New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-03-01


labor or service but shall be delivered up on claim
the peson TO whom such labor service shall be due
Free laborers would immigrate and slaves might be
imported into the States. The fathers agreed that
Congress may establish uniform laws of naturaIi, atiop
and it might prohibit the importation of persons after
lSOs. Communities in the 81 uth-west detached from
the Southern stsee wero growing up in the practice
of Slavery, to be capital States. New States would
soor grow up in the Northwest, while as yet capital
stood aoof and labor had not lifted the AK to begin
there its endess but benefcent task. The fathers
thorzed Congress to make all needful rules and regu
laors concerning the management and disposition of
the public lands, and to admit States. So tho
Constitution while IL does not disturb affect the
system of capital in slaves existing in any State under
its own laws does, at the same time recognize every
human being when within any exclusive sphere of
Federal jurisdiction not as capital but as person.
What was the action of the fathers in Congress
They admitted the new States of the Southwest
capital States because 1t practically impossible to
Go Otherwise and by the ordinance of l7S7 confirmed
in I7S9 they provided for the organization and admis
eion of only labor States In the Northwest They d.
rected ugves from service TO be restored not as chat
tels bu, as persone. They awarded naturalization TO
immigrant free laborers and they prohibited the trda
in African labor. This disposition Of the whole subject
was in harmony with the condition Of society, and in
the MAN. with the spirit of the age. The seven North
ern States contentedly became labor States by their
own acts. The six Southern States with equal tran
GUILTY. and by their determination remained capt.
tai States.
The circumstances which the fathers did not clearly
foresee were two, namely the reinvigoraou of Sla-
yery cOnseuuent on the increased consumption of cot
ton and the extension of the national domain across
the Mississippi and these occurred before 1870. The
State OF Louisiana formed on slayeholdlng French
settlement. within the newly-acquired Lousianian
Territory, had then already been admitted into the
Union. There yet remained, however, vast region
which included Arkansas and Missouri, together with
the then unoccuped and even unnamed Kansas and
Nebraska. Arkansas, sayeholding community, was
nearly ready to apply and Missouri another such Ter
rtory was actually applying for admission into tho
Federal Union. The existing Capital States seconded
these applications and claimed that the whole Louisi-
anan Territory rghtfuly open to Slavery, and 10
the organization of future Slave States. the Labor
States maintained that Congress had supreme legsa-
tive power within the domain, and could and ought TO
exclude Slavery there. The question thus opened was
one which related not at all to Slavery In the existing
Capital States. 1t was purely and simply national
question whether the hteres. Of the whole Re-
public required that Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and
Nebraska should become Capital States, with all the
evils and dangers Of Slavery, or be labor States with
all the security, benefits and blessings OF freedom.
On the decision was sended the question, as was
thought whether ultimately the interior Of this new
continent should be asy for the oppressed and
the exile coming year after year and age after age,
voluntarily from every other civilized land, as well as
through the renewal of the African sayetrade, those
magnificent and luxuriant regions should be surren
dered to the control of capital wringng out the fruit
of the earth through the mpoverishing toll OF negro
slaves That question Of 1920 was identicaly the
question Of 1860, 80 far as principle, and even the
field Of it's application was concerned. Every element
of the controversy now present entered II then; the
riohtfuness or the wrongfuness Of Slavery It's ef-
fects present and fuure the Constitutional authority
of Congress; the claims Of the States, and Of their
citizens the nature Of the Federal Union whether it
is q compact between the States or an independent
Government; the springs Of its powers, and the ga-
lures upon their exercise. Al there were discussed
with zeal and ability which have been surpassed
History tells us know no: how truly that the Union
Teeed under the vehemence Of that great debate. Pa
triotism took counsel from prudence, and enforced
settlement which has proved TO be not final ono; aud
which, az is seen, practically left open all the
great political issnes which were involved Missouri
and Arkansas admitted as capital States, while
labor obtained q reservation the abridged but yet
comprehensive field of Kansas and Nebraska.
Now, when the present conditions OF the various
parts of the Louisanisn Territory observed and
we zee that capital retains undputed possession OF
what il then obtained while labor is convulsiDg the
country with 60 hard and so prolonged a struggle 10 /
regain the lost equivalent which was then guaranteed
10 IL under circumstances Of so great soemnty, we
may well desire not to be undecelved II the Missouri
Compromise was indeed unnecessarily accepted by the
Free States influenced by e1aggeratons Of the dangers
of Disunion The Missouri debate disclosed truths Of
great oment for Interior use:
First. That il is easy to combine the capital States
in defense of external interests, while ia hard
10 unite the labor States IN a common policy.
Second That the labor States have natural 10y
atty 10 The Union while the capital States have nat
ura facility for alarming that loyalty by threatening
TTird That the capital States do not practically
Distinguish between legitimate and cons iuional re-
sistsnce TO the extension of Slavery in the common
Territories of the Union and unconstitutional sggres
zion against Slavery established by local laws IN the
capital States.
reference to Slavery. But since loO, European ques
tons have left practically unconcerned There has
been great increase Of invention, mining maniac
ture, and cultivation Steam on land and on water
has duckened commerce. The press aud the tele- |
graph have attained prodigious activity, and the social
Intercourse between the States and their citizens has
been immeasurably increased; and consequently their
mutual relations affecting Slavery have been Tor many
subjects Of earnest and often excited discussion
II ia in nv way only 10 show how such disputes have
operated on the course of political events-not to re-
ouen them for argument here. There was slave In
surrection in Virginia Virginia and Kentucky de-
baied and to the great Of the Free states re-
ected the system OF voluntary labor. The CooniZa-
ton Society was established with much favor III the
capital States. Emancipation Societies arose 10 The
Free Slatse. South Carolina Instituted proceedings 10
uulfy obnoxious Federal revenue laws. The capital
States complained Of Courts and Legislatures in the Ia
Dor States for interpreting the constitutional provison
for the surrender Of from vice go ~ TO treat
them as persoDs, and not property and they dscrm-
inated against coored persons OF the labor States when
thew came 70 the capital States They denied 10 Con.
0ress the right of petition, aud embarrassed Or denied
freedom of debate on tho subject of Slavery Presses,
which undertook the defense OF the labor system IN the
capital States were suppressed by violence, and even
Ia the labor Staes public assemblies, convened 10 con-
sider Slavery questioDs dispersed by mobs SYM
pathiZng with the capital Stsies. ..
The Wing party being generally an opposition party
practced some forbearaDce toward the interest OF labor
The Democratic party, not without demonstrations el
lNy 0upda "a