Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1860-03-15

"When the grave shall nave cloSeu over VA "ho
are cndeavoring to meet the obligations oil uu.
ty the year 1859 will be REQUIRED to as period
filled with anxiety and Apprehension success
full war was lust terminated; peace brought with 1t
crcat augmenta ton OF territory. Disturbing ques-
tions arose bearing upon tho domestic institutions
of a portion of the coniederacy, and involving the
constitutional rights of the States. But notwi.h-
standing the differences of opinion AMI sentiment
in relation to details and specific provisions the ac
auescence ofdistinguished citizens, whose devo-
ion to the Union can be doubted, has gwen
renewed vigor to our Institutions, and restored
sense of security and repOsc to the public mini
throughout the conrederacy. Tint this rep0se Is
to suffer no shock during my official term, If have
the power to avert it, those who piccd me here may
he assured" Hardly however, had these inspirn e
sounds died away throughout treasured and de-
lighted land before the national repose was shock
ed again--shocked. indeed, as it never had before
been and smittcn this time by blow from the very
hand tlit had just released the chords Of the ma
tionll harp from the utterincc of that exalted
symphony Of peace.
Kansas and Nebraska, the long devoted teserva-
ton oil labor and Freedom, stved in the agony Of;
national fear in 1929, and saved again in the panic
of 1859, were now TO be opened by Congress, that
the never ending course OF seed time ani 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 AMI
coveted the fertile prairies of Kansas; while SUD.
den terror through all the capital States, when
they saw seeming certainty that at last new La
Dor State would be built on their western border.
inevitably fraught. they s.d With near or re-
mote abolition Of Slavery What could be done I
Congress could hardly be expected to intervene
directly for their safety so soon after the ComPro
mise OF 1850. The labor hive of TIE Free Stitcs
distant, the way new, unknown, and not without
| pcrils. Missouri near and watchlu, and held
, the KEYS of the gates of Kmsls. She might seize
the new AMI smiling Territory By surprise, if only
Congress would remove the barrier established in
E 1920. The cOnjuncture was favorable, Clay and
Webster the distinguished citizens whose unqnes-
toned devotion the Union ,nfested by their
, acauesencc in the compromise OF lo0J, Ind gone
down already into their henored graves. The La
Dor States had dismissed my of their representl-
tivcs here for too great fidelity to Freedom, and
too great distrust of the efficacy ofhe new bond OF
peace. and had replaced them with part who
, were only timid. but not unwilling. The Demo
cratic President and Congress hestated but not
, long. They revised the last great Compromise
| and found, with delighted surprise, that it 81
, far from confirming the law OF freedom OF 1877
that, the other hand it exactly provided for the
b CATION Of that vener,tci statute; my, IN 1t the
comoromise itself actu lily killed the Missouri law
and devolved on Congress the duty ofrem wing tho
. liteless letter from the n.tiDnL code. Th) deed
WAS done. The new enactment MT only repealed
I the Missouri prohibition of Slavery but it prOnoun
ced the peop'e of Kansas and Nebraska perfect,
free to establish freedom or Slavery, and pledged
C,nrress to admit them in due time States. eth
/ c.. OF capital or labor, into the Union. The Whis
representatives Of the capt. Il States. in hoir o
strange bcwiislerm mt. concurrcd; and the Whis
purity instantly went down, never to rise aGtin.-
Dem ,crsts secedeI, and stp)i aloof; the country
WAS confounled; and. amid the perp!exties Of Tho
: hour, Republic m party WIS seen gathering itsei
together with much earncsincss, but with little show
of org ,nz ,tion. to rescue if it were no. now toe
late, the of Freedom anl Labor, 50 uncxDect
: edly AMI grievouiy imoc.lel in the Territories o
the United States. 49,
will not linger over the sequel. The popular
sovereignty of Kans is proved TO be the State SOW
crcignty of Missouri not only in the persons of the
rulers, but in the les,ar of arbitrary anu
cruel code Thc perfect freedS% rom 1855 tc
1861, Kmsis, sustained and a-ed only by the
Republic IN party, has bren engaged in successive
AMI evcrvarying struggles, which have taxed nj
+ her virtue, wis1)a M icrition. energies and re
!. sources and often even her physical strength ant
: m ,rital courage to herself from being bctray
d cd into the Union as Slave Stite. Nebraska
c though choosing freedom is through th direct
crcise of the Executive power overriding her owl
$ will, held as Slave Territory; and New Mexico
has rclapse volunt ,riy into the practice OF Slave
: ry from which she h,d redeemed herself while she
II yet rem lined p,rt Of the Mcxicin Republic
y Me ,ntime, the Democratic party, advancing from
Il the ground OF Popular Sovereignty, as far tha
: on the position that both Territorial Governments
: and Congress are incompetent to egislatc agans
Slvery in the Territories while they not only
competent, but obliged when it is necessary,
r legislate for its protector there.
e In this new and extreme position the Democrat,
: party now m asks itself behind the battery of the
y Supreme Court. rs if il were possibly true con
s.ructon of the Constitution, and the power Of de-
c Gliding practically forever between Freedom and
Slavery ia a portion OF the continent far exceed
= ing all that is yet organized, should be renounre
by Congress which alone possesses any Legislative
authority, and should be assumed and exercised by
: Court which en- only take cognizance of tho
great question collatcrally, in private action be
! tween individuals, and which action the Coustitu
: ton will not suffer the Court to entertain, il it in
wolves twenty dollars of money. without the over
! ruling intervention of a jury of twelve good and
e awful men OF the neighborhood where the legsls
j t,n arises. The independent, ever renewed. an.
e:er recurring representative Parliament, Diet
n Congress or Legislature, is the one chief, pira
mount. essential. insspens ,ble institution in Re
1 public Even liberty, guaranteed by organic law
yet If it be held by other than the guardian
cire Of sIch representative popular assembly. is
j but prccarous,y mtintained while Slavery. cnfor-
ced by an irresponsible judicial tribunal is the
: pletcst possible development of despotiSni.
c Mr.. President, did the annals of any Govern
ment show more rapid or more complete depar
ture from the wisdom and virtue of ia founders
D-u ever the oofernfucnt OIL great empire fOuild
on the rights o. human labor, slide away so fast
and far, and moor itself so tcnaciousiy on the
basis Of capital, AMI that capital invested in labor
ing men7 Did ever free representative Lcgis
ltturc, invested with powers great, and with the
guardianship ofrights so important OF trusts so 81
cred, OF interests precious. and of hopes at once
80 noble and so comprehensive, surrender and re
nounce them all so unncccss lriv, so unwisely2 II
il be true, every instinct of otir nature, and
every preccpt of political experience teaches us
RI that
III fares the land, to Fastening ills prey,
Where wealth accamulatcs, and men decay,
; then where in Ireland in Italy, in Pol md. or in
Hungary, has any ru er prop ,red for generous and
conhdng people disappointmcnis, disasters and
cilamties equal to those which the Government OF
the United States holds now suspended over so
urge portion of the continent of North America
Citizens Of the United States, in the spirit Of this
policy. subvcrted the free Republic of Nicaragua
! and opened it to Slavery and the African Slave
trade, and held il in that condition waiting annex
atons to the United States, until its sovereignty
was restored by combination of sister Republics
exposed to the same danger, and apprehcnsve oil
similar subvcrson. Other citizens re-opened the
foreign Slave trade in violation of our laws and
treaties; and after suspension Of that shameful
traffic for fry years, savage Africans have been
once more landed on our shores and distributed,
: unrcclaimed and with impunity. among our plali-
tations. -7 ~ ,.'s it'
For this poiicv so FAR "a the Corarnmcnt bas =