The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-02-08


against the one free State, would il not
have resulted in constitutional provision
fastening slavery irrevocably npon every inch
Of American soil, North as we'll as South
Was it quite fair for the friends OF free in
stitutions in those days to claim that the Fed
eral Government must not touch the ques-
ton, but leave each State free to do as it
pleased, until, under the operation of that
principle, they secured majority, and then
WELD that majority TO abolish slavery in |
the other States Of the Union SE, i'll
uniformity in respect to the domestic institu- |
tIons had been desirable when the Consttu
ton was adopted, there was another mode
by which it could have been obtained. The
natural mode of obtaining uniformity would
have been to have botted out the State Gov.
erAments, to have abolished the State Leg.
islatures and to have conferred upon Con.
gress legislative powers over the municipal
and domestic concerns OF all Federal ques.
tions affecting the whole Uuion. And IL
this doctrine of uniformity had been enter
tanned and favored by the trainers of the
Constitution such would have been the result.
But the trainers of that instrument knew
at that day as we know now, that in a coun-
try as broad as this, with so great variety
of climate, SOIL and productions, there must
necessarily be corresponding diversity of
institutions and domestic regulations adapt
ed to the wants and interests OF each oca lity.
They knew that the laws and institutions
which we're we'll adapted to the mountains
, and valleys of New England were but lily
I suited to the rice plantations and the cotton
fields Of the Carolnas they knew that our
liberties depended upon reserving the right
to the people Of each State to make their
own institutions and control them at pleasure,
without interference from the Federal Gov.
ernment, or from any other State or Terri
tory or any foreign country.
The Constitution, therefore, was based,
and the Union was founded on the principle
Of dissimilarity in the domestic institutions
and internal polity of the several Stutes,-
The Union was founded on the theory that
each State had peculiar interests, requiring
| peculiar legislation and peculiar institute ons
. different and distinct from every other State
The Union rests upon the theory that no two
t States will be precisely alike in their DO
l. I
t sert that this doctrine of uniformity among
n the domestic institutions Of different State
it is repugnant to the States, subversive of thu
n principles upon which the Uuion was based
e revolutionary in its character, and leadin
le directly to despotism if it is ever established
r. Uniformity, sir, in local and domestic q
I'd fairs, in country of this extent, is despo
'y ism always. Show me centralism p-escr
a. ing uniformity from the capital to all of Il
Is provinces in their local and domestic col
Is Germs, and will show you q despotsm
,e odious and as insufferable as that of Austr
D or Naples. Dissimilarity is, therefore, Il
e, principle upon which the Union rests,
Is is founded upon the idea that each Sta
in must necessarily require different regul
re tions; that no two States have precisely Il
I'd same interests, and hence do not need pre-
or cisey the same laws. How can you a
count for this Confederation of States upc
le any other principle? What becomes, thel
re of this doctrine that slavery must be esta
ns lished in all the States, or prohibited in a
"a the States! If we will only conform to II
'i- principles upon which the Federal Unic
he was based, there is no confict-there C,
Sc be no conflict. All you have to do is to r
Iy cognize and obey the right of the people
Ial every State to have just such Institutions
ng they please. without consulting your wsh'
er, your views, or your prejudices; and the
ce, can be no conflict. And, sir, inasruch
wn the Constitution of the United States co
Pile fers upon Congress the power, coupled W
ad' the duty of protecting each State ngai
our external aggression:' inasmuch as that
use cludes the power of suppressing and puni'
ors, institutions, property, people, or COVE
the ment of every other State, desire to ca
the out that power vigorously. Give US
mi such law as the Constitution contt
be- plates and authorzes-and l will show
rec Senator from New York (Mr. Sewurd) t
use there is constitutional mode of repreas
be the "irrepressible conflict" [Suppres
rds, applause in the galleries l would o
ere the prison doors and tell those conspire
itu. against the peace of the Republic and
'tes domestic tranquility of other States, to
the lect their cells, in which to drag out
lole cradle life, for the punishment of t
in crimes against the good of society.
that any man say to US that although this
the rage has been perpetrated at Harper's
de- ry, there is no danger of its recurrence
itch Sir, is not the Republican party still en-
the died, organized, sanguins, confident of
the cess, and defiant in its professions!
they not now boldly proclaim the g
the creed that they did before this invasion!
If in is true that most of them come forward
pied disavow the acts of John Brown at Harp
ties, Ferry. am glad that they do that. l
ties, joice that they have gone that far; bI
this must be permitted to say to them tha,
ues. not sufficient that they disavow the act,
the less they also repudiate and denounce
tbo Jootr;nau and oachinUa ubich r.oJ,oo,