The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-10-12

my the prOhlOltatlOn OF slavery in new
States and Territories
/ The local law in Louisiana, carried and
sustained slavery all over the Territory.
The Government, by treaty, and by the
Constitution of the country, WAS bound
to protect slaves there as property. But,
if ;his doctrine should be acted on in the
case of Missouri, then, all the States which
might thereafter be formed out of the
Territory, could claim the same right.-
| This would never do: it would forever
place the preponderence OF power in the
South, and, with it the control of the
/ Government. 1t must, therefore, be resis.
ted. What, though the treaty and the
/ Constitution stood in the way? They
were as nothiug-mere parchment bar
rIers-morm impcdimenls, away with
them, or they will he tramplcd in the dust
and SO they were. Now began that
fierce and distractiug contest, which has
lasted near!v forty years, bids fair to con.
unue while the Union lasts, if there shall
! be Territories to people, and has wrought
a thorough alienation between the sec
tons.
The unusual condition coupled with the
act authorizing the people of Missouri to
form State Government, together with
The dcrogatorv and unconstitutional Joint
resolution which followed, aroused the
right spirit for high struggle. On the
one side was resoIute and calculating
abolitionism, whose philanthropy was
sharpcned hv the perspective. in which it
/ toreSaw. III It's trumphs, the wealth and
/ power and honor that would flow from
/ the operations Of Government, whose
control would be thus secured to its sec
| ton, while the Union existed. The lust
OF power stimulated by the a5dour of ia.
natcism boldly put the Union in jeopar-
dv rather than reCcde from an unjust and
+ unconstitutional purpose. On the other
side was fiery Indignation, with high re.
solve, combating for rights secured hv
/ Constitution and treaty, and, against the
loss Of equality, with Degrading stigma.
/ In the midst OF such contest the svrcn
/ song Of peace, Of common gIores past
and present. and future hopes that hung
on compromise, sweled high above the
noise Of STRIFE. The South Welded, and
offered up the expected sacrifice to the
safety of the Union. 1t was an ignoble
sacrifice. To propi,iate grim idol we
/ gave the incense Of broken constitution
! and prostra;c power.
BY the result of the controversy the
Shareholder was forbidden to 90, with his
properly, north Of the line established.
while the nonrslavc holder WAS permitted
to 60 on either side; and, to soften the
disgrace, the arrangement was called a
compromise. This WAS the first great
triumph of the foes of the constitution
aud the equality of the States. The South
having the power TO prevent, but weakly
yielding, must bear its full share Of
blame.
Again the country took new depart
ure, and, for while, all seemed TO move
smoothly on. The philosophy of WiIbcr
force had been seized by the wild zealots
of the French Revolution, and baptized
and nurtured in blood. 1t presented itself
in America, as the spirit OF demolition.-
BY repeated concession we had strength.
ened It's power, and, by continued acqui.
escence, invited aggression. Soon il turn
ed upon MS in every quarter; and, our
domestic affairs became an offence to its
purity.
But for the admission of Florida. and
the annexation of Texas. we would soon
have fallen beneath lis intermedGInp
zeEl. These were obtained through the
aid Of wise ard patriotic men of the dem.
ocratc party Of the North, and, while the
admission Of them benefited all, it ena
bled the South to protect Itself in the
Senate. The subsequent admission OF
Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Oregon,
destroyed the baIance-the North has
now eighteen States the South fifteen
and, ifthe non slave holding States choose
to combine against US, we are left in both
BRANCHES Of the Federal Legislature pow.
erless for self defence.
Nor can the South expect to attain anv
more comparative power Sy acquisition
from the Territories now belonging 10 the
United States. There are eight of these,
containing over million and a half OF
square miIes-enough to make ten States.
Out of these there arc only two possible
to the South-New Mexico and Arazona.
The Territory west of Arkansas, and con
tiguous to it. now inhabited by the Cher.
okee, Chckasaw and Choc,aw Indians.
who have made much progress in civil.
zation, and have government well or.
dered and administered, and who arc al
80 slaverholding people, will, in few
years, be fitted for admission into the
Union. II then the South should obtain
these three, there will be twenty six to
eighteen. But, if the Government.con
tinues in its accustomed career, il is very
probable that Sonora and Lower Caifof.
MIA will be acquired. These last are well
adapted to the institution Of African slave.
ry : and, unless the Government should
intervene, or the doctrine of Squatter Sow.
ereignty, as it 10 called, should prevail,
they too, in the end, may be added to the
South. In that event, and in the most
favorable view, the South would have
twenty, and the North twenty.six.
Is it probable that The non slave hold.
I s~r. Staiao vsy,l an,,I,,na ,..s... II