Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-03-09

theirs authorized Congress IL mako all need
ful rules and regulations concerning the ar
rangement and disposition of the public lands
and 10 admit new Statos. So the Cnnstitn-
tion, while it does not disturb or affect the
system Of c%arital 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 juris-
diction. not a. capital, but as a person.
WHAT THEY DID IN CONGRESS.
What wa. the action of the Fathers in
Cong ees? Thew admitted the new States f
the Southwest as %carital States, because 1t
was practically impossible IN do otherwise,
and nv the ordinance Of 1887. confirmed in
1889. they provided for the or anization and
admission of only labor States in the NortN-
west. They directed f~ugitives from service to
he restored. not as chattels. hut as persons.
They awarded NATURALIZATION to immigrant
free laborars and thew prohibited tie trade in
African labor. This disposition Of the VIII lie
snhiAct was in harmony with the condition
Of society. and 10 the main with the spirit of
the ACE. The sovpn y .rthprn States c intent
edlv hocame labor States nv III ir own acts.
The six s uthcrn States with cqual tranquil
" ard nv thcir own determination. remained
capital States.
WHAT THEY DID NOT FoREsEE.
The circumstances which the fathers did
not c'enrlv fpresee were two. namely the
re- invigor,tipn Of elnvprv consequent on the
inrreas d consumnti N of cotton, and the
extension of the natl NAL domain across the
Mi~>iSs ppi. and these occurred before 1920.
TIE S-ate Of Louisiana. formed on a slave
holding French settlement within the newly
acquired Loulsianian Territory. had then
ALREADY been admitted into the Union. There
vet remained. however a vast region. which
included Arkansas and Missouri. t gether
with the then unpcrupied and even unnamed
Kansas and Nebraska. Arkansas. a slave
holding c immunity. was nearly ready u APP
Ply. and Missouri. another such Territory,
was actually APPLYING for admission into the
Federal Union. The existing capital States
seconded these applications. and claimed that
the Whole Louisian an Territory was right
fully open t. slavery, and u the organization
OF future slave States. TIE labor States main
tanned that Congress had supreme legislative
power within the domain, and could and
ought to exclude slavery there. The ques-
tim thus opened was one which related not
at all TO slavery in the e1iSting capital States.
1t WAS purely and simTly IA national question
whether the cmInn interest of the whole
Rrpuhlic required that Arkansas. Missouri,
Kansas and Nebraska. should become capital
States, with all the evils and dangers OF slave
~, or be labor States. with all the security.
benefit, and blessings Of freedom. On the de-
csion was s s. ended the question, as was
{ ought, whether ultimately the interior Of
this new continent should be AN asylum for
the oppressed and The exile. coming var after
war and ara q. flor a RI -. 1,r,,ril,- Gr,,, $500
other CIVILIZED land, as well as for the chill
dren OF misfoi tune in our own, or whether.
through the renewal Of the African slave
trade, those magnif cent and luxuriant regions
should be surrender d 10 the control of CAPT
tai wrInging out the fruito Of the earth through
IL AMP verishing toll OF negro slaves. That
question Of 1920 was identically the question
OF 1860, 50 far as principle. and even the field
OF It's application was Concerned. Every ele-
ment OF the controversy now present entered
II then the rishtfulness or the wrungfulness
ofs'avtry it eff CT. present and future; the
constitutional authority II Congress; the
cl.lms OF the Stats. and OF their citize s:
the nature ot the Fedora Union, whether it
Is a compact between the States, or an indie
p'ndent Government, the springs of It's row
ers. and thu ligat res upon their exercise. All
these were discussed with zal and ability
wnich have never been surpassed. History
tells Us, | know not how truly, that the Union
reeieu under the vehemence Of that great de-
bate. Patriotism took counsel from prudence,
and enforced a settlement which has proved
To be not II final one and which, "a is now
Seen, practically left open all the great is
cues winch Were involved. Missouri and Ar
Kansas were admitted as capital States, while
labor Obtained a. "A reservation. the abridged
but comprehensive field OF Kansas and Ne
braska.
NV. when the pr sent conditions of the
various paris of the Inui>ianian Territory arc
observed, and We see that capital retains I'M
disputed possession OF what it then obtained,
while labor l., convulsing he cDlntrv with
50 hard ami s prolonge "a struggle to regain
the lost 60 Iival.nt which was thea yutran
tied u II under circumstance % s. great -
l-mniry. ~ max well desire not To- be un.e-
celvcd II TIE Miss iuri 5,upromls WIS indeed
unnec S>alily accepted by The Tree Sites. in
huencrd 10y - ,sgerlti ms OF the dugrrs OF
dI>uUion. Tne Missouri debate dSclused
trutns of great moment Tor u|lt.rior US.
HAT TRUTHS The MIS- URI DEBATE DISCLOSED.
First. That il i, easy t. combine the cap
Ital Stat : n defense OF even external inter
ests, while il is hard TO unite the Labor States
in a common policy.
Second, That the labor Stats have a nat
ural loyalty to the Union, while the capital
States have II natural facility for alarming
that loyalty by threatening dlSunipn,
Third, hat the capital States d. not prac-
tlcally distinguish between legitimate and
con>tItutIOnal resistance 10 the extension O
slavery M the common Territories IF the IN
ion, and unconstitutional aggression against
slavery established by local laws in the capi-
tai States.
THEN AND NOW.
tt early political parties were ORGANIC
without reference 10 slavery. But sin q 1920
European questions have left US practically
unconcerned. There has been a great in
Crease of invention, mining, manufacture,
and cultivation. Steam on land and on wa
ter has quickened commerce.. The press and
the telegraph have attained prodirIous ac-
and the social intercouIs Sc between the
and their citizens has been immeasur-
ably increased and consequently, their mu-
tual relations aft citing slavery have been.
for many years. subjects of earnest and often
sxcited discussion. 1t is in my way only to !
show how such disputes have operated on l
the course Of political events-not to re-open |
item for argument here. There was a slave !
Instruction IN Virginia. Virginia and Ken L
lucky debated, and to the great sorrow of {
he free States. rejected the system of volun- :
.ary labor. The Colonization Society was .
established with much favor in the capital {
Emancipation societies arose in the u
rec States. South Carylina Instituted pro- T.
to nnllify obnoxious Federal reve- l
lue laws. The capital States complained of c
and legislatures in the labor Sta ties e
or interpreting the constitutional provision 0
or the surrender of fugitIves from service so \
IS to treat them as persons, and not proper q
y, and they Disseminated against colored n
of the labor States, when thew came P
o the capital States. TIL y denied, in Con- Z
ress, the right of petition, and EN- EMBARRASSED &
r deLied the freedom of debate on the sub Z
of slavery. Presses, which undertook 81
he defence of the labor system in the capi- 6