Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-05-18

full, final, absolute, and comprehensive
settlement of all existing and all possible
disputes concerning slavery under the Fed
eral authority. The two great parties,
fearful for the Union, struck hands in ma.
king and in presenting this as au adjust
meut, never afterwards to be opened, dis
turbed, or even questioned, and the people
accepted it by majorities unknown before.
The new President, chosen over an illus.
trious rival, uuc9uiyocally on the ground
of greater ability, even if not more reliable
purpose, to maintain the new treaty invio-
late, made haste to justify this expectation
when Congress assembled. He said:
when the grave shall have closed over all
who are now endeavoring 10 meet the obliga-
hons Of duty, the year 1850 will be REQUIRED
10 as Il period filed with anxiety and appre-
hensIon. 4 successful war has Just lermIna-
ted; peace brought with it a great augmenta-
lion of territory. Distui bing questions arose.
bearing upon the domestic Institutions of 4
portion Of the Coniederacy, and involving
the constitutional rights OF the States. But,
notwithstanding differences of opinion and
sentiment, in relation TO details and spec fic
provisions, the acquieSence of dlstinguIS ned
citizens, whose devotion to the Union can
never be doubted, has given renewed vigor to
our institutions, and restored sense OF Secu-
rily aud repose 10 the public mind throughout
the Contederacy. That this repose is to suf-
fer no shock during my official term, If have
the power 10 avert ii. those who placed me
here may be assured"
Hardly, however, had these inspiring
sounds died away, throughout reassured
and delighted laud, before the national
repose was shocked again; shocked, i'll
deed, as il had never before been, and
smit;en this time by blow from the very
hand that had just released the chords of
the national harp from their utterance Of
that exalted symphony of peace.
kausas aud Nebraska, the lOng-devoted
reservation of labor and freedom, saved in
the agony Of national fear in 1920, and
saved again in the panic of 1850, were
now to be opened By Congress, that the
never-ending course of seed time and
harvest might begin. The slave capt
talists Of Missouri, from their own well
assured homes on the eastern banks o.
their noble river, looked down upon and
coveted the fertile prairies Of Kansas
while sudden terror ran through all the
capital States, when they saw seeming
certainty that at last new labor State
would be built on their western border,
inevitably traught, as they said, with a
near or remote abolition of slavery. What
could be done? Congress could hardly be
expected to intervene directly for their
safety SO soon after the Compromise of
1850. The labor hive of the free States
was distant, the way new, unknown, and
not without pcrils. Missouri was near
and watchtul, and held the keys Of the
gates Of Kansas. She might seize the
new and smiling Territory by surprise, if
only Congress would remove the barrier
established in 1870 The coujupcture was
favorable. Clay and Webster, the distiu.
guished citizens whose unquestionable de.
vo;ion to the Union was manifested by
their acquiesence in the Compromise OF
1850, had gone down already into their
honored graves. TIE labor States had
dismissed many of their representatives,
here for too great fidelity to freedom, and
too great disirust of the efficacy of that
new bond of peace, and had replaced them
with par'izaus who were only timid, but
not unwilling. The Democratic President
aud Congress hesitated but not long.
They revised the last great compromise,
md found, with delighted surprise, that
t was so far from confirming the law of
freedom Of 1920, that, on the other hand, /
t exactly provided for the abrogation of
hat venera,ed statute; nay, that the /
itself actually killed the spir.
t of the Missouri law, and devolved on
congress the duty Of removing the Iifeless
etter from the national code. The deed .
vas done. The new enactment not only
epealed the Missouri prohibition of slave
y, but it pronounced the people of Kan
as and Nebraska perfectly free to estab-
ish freedom or slavery, aud pledged Con
,ress to admit them in due time as States,
ther of capital or of labor, into the Uu-
on. The Wing representatives, of the
apital States, in an hour of strange be-
concurred; aud the Wing
arty instantly went down, never to rise
gain. Democrats seeded, and stood aloof;
he country was confounded; and, amid
he perplexitics Of the hour, Republican
arty was seen gathering itself together
18th much earnestness, but with little
how of organization, to rescue, if it were
ot now too late, the cause of freedom and
lbor, SO unexpectedly and grievously im-
erilled 10 the Territories of the United
tates.
| will not lipger over the sequel. The
opular sovereignty of Kansas proved to be
lie State sovereignty of Missouri, not only :
! the persons OF the rulers, but even in
lie letter of an arbitrary and cruel code. l
he perfect freedom proved to be hate {
Il and intolerable bondage From 1855
1860, Kansas, sustained aud encourag-
only by the Republican party, has been 1
gagged in successive and ever.varying c
ruggles, which have taxed all her virtue, |
sdom, moderation, energies and resour- t
s, and often even her physical strength !
ID martial courage, to save herself from d
ing betrayed into the Union as Slave I,
ate. Nebraska, thong ii choosing free f
IN, is, through the direct exercise of Ii
c Executive power, overriding her own t
II, held as slave Territory and new S
exico has relapsed voluntarily into the Il