Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-03-14

ions, tue acquleScence OF ulSI lllgulSheu cltl-
!, Zens whose devotion to the Union can nev-
er be doubted, has given renewed vigor to
our institutions and restored Il sense of Sc
curity and repOse to the public mind
throughout the Confederacy. That this
repOse is to uffer no sho, < during ny Off
cial term. if have the power to avert it.
those who placed ME here may be assured.
Hardly. however. had these inspiring
sounds diel away. throuIhOut re-assured
and delighted land, before the national re-
pose was shocked again-shOcked. indeed.
as it had never before been. and smitten
this time by blow from the very hand
that had just released the chords of the ma
tiunal harp from their utterance Of that ex-
alted symphony of peace. Kansas and Ne
braskI. the lOng-devOted reservation of Ia
Dor and freedom. saved in the agony of na-
tional fear in lo20, and saved again in the
panic of 1850. were now to be opened by
Congress. that the new, r-ending course Of
seed time and harvest might begin. The
slave capitalists of Missouri, from their own
well-assured homes on the eastern banks
Of their noble river, looked down upon am
coveted the fertile prairics of Kansas; while
a sudden terror ran through all the capital
States. when they saw a Sc, ming certainty
that at last new labor State would be
built on their western bOrd T. inevitably
fraught, as they saiI, with a near or remote
abolition Of Slavery. What could be done?
Congress could hardly be expected to in
teryene directly for their safety so soon af-
ter the Compromise of 1850. The labor
hive Of tn. Free States was distant. the
way new, unknown. and not without per-
lis. Missouri was near and watchful, and
held the keys of the gates of Kansas. She
might seize the new and smiling Territory
by surprise, ii only Congress would remove
the barrier established in 1920. 1he con-
juncture was favorable.
Clay and Webster. the distinguished cit
izcns whose unquestionable devotion to the
Union was manifested by their acquieSence
in the compromise of 1850. had gone down
already into their honored graves. The Ia
Dor States had di missed many of their rep
resentatives here for too great fidelity to
freedom, and too great distrust Of the eff
caey Of that new bond of peace. and had
replaced them with partizans whn were on
ly timid. but not unwilling. The Demo
cratic President and Congress hesitated,
but rot long. They revised the last great
compromise and found. with delighted sur
prise. that it was so far from confirming
the law of freedom of 1920 that. on the
other hant, it exactly provid d for the alb
rogation of that venerlted statute nay that
tho compromise itself actually killed the
spirit of the Missouri law. and deyolved
on Congress the duty of removing the life
less letter from the national code The |
deed was DONE The new enactment not |
only repealed the Missouri prohibition of
slavery, but it pronounced the the people
of Kansas and Nebraska perfectly free to .
establish freedom or slavery. and pledged .
Congress to admit them in due time as
States. either Of capital or of labor. into
the Union. The Wing representatives, of
the capital States, in an hour of strange
bewildermcnt concurred; and the Wing
party instantly went down, never to rise
again. Democrats seeded, and stood
aloof: the country Was confoundcd; and
amid the perplexities of the hour, Repub-
lieln party was seen gathering itself to-
gether with much earnestnesS, but with
little show of organization, to rescue. if it
were not now too late the cause of Free
dom and Labor, so unexpectedly and grieye-
ouSly imperiled in the Territories Of the
United States. | Will not linger over the
sequel The popula sovereignty of Kan
sls proved to be the State sovereignty of
Missouri. not only in the persons of the
rulers. but even in the letter of an arbitra-
~ an | cru.l cOic The p.fie;s FIRE don
proved to be a L.tcful and intolerable bon
dage. From 1885 to 1850. Kansas. sus-
tanned and encouraged only by the Repub-
lican party. has been engaged in successive
and ever-varying struggles. which have
taxed all her virtue, wisdom. moderation,
energies and resources. and often even her
physical strength and martial courage. to
save her eli from being betrayed into the
Union as Slaye State. Nebraska. though
choosing freedom. is through the direct ex-
erciSe Of the Executive power, overriding
her own will. held as Slave Territory;
and New Mexico has relapsed voluntarily
into the practice of Slavery. from which
she had redeemed herself while she yet re-
mained part of the Mexican Republic
Meantime. the Democratic party, advan-
cling from the ground of Popular Sovereign
ty as far as that ground is from the Ordi-
nance of 1897. now stands on the position
that both Territorial Governments and
Congress are incompetent to legislate
against Slavery in the Territories. while
they are not only competent, but are OBJ
liged. when it is necessary, to legislate for
its protection there. In this new and ex-
treme position the Democratic party now
masks itself behind the battery of the Su-
preme Court as if it were possibly true
Of the Constitution. that the
power of deciding practically forever be-
tween Freedom and Slavery in portion Of
the continent far exceeding all that is yet
should be renowned by Con-
gress. which alone possess any legislative
and should be assumed and ex-
cEClStu DJ dCouEt WHICH CeiAl OllAl t1AS CO--
nizlnce of the great question cUllaterally.
in private action between individuals and
which action the Constitution will not sui-
fer the court to entertain. if it involves
twenty dollars of money. without the ever
ruling Intervention of jury Of twelve good
and lawful men of the neighborhoOd where
the iti-ation arises The independent. ever
renewed. andevcr recurring representative
Pa lament. Diet. Congress or legislature,
is the one chief paramount. essential. in
institution in 4 Republic Even
liberty. guaranteed BY Orglnic law, yet if
it be held by other tenure than the guar
dian care Of such representative popular
assembly, IS but preeariously maintained.
while Slavery, enforced by an irresponsiblel
judicial tribunal. is the eompletcst possible
levelopm mt of despotism. Ny President,
did ever the annals of any Government