The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-12-02

ted equal, and therefore free : little
dreaming that within one hundred
years their descendants would bear to
be told by any orator, however popular,
that the utterance of that principle
was merely rhetorical rhapsody, or
by any judge, however venerated, that
it was attended by mental reservations
which rendered it hypocritical and
false. BY the ordinance of 1887 they
dedicated all of the national domain
not yet polluted by slavery, to free la
Dor Immediately, thenceforth and for
ever; while by the new constitution
and laws, they invited foreign free Ia
Dor from all lands under the son, and
interdicted the importation of African
slave labor at all times, in all places
and under all circumstances whatso-
ever 1t is true that they necessarily
and wisely modified this policy of free
dom, by leaving it to the several States,
affected as they were by different cir
cumstances, to abolish slavery in their
own way and at their own pleasure,
instead of confding that duty to Con-
gress, and that they secured to the
Slave States, while yet retaining the
system of slavery, three-ffths repre-
sentation of slaves in the Federal gov
ernment, until they should find them
selves able to relinquish it with safety.
But the very nature of these modifica-
tions fortifies my position that the
fathers knew that the two systems
could not endure within the Union,
and expected that within short period
slavery would disappear for ever.
Moreover, in order that these modifi-
cations might not altogether defeat
their grand design of Republic main
tanning universal equality, they pro-
vided that two-thirds of the States
might amend the Constitution.
1t remains to say on this point only
one word to guard against misappre-
hension. If these States are to again
become universally slaveholding, l do
not pretend to say with what violations
of the constitution that end shall be
accomplished. On the other hand,
while | do confidently believe and hope
that my country will yet become land
of universal freedom, do not expect
that it will be made so otherwise than
through the action of the several States,
cooperating with the Federal govern
ment, and all acting in strict conformi-
ty with their respective constitutions.
The strife and contentious concern
ing slavery, which gently disposed per-
sons SO habitually deprecate, is nothing
more than the ripening of the conflict,
which the Fathers themselves not only
thus regarded with favor, but which
they may be said to have instituted.
1t is to be denied, however, that
thus far the course Of that contest has
not been according to their human an
ticipations and wishes. In the field of
Federal politics, slavery, deriving un-
looked for advantages from commercial
changes and energies, and unforeseen
from the facilities of combination be-
tween members of the slaveholding
classes and that class and other property
classes, early rallied, and has at length
made a stand, not merely to retain its
original defensive position, but to ex-
tend it's way throughout the whole Un-
ion. 1t is certain that the slaveholding
class of American citizens indulge this
high ambition, and that they derive en-
couragement for it from the rapid and
effective political successes which they
have already obtained. The plan of
operations is this: By continued appli-
ances of patronage and threats of dis
union, they will keep majority favor
able to the designs in the Senate, where
each State has an equal representation.
Through the majority they will defeat,
as best they can, the admission of Free
States, and secure the admission of
Slave States. Under the protection of
the Judiciary they will, on the principle
of the Dred Scott case, carry slavery
into all the Territories of the United
States now existing and hereafter to be
organized. By the action of the Pre-
sident and the Senate, using the treaty
makingpowers, they will annex Foreign
sl,veholding States. In favorable
coniuncture they will induce Congress
to repeal the Act of 1903, which pro-
hibits the foreign slave trade, and so
they will import from Africa at cost
of only seventy dollars head, slaves
enough to fill up the interior of the
continent. Thus relatively increasing
the number of slave States, they will
allow no amendment to the constitu-
ton prejudicial to their interest, and
so, having permanently established
their power, they expect the Federal
Judiciary to nullify all State laws which
shall interfere with internal or foreign
commerce in slaves. When the Free
States shall be sufficiently demoralized
to tolerate these designs, they reasona-
bly, conclude that slavery will be ac-
cepted by these States themselves. /
shall not stop to show how speedy or
how complete would be the ruin which
the accomplishment of these slavehold-
ing schemes would bring upon the
country. For one, should not remain
in the country to test the sad expert
ment. Having spent my manhood,
though not my whole life, in free
State, no aristocracy of any kind, much
less an aristocracy of shareholders shall
ever make the laws of the land in which
I shall be content to live. Having
seen the society around me universally
engaged in Agriculture, Manufactures
and Trade, which were innocent and
beneficient. / shall never be a denizen