newborn necess tiles of
trade, travel, and labor, required an opening
of the region in the old province of Louisiana
north of SO deg. 80 min., which had been re-
served in 1920. and dedicated to free labor and
free States. The old question was revived in
regard to that Territory, and took the narrow
name of the Kansas question, just as the
stream which Lake Superior discharges. now
contracting itself into rivers and precipitating
itself down rapids and cataracts, and now
spreading ont its waters into broad seas, as
sumes new name with every change of form,
but continues nevertheless the same majestic
and irresistible flood under every change, in
creasinG IN depth and in volume until it loses
itself in the al4-abiding ocean.
No one had ever said or even thought that
the law of Freedom in this region could be re-
pealed. impaired. or evaded. Its constitution
ality had indeed been questioned at the time
of its enactment: but this, with all other OBJ
jections, had been surrendered as part of the
compromise. 1t was regarded as bearing the
sanction of the public faith, as it certainly
had those of time and acquiescence. But the
slaveholding people of Missouri looked across
the border, into Kansas, and coveted the land.
The slave States could not fail to sympathiZe
with them. 1t seemed as if no organization
of Government could be effected in the Terri
tory. The Senator from Illinois Mr.. DOUGLAs1
projected scheme. Under his vigorous lead
ing, Congress created two NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ka and Kansas. The former (the more nor
thern One)might, 1t was supposed, be settled
without Slavery, and become a free State or
several free States, The latter (the southern
one) was accessible to the slave States, bor-
dered on one of them, and was regarded
So it might be settled by them, and become
one or more slave States. Thus Indirectly
further compromise might be effected, if the
Missouri prohibition of 1920 should be abrOga-
ted. Congress abrogated it, with the special
and effective cooperation of the President.
and thus the National Government directly
interviewed in favor of slave labor. Loud
remonstrances against the measure on the
ground of its violation of the national faith
were silenced by clamorous avowals of dis
covery that Congress had never had any right
to intervene in the Terri cries for or against
Slavery. but that the citizens of the United
States residing within a Territory had, like
the people of every State, exclusive authori-
tv and Jurisdiction over Slavery, as one of the
domestic relations. The Kansas-Nebraska
act only recognised and affirmed this right, as
it was said. The theory was not indeed new,
but a vagrant one, which had for some time
the charity of adoption, under the name of
Squatter Sover .ignty. 1t was now brought
to the font. and baptized with the more at
tractive appellation of Popular Sovereignty.
IL was idle for time to say that under the
Missouri prohibition. freemeH in the Territory
had all the rights which freemen could desire
perfect freedom to do every thing but estab-
lsh Slavery. Popular Sovereignty offered
the indulg nc ola taste ofthef u of the tree of
knowledge of evil as well as of good-a more
perfect freedom. In so much as the propositi-
on seemed to come from free State. the slave
States could not resist its scductions, although
sagacious men saw that they were delusivc.
Consequently, small and Intellectual stream
of slave labor was at once forced into Kansas.
engineered by large number of politicians.
advocates at once of Slavery and of the
Federal Administration, who proceeded with
great haste to prepare the means so to carry
the first elections as to obtain the laws neces-
sary for the protection of Slavery. 1t is one
thing, however. to eXpunge statutes from
national code, and quite another TO subvert
a national institution, even though il be only
a monument of Freedom located in the desert
Nebraska was resigned to free labor without
IA struggle, and Kansas became a theatre of
the first actual national conflict between
slaveholding and free-labor immigrants, met
face to face, to organize, through the ma
chincry ofrepublican action civil community
The parties differed rs widely in their APP
pointments, conduct, and bearing, as in their
principles. The free laborers came into the
Territory with money, horses cattle, nipple
ments. and engines, with energies concentra-
ted 10y associations and strengthened by the
recognition of some of the States. They
marked out farms, and sites for mills, towns.
and cities, and proceeded at once to build, to
plough and to sow. They proposed TO debate,
to discuss, tn organize peacefully, and to vote
and To abide the canvass. The slave-labor
party enter. d the Territory irregularly, staked
out possessions, marked them, and then, in
most instances. withdrew to the State from
which they had come, 20 sell their new nc
quisitions, or TO return and resume them,
circumstances should render one course or the
other expcdient. They ieft armed men in the
Territory to keep watch and guard, and to
summon external aid. either to vote or TO fight