Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-11-01
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ofllada %ithin5t hEStA limits 1Jals fia S.tst
ing of votes for F6fs eft do
g,niiteq Y, States supposed to be fftorAi}le to fbe
OF tFezfree stem in, now
AAiterto tue tTSos systems have exist6d
IN different States but Side by side. within tbe
American e Union, 4. his has happened because
lhei Onlonls confederation of States stT3nf il,
another aspect, tho United StatesconstitniS 64Iy
one one, nation. Increase of paptiation, Whi6Ii Is
aiil4S the States out TO their very borders To-
I 5eSileE Nun anew and extended net work of
fnirogd and othel,avcilueS, and an internal com
nlerce NC which gaIly becomes more Intimate, is
raE5aiy bringing thesStajcs into a higher and
more ,rt perfect T social unity or consolidation.
ans these 4ntaganislcss .aSteins saro coitinu-
any coming INTO closer contact, and collision
results. Shau'lt tell You what this calIisi0n
means! They who think that it is accidental
unneceS sary, he@ork of Interested or fanatical
aSltatnrS, and therefore cphemeral, mistake the
case altogether. 1t is an irrcpressible conflict
bctweens opposing and enduring forces, anlrik
means that the United States must and viii,
sooner or later, 6ecome entirely Slave holding
nation, or entirely free labor nation. Either
the cotton and rice fields of South Carolina and
the Sugar plantations of LouisanaIYill Ultimate
y be titled by free labor, and Charleston and
New Orleans become marts for legitimate mcr-
Gilandlse alone, or elso the rye fields and wheat
Aelos OF Massachusetts and New York must
again he surrendered by their farmers to slave.
culture ana to the production of slaves, and
boston and New York become once more mark
cts for t1idc in the bodies and souls of men
1t Is the failure 10 apprehend this great truth
mat induces so many unsuccessful attempts at
iihtl compromise between the slave and free
States and 1t is the existence Ut this great fact
that renders all such pretended compromise
wien made, vain and cphemcra Startling as
TINS saying may appear 10 you, fellow citizens,
II is by no means an original or even n modern
one.
Our forcfathers knew it to he true, and unan-
IMouSly acted upon il when they framed the
constitution of Che United States They regard
cd the existence OF the seryile system in SO ma
ny OF the States with sorrow and shame
which they openly confessed, and they looked
up"n the collision bctwecn them, which was
then gust revealing itself, and which we are now
accustomed To tcpiOrc, with favor and hope
They knew that either the one or the other SIS
TEN must exclusively yrevail. Unlike to many
oi these who, in modern times invoke their aII-
thority, they had a choice between the two
They preferred the system of free labor, and
they determined So to organize tho governments
and so to direct its activity, that that system
should surely and ccrtanly prevail, For this
purpose and no other they based the whole
structure OF government broadly on the princi-
PIE that all men are created equal, and there
fore, 1rce-iltt!G dreaming that within the short
period Ui one hundrcd years their descendants
would bear TO hc told by any orator, however
popular, that the uttcrancc Of that principle was
merely a rhetorical rhapsody: or bv any Judge,
however Vcncrtted. that it was attended by men
tai reservations which rendered il hypocriticaI
and false BY the. ordinance Of 1IS7 they ,sedis
Gated ali the national domain not vet pulluted
hy. .siayery.t9 free labor Immediately, thence
forth and forever, lwhiteby the new constitution
and laws they invited foreign free labor frUnrail
lands understhe sun, and intcrdcted the impor-
t;ti"n of African slave labor at all times in all
places, and under all circumstances whatsoever.
maj f40.Nf gIfE Il
flied this policy OF freedom l,y leaving it to the
several StnteS, affected they were by differ
ing circumstances, 10 abolish slavery in their
own way and at their own pleasure, instead o.
coMidng that duty 70 Congress, aud that they
secured to the slave States, while vet retaining,
the system OF slavery, Il thrcc-fiTts represent;S-
ton. Of slaves in the federal government until
they should find themselves able to relinqush
1t with safety But the very ma urc of their
notifications fortihes my position, that the
fathers knew that the two systems could not en-
dure within the Union, and cxnccted thatwithin
short period slavery would disappear forever.
Moreover. in order that these notifications might
not altogether defeat their grand, design of a re-
public maintaining universal equality, they pro-
vided that twothirds OF the States might amend
the constitution. 1t remains to say this point
only one word to guard against tmiSapprehehSiun.
If these States are again to become universally
slavchoiding, dn rot pretend to say with what
violations 0f the constitution that end shall be
accomplished ss0nt1o other hand, while [ do
confidently believe and hope that my country
will yet become a land Of universal freedom, I
do NOS expect TINT it will lo made SO otherwise
than through the action OF the several States
cooperating with the federal government an1
all acting in strict conformity with their res
pectivc constitutions. The strife and contention
concerning slavery, which gently disposed per-
sons habitualIy deprecnte, is nothing more thar
the ripcnipg Of the conflict which the fathers,
themselves not only thus regarded with favor,
but which they may be said TO have instituted.
1t is not to be denied, however that thus ia
the course of the contest has not been accOrdin,t
to their humane anticipa,ions and wishes, Ii :.
the field of federal politics, slavery, derivin.
unlocked for advantages from commercial chang
cs and energies, and unforeseen from the tacui
ties of combination between members of tn!
sluveholdinS class and between that class an.
other property classes, early rallied, and has
length made 8 stand, not merely to retain it;
original defensive position, but to extend swa.
throughout the whole Union. ltsis certain th0 :.
the slayeholding class of American citizens il
dulge this high ambition, and that they dcrivi
encOura cement for it from the rapid and effect
i've political success which they have alread.
obtained.