The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-03-10

"When the grave shaIi have oIsssd over all who
now cpdeavoring to meet ehs obilgaslons Of du-
~, the ysar 1860 will be referred y ~ period
aiiod VIII snxiety and representation sacces.-
M war 20 just tsrminatedt psa1s brought with
10 gresfA agsnsatA!isn serFisesy Distsfhing
Vns OK portion Of ths Confcderasy, and inSoiving
~ constitutional riehts OF HE Etnt&s Bat, not
withdrawing differences Of opfnssa ma sentiment,
In relation to details and specific provisions, the
acquieEeence of distinguished citizens whose dero
tian to The Union can never be doubted, has given
renewed vigur to our institutions, and restored =
ssnsc Of security r. the pnbic mind thSougAout
Tie Confsderacs. That this repose is 10 suffsT 10
shock durisg my official term, ii have the power
70 avert 1t, those who placed me here may be A.
sured." @@
Hardly, however, had these inspiring sounds died
away, throughout treasured and delighted land,
before the national repose was shocked again
shocked, indsed, - Il bad nsvsr bsfcss - and
smitten this tine BY . blow from The vsy hand
that had just released the chords Of tho national
harp from their utterance Of that exalted symphony
OK peace. s.44s
Kansas and Nebrasks, the iong-devoted ressrva-
ton of LABOR and freedom, saved in tho agony Of
national fear in I82O, and saved again in the psnc
OF 1850, were now TO be opened by Congress, that
the nevsr-ending course Of Seed time and harvest
might begin. The slave capitalists Of Missouri,
from their own wall-sscurcd homes on the stern
banks of their noble river, looked down upon and
coveted the fertile prairies of Kansas whifs sud
den terror through ali the capital States, when
they saw seeming certainty that 1t last new la-
Der State would Be built on their western border,
inevitably fraught, - they said, with near q
remote abcli ton Of slavery. What could b donei
Congress cot ID hardly be expected TO intervene d.
recty for their safety after the Comprumise
OF 1850 Tie labor hive OF the free States was dis
tant, the way new, unknown, and not without per-
lis Missouri was near and watchful, and hold the
ksysof the gates Of Kansas. She might seixs the
ssw and smiling Territory by surprise, II only Cen
gress would remove the barrier established In 1880
The coDjunctnEs was favorable. Clay And Webstss,
the dislinf uishld citazens whose unquestiouabls
devotion to the ULicn manifested by their ac-
quiescsnce in the Compromise Of 1880, had gone
down already iato their nonored graves. The labor
States had dismissed many of their Representatives
hare for too great fidelity 10 freedom, and too CREST
distrust OF the efficacy Of that bond of psAcc,
and had replaced them with pArtisans who were
only timid, but not unwilling. The Democratic
President and Congress heal tAted, hat not long~-
They revised the last great Compromise, and found
with delighted surprise, that 1t WAS 30 far from
confirming The Law Of freedom of 1870 that, on the
either haad, il exactly provided for the abrogation
of that vensratsd statutes nsy, thAt the Cempro-
mise itself aetu ally killed the spirit OF the NILSSON
ri law, and devolved on Congress the duty of re-
moving tho lfelass letter from the national code.
The deed was done. The new enactment mot only
repealed tho Missouri OF slavery, bat Il
pronounced the people Of Kansas and Nebraska
perfectly free to nsta hish freedom or slavery, and
pledged Congress to admit them in due time ~
States either of capital of labor into the Union.
The Wing representatives of the capital States in
an hour of strange bewiiderment, concurred and
the Wing party instantly went down, never 10 rise
again. Democrats seeded, and stood aioof the
counsry was COMPOUNDED, and, amid the perpisxi-
ties Of The hours Republican party Was seen gath
al Al
with little chow Of organisation, TO rescue, If it
were not now too late, the cause ef freedom and
labor, 20 unexpectedly and grievously impcriiedi in
thu Territories If the United States.
! will not linger over the sequel. The popular
sotereigpty Of Kansas proved 10 be the State SOW.
ersgnty Of Missouri, MT only in the persons Of the
rulers but even in the letter of nm arbitrary and
crpel code, The perfect freedom proved 10 be- .
hateful ard intoifrabic bondage. Prom is 55 10
1860 Kansas, sustained and encouraged only BY the
Republican party, has been engaged in successive
and ever-yaFying struggles. which have taxed all
her virtue, wisdom, moderation, energy and re-
sources, and often even her physical strength and
artial TO save herself from being betrayed
into the Union rs slave State. Nebraska, though
choosing freedom, 10, through the direct exercise
Of the Executive power, overriding her own will,
held as q slave Territory and New Mexico has re-
lapseA voluntarily into the practice of slavery,
from which she lad redeemed herself while she yet
rem AIMED q part OF the Mexican Republic. Mean
ground Of popular sovereignty as far as that ground
Is from the Ordinance OF 1887, new stands on the
position that both Territorial governments and
Copgrcss arc incompetent TO legislate against
slavery in tbs Territories, while they not only
competent, bat obliged when 1t is necessary TO
legisiate for its protection there.
In this and extreme position the Demo era tic
party now NJ asks itself behind the battery of the
/ SuIr e90urt, as IT ssrs possibly true con-
structiou Of the Const that the powcr of de-
ciding practically forever between freedom and
slavery in portion Of the continent far exceeding
all that ~ yet organized, should be renowned BY
Congress, which alone possesses any legislative
authority, and should be umed and exercised by
court which can only take cognxance OF the great
question eoiiateraly, in . private action between
individuals and which action the Constitution will
not ser the court entertan If Ii involves TWEEN
ts dollars OF money, without the overruling inter-
vcntion Of jury of twelve good and lawful men
Of the neighborhood whore Mo litigation arises
The indepe ndent, verrenewed and ever-rscurirnp
representative Parliament Diet, Congress or Leg
islature, is the chief, -ramount essential in
dispensable institution in IL Republic. Even lib
erty, guaranteed by organic law, yet III it be hsld
by osher tenure than the guardian care of such a
representative popular assem- bly, is bat precarosly
maintained while slavery enforced by an rrespon
sible judicial tribunal, Is the conpletest possible
development of despotism. TIT
Mr.. President, did ever the annals OF any Gov
eminent show more rapid or more complete de-
parture from the wisdom and virtue of It's found
ers? Did ever the Government Of great empire
fcun ded on The rights of human labsr, slide away
fast and 20 far and moor itself % ousy on
the basis OF capital, and tisat cspitsi invested In
laboring men Did evsra fires re pres Iii VI Lee
siature, inv sled with powers 30 great, and with
the guardianship Of rights 80 important, Of trust.
80 sacred, of interests 50 precious, aud OF hopsa
| onse 80 noble and 20 comprehensive surrendor and
renounce the "a al 10 unnecessarily, 30 unwissly
fatally, and 20 nglcriously2 II 1t be true, o. ey
cry iinct n nature, and every precept Of DO
litical experience teaches NJ, that
| ''Ill fares the land, to fastening ills prcy,
Where wealth Accumulates aud men decay
then where in Ireland, in Italy, In Poland, or il
Hungary, his any ruler prepared for . generoul
and confding people dsappointments, disasters, sns
cahmities, equal 70 those which the Governmen
Oh the United States holds now SUI pended over ),
large PARTON Of the continent Of North Amcrica
C,tissns of the United States In thespirit OF THU
policy, sabverted the free ltopublio Of Nicaragua