Des Arc citizen., 1860-06-02
An Experiment of Southern Policy.

IL was in organizing the Territory oi New Mexlco that Congress for the first tune. applied the principle of non-lnler
 venllon The AholilIonists resisted the innovation upon the tradtloual anti-slave- ry policy of the government In fact the controversy orlglnale1 Tn an attempt to exclude the South from the Territory by the operation of the Wllmot provlso
 The representatives of the slavehod'ng States were unanlnous m opposition to the measure and In support of the doc trine of non-lnterventlon Nevertheless, they would nave been beaten, but for the
 detection of Webster and otter eminent
 men Tn the Norlh from lhelr old Abolition associations It IS true, the 7th oi March
 speech was delivered from an essentially anti. slavery stand point, baslng Us policy of non.inlervenlon on the ground that | New Mexico was consecraled to iIee- dom" by the decree of the Almlgily stlll the eforl avaied 10 determine tbe contest agafnsl the Ps@aelPl<e -Cengfes~1 sional lnierferen and federal resrc,lon, The Territories of Utah and New Mexl
 co were formally invested with authority 10 decide for themselves in respect ot ,helr domestic institution.
 What is the consequence of lhe opera tions of non-in'ervention in ,hIs parIcu- lar instancee The New York Tribune shall give the answer:
 Hereis New Mexico-a a country large than Ffance with scarcely hunan inhabitant to the square mile-which has just, by the unani- nous act of it's Legisl ture passed . an act to provide for the protection of property in slaves,o which more tho oughly legalizes and establishes slavery within her vast bounds than it was legally established in any part of our country during the first century of its ex- | istence here. It makes the act of aiding slave to escape from his master felony, and punishes it by fine of $500 to $2, 900. and by | impt isonment of from four to ten years. It makes buying of or selling to slave. or ln- citing him to disobey and resist the authority | of his master crime, to be punished by hne and imp isonment; authorizes any person to apprehend any slave who may have escaped
 from his master, and to use whatever force may be necessary for that purpose. and to claim of said master reward of not less than twenty dollars for such service; it pnnishes any sheriff who shall refuse to receive, im- | prison. and safely keep such runaway slave, making him pay $500 and the value of the slave or slaves thus allowed to escape; directs | the sheriff to advertise any runaway so lodged
 with him for six months md if no owner, shall thereupon. < at the door of his jail or of
 the court house of said county, proceed to SELL THE SAID SLAVE {for whom no master l can any how be found) TO THE HIGHEST BID
 DER FOR CAsH.o and to give said buyer bill | of sale which shall be ''a good and indefea- 1 sible title" to the negro "against all persons
 whatsoever "-the proceeds, after deducting | costs to be paid into the territorial treasury. | If there were no slaves already in New mex- leo. and none should be brought in. they could hardly fail to be manufactured under such in fernal legislation as this; and Section 70 pro vided that C. the emancipation of slaves with | in this Territory is totally prohibited.") If 1 slavery exists anywhere on earth, 1t exists th oughout New Mexico under and by virtue
 of tue provisions of this act, provided we ad- l nit the right of the Territorial Legislature to pass it; and the fact that there are as yet very l few slaves there renders this act only the
 more wantonly, diabolcally wicked"
 Could ,he most jealous propagandlst oi ] slavery desire any other result! And
 not only does slavery thus secure fltm foothold in the Territory oi New Mexl- CO., almost an emplre m nsell-oul the position affords the south every facility oi
 exp ,nslon m the very direction most ln-
 vltng 10 its institutions Not only are
 Arlzona and Nevada destined 10 fall un- der the sway of the South but the con I-t4guoas States of Mexico alll be snhdned
 to the uses of slavery when m the ull-
 ness of lime they shall be released from the impotent grasp o the central govern
 ment The possession ot New Mexico IS
 indeed splendid conquest for the pro-
 slavery party They lost Kansas by he
 operation of the non, intervention princl- \ pie. but under the same policy they nave
 secured ample indemnity in a quarter
 waere. instead ol being a sickly exollc'
 slavery will take root Tn eongenal soll, l and flourish of It's own inherent vlgor.
 Suppose the prnc.ple Of non lnlerven- tion had DO, prevailed in he organization of New Mexco; suppose he Represen- tatlves of the South had accepted the doc trn+ of Congressional supremacy over [ tne.. Territories what would have been the consequence The power once con $ ceded an Abolhlon majority would have secured is applicalion in the shape of a : Wilmot proviso and so slavery would have been forever excluded from region ln } which it exhibits a singular vitality, and
 promises to achieve the grandest results 5 Has the South reason to deplore its adop