Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1860-02-04

the west, is becoming gradually restored
and the gathered harvests Of the past sea
son have brought an earnest Of renewed
prosperity. With these must come re
newed sense Of justice. Payment OF 81
legal and equitable foreign debts, without
4 design or thought Of Reputation, as fas
as means can be produced, is duty W.
owe not only to ourselves, but to the rep
utation of our young and vigorous State
AS we would expect justice, SO let US DC
justice.
SLAVERY.
New subjects Of excitement connec ing
with slavery and the slave trade are aud
tating the public mind. As natlona
question, that Of slavery and slavery ex
tension is foremost among the people,
Slavery existed in the colonies befor til.
law, aud before there were any State con.
stitutions. Ii was forced into some of the
States, as in the case Virginia, against the
will and remonstrances OF colonial citizens
The slave trade was made matter o
complaint against the mother county,
It was deemed Of incalculable evil to th'
new settlements upon the western cont
nent. Existing, as slavery did, IN and on
one of the colonies, at the time q the FOR
nation of our present constitutional gov
eminent, it was tolerated for the Time be
ing. with the idea that lis existence wouIp
be, comparatively, but temporary, aud that
It would die out, as an institution entirely
Incompatible with the genius OF the gov
ernmenl, and with the great objects tor
which i. was formed. While the increase
Of the number Of slave States Las not beer
corespoadingly great, the increase OF sla
very and of the power of slavery In the
government has heen SO great as that the
Slave population in the slave States IS no"
greater than the entire population OF lbe
colonies at the time Of our revolutionary
controversy with Great Britain, ana the
whole machinery OF the federal govern
ment is blocked up by its exaetsons. The
compact made at the Time Of the adoption
Of the constitution of the United States,
that slavery should be tolerated, and that
:. persons held TO service should delivered
u on claim OF the party to whom service
was due "has not been satisfactory to The
States. New dehiands liave
been made upon the consclences OF the
people of the non-sIayeholding States, un-
Ill serious difficulties have arisen between
the two sections OF The Union. There i;
no right of Interference with slavery IN the
slave States by Legislation in the free
States, tending to abolition, or by citizens
Of the free States by violent intervention
But the government was formed for The
declared purpose Of preserving the bles
sings Of Liberty" among other things
aud not for the purpose Of extending sla
very. The colonies which 50 urgently de
noupced to evils of the institution and Sc
strongly complained Of the slave trade
now. erected into states, seek to force up
on free territories the evils of system
they then deplored, by planting slavery
where the Fathers Of the Republic neve
intended it should 60. Time after TINS
compromises have been entered into, con
nected with the growing out of the exist
ence Of slavery, and true after time, at tht
demands Of slavery they aaye been broker
down. hts exactions are intolerant. While
there is no right of interference with sla
very where il exists in the slave States
by free legislation, and while there is nt
effort at interference with it by forclbl'
means by citizens Of the free States, will
few individual exceptions, the free State
have right TO insist, and it is their dut,
10 insist, that it shall be no farther extend
ed. The fact that the territories are thu
common property Of the people of all tn
States carries with it no right to carry sla
very there. The fact that men are helt
us slaves in slave States gives no right t
carry them as slaves into territories, sim
PLY because they are counted as property
Ia the slave States. The fact that slaves
are called property, gives no right of prop
erty in them. Men are not recognized BY
the civilized world as common subjects o
property. They cannot be placed IN th'
same category as chattels, and things anc
estates. which are universally conceded tc
be subjects Of ownership. Slavery IN the
territories would be without law and above
tho law, a mere creature of force, subject
to all the contingencies Of a violent exist
ence. An institution SO inhuman, 50 per
nicious in its character, SO disastrous tc
the interests Of free labor, and terrible IN
its consequences to the bond men, and Sc
antagonistic to the great principles Of hui
man liberty that underlie our government,
ought BY the exercise Of every Legitimate
power to be restrained from any further
extension. The new and fearful, doctrine
that under the constitution Of the United
States, slavery goes travelling into the free
territories Of the United States, and j.
there to be protected under its broad
shield, without any local law on the sub
iect in the territories, is unworthy of the
age in which we live, or Of the statesman
10 whose hands are entrusted the interests
Of this great people. II is no subject OF
congratulation that in this theoretically
free government an effort has been made
and is still persisted in, to establish the
right Of every citizen to take bis prop
erty Of every kind, including slaves, into
the territories, aud have il protected there
nndsr The constitution" The idea that