The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-10-11
POTTER COUNTY, Pa, THURSDAY, OCTOBER II, 1850


as must be annexed because it was a
Siaveholding country-it must be annex
ed with the condition of subdividlng il
into four slave States Texas must be
annexed for the purpose Of fortifying and
defending the institution of slavery in
the United States. This one single fact
upon which the parties Joined issue, is
conclusive. | viii not 90 further in show
ing that that has been tie policy of the
country for forty years.
Now have said that it is our propo-
sition to reverse this policy Our policy
stated as simply as | have stated that Of
our adFersaries, is, to cjrcumscri6e stare
ry, and to }ortify oa,1 crtend free labor
or freedom. Many preliminary objec-
tions are raised by those among you and
US, who arc not prepared to 90 with us
to the acceptance of this issue. They
say that they are tired of a hobby and of
men of one idea; that the country is too
great country, and has too many in
terests, to be occupied With one idea
alone; besides that it is repulsive, often
sive; it is disgusting to have 'ths eter-
nal negro question" forever forced upon
their consideration when they desire to
think Of white men and other things. 1t
is well perhaps to remove these prelimin-
AIRY objections before we go into an argu-
ment.
Now, granting for moment that there
is wisdom in the objection to entertain
this eternal negro question, pray, let US
ask, who raised, who has kept up, this
eternal negro question
The negro question was put at rest in
1877 by the fathers Of the Republic, and
it slept leaving only for moransts and hu-
manltarians the question Of emancipation
a question within the States aud by no
means federal question. Who lifted it
up from the States into the area of fede-
raj poliucs2 Who, but the shareholders
in 1920? They demanded that not on
ly Missouri should be admitted as a Slave
State, located within the Louisiana pur-
chas but that slavery should be dec!ar-
ed forever and was forever without dec
laration OF law, established and should
prevail until the end of time, in Iowa,
Kansas, Nebraska aud in every foot Of tire
then newly acquired domain of the Uni
ted States? 1t was the slaveholding pow
er who raised the negro question, and it
was the Democratic party which made
an alliance with that power, and which,
in the North and in Congress, raised this
very offensive question, this so very of
fensive legislation about negroes instead
Of legislation about white men.
The question was put at rest by the
Compromise of 1920, when, God be
praised Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska
were saved for freedom, and only Arkan-
sas and Missouri, out of the Louisiana
purchase, surrendered to slavery and it
slept again for fifteen or twenty years, and
then the negro question was again intro,
1uced into the councils of the federal
government,-an by whom? BY the
slave power, when it said that "since
you have taken Iowa, Kansas and Ne
braska, and left US only Missouri, Arkan.
.as and Florida, out of our newly acquired
you must now 90 on and an
mex texas, so that we shall have a bal |
ance and counterpoise in this govern
nent." Then the Democratic party
again were seized with a sudden desire
to extend the area of slavery along the
Gulf Of Mexico and by way Of balancing
he triumph Of liberty 50 as 10 put mana
lies and chains or the claws Of the con
luer,pg eagle Of the country
Who, then, is spon>ible for the eter-
?al negro question? Sill such was the
the patience, the hope with
nut reason and without justice, Of the .
'riends Of freedom throughout the United
States, that the eternal negro question
would have been at rest then, if it had
lot again been brought forward into the
deral councils in the years 1913 and
$50, when the slave power forced Us
nto war with Mexico by which we ac-
.uired Upper California and New Mexico
nd for no other purpose but that, not
all the advantages which
j very had gained, since the Atlantic
states we;e free, now, as balance, slave
y must have the Pacific coast, and so
eep up the equilibrium (according to
lie notions of Mr.. Calhoun between free
lbor aud slave labor or between freedom
nd slavery in the United States
Thus, on these three different occa-
ions, when the public mind was at rest
n the sutject Of the negro, the slave
over forced it upon public consideration
nd demanded aggressive oction. When
hey had at last secured the consent of
be people Of the free States to a com
romise in 1850, by which it was agreed F.;
hat California alone might be free, and
hat New Mexico should be remanded I
ack into a territorial condition because
he had not established sIavery-then t
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