Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-12-19

that IL shall be LETT open 10 expansion, sub
ect 10 no limitations. save those impose,
by God and nature" Do you see wha
that means2 "No limitations" You shall
not exclude slavery from the territories :
That is not all. Ysu shall not, by you
constitutions and laws, hedge round th
prairies and the FREQ farms Of the West
protecting them from slavery. There shal
be no limitations" The whole cont en-
shall be thrown speu, and slavery shall n
withersoever the South chooses to carry il
Understand me, do not aver the prin-
eiples which are embodied In these ex-
tracts to be the principles Of he Democratic
party, Thy are not. Nor do l aver them
to be the principles OF the South. do moi
think they are. ! do aver them to be the
principles Of that body Of Southern ex.
tremists. who are the immediate promo ters
Of the present disturbance. A party not
wholly composed OF fanatics aud dema-
number not few earnest and dispassion.
ate men such as DR.. Palmer, as well as not
few who, from motives Of personal ag-
grandizement, are working upon the pas.
sions and prejudices of better men, and
often by infanmatory appeals and the
grossest misrepresentation, are seeking 10
hurry the entire South. while yet under the
excitement Of Political campaign, into a
course of revolutionary action. disastrous
to themselves and injurious to the entire
country--a course from which, in the re-
turn Of cooler moments, they will find it
difficult to recede.
| need not stop to remark how utterly
inconsistent is the philosophy of govern.
ment, maintained in these extracts with
that which declares that all men have a
right to life, liberty, aud the pur.
suit OF happiness-that 10 secure these
rights, governments are instituted among
men. deriving all their just powers from the
consent Of the governed. Nevertheless mu-
tusl forbearsDce would perhaps make it
possible for these two antagonistic systems
of society to work side by side under one
nationality il States Of sepersts sovereign.
ity. But.
Ill. AS might be naturally anticipated
those entertaining such views of these an
tagonistic systems are not content unless
their system is made supreme in the ma
tional government.
They claim therefore that the law of sla-
very shall be the law Of the national Terri
tories, they demand that the United States
Government shall protect it by laws which
we shall assist to pass, and maintain it
even against the will of the people by ar
mics and officials whom we assist to pay.
They seek also 10 make this slave sys-
tenn of society the system Of the Northern
States: They ask not of onr courtesy. they
demand of US as right, the privilege Of
bringing their slaves with them into the
free states and there working them in tine
commercial cities, the free villages and the
farms of the North. This claim which for
several years they have been urging on the
Courts of New York State-they are now
about to bring before the Supreme Court of
the United States.
That they may the better succeed in thus
substituting the Law of slavery for the law
ofifreedom. some are already bound
demanding that the nation shall
20 back 10 piracy, that the African Slave
Trade be re opened. and that this country
all Of whose troubles seem to be the result
of the presence of this incougruous African
race in our midst, shall be further cursed
by the unlimited importation Of sayages
gathered from the interior of Africa. though
the instrumeutality OF barbaric war. i
And finally that they may the better
maintain their social systeua. they seek not
only to destroy free discussion in their OWE
States, where free discussion might we'll bt
dangerous. but they also seek by threat, BY
violence and by law, to etop it both in ths
Halls of Congress and throughout'the free
States of the NORTH.
1t is sometimes sve-ed that the anti .sla-
very agitation Of the North has given ris,
to this extreme pro-slavery party Of tn,
South. That each party mas greatly excl.
ted the other is beyond a question. How
far the one is the natural offspring Of the
other is question upon which l do no
enter as it 10 my purpose only to exhioi,
the true meaning Of the present controversy
not to trace it to its historic cause.
Thus then. as briefly as -ell could, !
have endeavored 10 saetca TO you ti
claim, not Of the Democratic party, not q
the South, but Of the gouthern Secession
lists. The question which va now have
determine Is not question of bissaur
Compromiss, or OF Fugitive Slave Law, o
of Personal Liberty Bills-thcso are inci
dental questions merely. She present cri
sis in our national affairs Is Inc turnin
point ofthe grondcst battle that has evsr y
been fought in tha worlds history betyce
these two fundamentally entsgonislic the
. ories Of government; OF that instituted Il
the benefit of the ruler. and OF that instii
, ted for tho beufit OF the ruled.
Before I pass 10 consider tho duties vhic
: devolve upon Us citizens o: the North
, the present exigency OF public affairs. |
D me say that TINS view Of tho causes unde
lying our troubles will aid us in dstermi
Q ing the extent Of our danger. II, rs sor
seem TO imagine. the whole South we
3 committed to the aristocratic idea Of 60
ernueut and regarded free society as a IA
Q urc the danger would not only be immine
bat almost unavoidable. For the course
o public events renders it certain beyond
: question that the North never will sece
: from its Purposelto preserve freedom Int
y both in its own section and in the Adm
, istrstion Of the National Government.
N I believe there Is large element in
II South generally called conservative. l cal
Dr. the element Of freedom ssd Christiani
g, which has never yet spoken, or spoken
70 ly with stified utterance, and think
problem before us is, not to yield TO
70 Southern extsmists, but TO carry ourselve
nv the present crisis so as to avoid if posi-
= open collision andgive time and opportur