The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-05-24
The Slavery Question, North and South
Who Are the Agitat0rsg

Who Are the AgitatOrs3
Mr.. Buchanan having disposed of that fruit
full source Of sectional agitation, the Kansas
question, our political disturbers of the public
peace, North and South, have been driven to the
necessity Of hunting up some other and more
desperate expedients upon which to keep up the
excitement between the two sectioUs concerning
Southern slavery.
Thus, last autumn, at Rochester, W. 81.
Seward took the broad and bold anti-slavery
platform that between Northern freedom and
Southern slavery there is can irrepressible
conflict" which must continue until all the
States OF this Union shall have been made "free
States or slave States;" thus we find the leaders
and organs Of the republican party falling back
upon the doctrine that it is within the power,
aud is the duty of Congress, to prohibit in the
Territories CHOSE twin relics of barbarism po-
lygamy and s,avery"-especialiy slavery; thus
we have had the warning distinctly given by Mr..
Seward and other chiefs Of the republican camp
that the bred Scott decision indicates perver-
sion Of the functions of the Supreme Court in the
service of 'the slave power" which calls upon
Congress for sHch reconstruction of the Court
as Will secure its judgments hereafter in behalf
of the constitutional principles Of human free
dom.
These Issues, raised by our Northern agitators
of slavery, are met by the freeating agiators OF
the South With their demands for the repeal of
all laws prohibiting the African slave trade
with their threats to reopen this infamous traffic
in defiance Of law; with their demands for spe-
cial code of laws from Congress for the protec-
ton OF slavery in the Territories; with all sorts
Of 6libustering plots and plans for the extension
of slavery and the Southern "slave power" over
all the islands of the Mexican Gulf and all the
territories of the continent from the Rio Grande
to the Isthmus of Panama; aud with that terri
bic old hue and cry" with all it's variations,
OF dIsunion, secession and Southern cOnfede-
racy. Upon these extreme and belligerent pro-
positions we now find the Southern democracy
in most fearful state Of excitement, derange-
ment and confusion, while the Northern demo-
crazy are equally distracted aud divided upon
that impalpable abstraction Of squatier sove-
reignty.
With all these new disturbing issues and ele-
ments, North and South, on the slavery question,
one might suppose, at the first blush, that Seward
is right in his position that there is an irrepres-
sible conflict" between the two sections upon
slavery, and that while the people of the North
actively sympathise with this war manifesto Of
Seward, the people of the South, under the con.
troll Of the Z" slave power" are ready for the
experiment Of the revival of the African slave
trade, Ia defiance Of the laws of Congress and
the power Of the federal government, or for the
still more desperate experiment of secession and
an independent Southern confederacy, based
upon ilibustering principles.
We know, however, that in reality our North.
ern slavery agitators Of the school Of Seward
bave but small party of camp followers, and
that the great majority of the people OF the
North, with the settlement of the Kansas oues.
ton against slavery, are satisfied to sink the sla
very agitation in the more important practical
issues of the day. We know that they care very
little now about the nice distinctions between
Congressional sovereignty and squatter sove.
reignty in the Territories Having heavy ba.
lance of power on their side in both houses of
Congress with the admission OF the new free
states Of California, Minnesota and Oregon, with
Kansas, Nebraska and Washington close behind,
the people Of the North have certainly nothing
10 lear nom che aggrcssions Of the "save power"
ana tney Know It. Entertaining these views, We