Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-10-15

which the Constitution was infcrt ON tho
statesmen OF the Northern States. This
scntlmentnlism, at that time, found more
general soil in Virginia than in the ruoncd
regions of New England. The thrifty
men of New England in those early enocLs
OF our political history, had learned the
value OF commerce even in slaves, of the
fisheries, of the carrying business foreign
and domestic, of trade generally, of the
revenues OF governments, as sources of
wealth. and fixed thei, views, and rcrula-
ted their actions, moro by consideration
OF those subjects in all their dealings with
their confcdcrates. Slavery had too re-
Gently becn quite universal in the colonies.
and the steps taken for its abolition in some
OF them were too universally known to
have originated in mere consideration of
interest, to allow the unspcculative multi
tude to have any fantastic notions on the
subject. 1t was later when these notions
were taken up-whcn the question of slave
ry became more clearly involved in the same
question of power. Hence we find that
one of the earliest aud most mportant
sources of trouble arose from consideration
OF the " back lands as they were called
the unsettled lands of the West. Some
of these States possessed no such lands
others very little, while third class was
very richly endowed in this respect =
Anong these, Virginia was chief, with
Georgia and the two Carolinas Tt was
insisted that the boundaries of such States
be restrained; that the "back lands"
should be surrendered to the United States.
as property in common aud that the mo.
ncy arising from the sale of them should
be held asa common fund, to be applied
to the debts Of all alike The demand
rested on various reasons, but the ccsson
became necessary to appcasc the jealousy
to quiet the distracting clamor. g. to dis.
pose of the disturbing clements of the
times" which clearly put the Federal IN
ion in jeopardy. The proprietary States
yielded. Virginia, in 1874, endowed the
United States with that vast and fertile
region Northwest of the Ohio River. In
1877 South Carolina ceded her claims :;
and, after the adoption of the present cor
stltutlon, North Carolina and Georgia fol-
lowed the example. Virginia by her ces.
sion, not only filed the common Golfers
with much-nccdcd treasure, but added to
the power of the North five free soil States
that granaNeticr of like States which
hang like storm-clouds On the border. in
stcad OF bright harbingcrs of mutual ben
cbccnce and enduring peace.
Tennessee, Mississippi aud Alabama
resulted from the ccssion by the other three
States. 1t is true that New York, Mas
sachusctts, and Connecticut, did also exc
cute deeds of cession, but the return in
money, If any, was comparatively small
W lie Connecticut ccded only her jurisdic-
tioHal claim to "thc western reserve"
and retained her interest in the soil The
amount of money received by the United
States from the sale of the lands ccdcd by
the southern States has been estimated at
nearly $50, 100000. Thus it will appear
that the South, from devotion to fed.
cral union In the beginning, and disregard.
ing all selfish purposes whether of interest
or ambition, gave to the other States. not
only the means to grow rich on our ruin,
but also the power to destroy our peace.
After some thirty years the Union was
again. deliberately put in jeopar ly by a
combination of motives, and the South
again required to save itat no small sac.
riicc. How the South responded the
sequal will show.
The Constitution having been adopted
and the new Union formed, the United
States started 'afresli, on a career of unpnr-
ailelcd success. Necessary and successful
wars were waged, and new Territories ac-
CURED. by treaty with Franpe in 1903,
they acquired the Colouy or Fm..nce of
Louisiana, stretehingiu one direction from
the Gulf to the Pacific Ocean. The third
article OF this treaty expressly stipulatcs
that the inhabitants shall be protected in
the,frce enjoyment of their property. II
will be remembered that, at tile time of
the treaty, slaves were property in this
Province and slavery was recognized and
protected, everywhere in the Territory. by
the local law Thus matters stood; the
Government performing its duty, andygoing
on we'll, until 1919, when Florida, another
Colpny, which recognized aud protected
slavery by the local law, was acquired. -
This presontea.s dilemma; two Terrific
ries, one of immense extent, with slavery
in them, recognized and protected by the
local law up to that time, the two sections
had preserved, in thenumber of States, an
almost perfect equilibrium, and so far no
distinctionchad been made in the admission
of -slaye-holdipg and slave hoIding
States, They had como in par; J,assu.-
But Immediately, in the state of affairs
presented, the old jealousy ofincreased pow
or to the South was aroused, for, as vet,
the controlling doctrine of climate had not
been discovered. The Inhabitants of two
npiO iasl K IL 4