The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-09-12

not failure because Hamilton Jay and Madison
were competent, and the Federal party was con.
slant, and the people gave It connding ana
generous support.
L was no, ia 800 that the national deviation
took place Then were disclosed new pubic
necessity, new object, and new principle. A
-enaration and removal Of aristocratic checks
and interests from the mechanism of our repub
Fcan institutions The needed reform did not
fail. tecause Jefferson and George Clinton, with
heir associates, braved all resistance, the Re
publican party defended, and the people sustain.
cd them.
Again the departure did not occur in 1912.
Then was discovered a farther necessity, bring
ng into view a farther object Of introducing yet
another New and noble principle Of action. The
uecessiry, viad.cstOn OF national rights, the
object, freedom OF intercourse with mankind ;
the principle, the defense OF our homes ana our
honor. The of 1912 was a success, because
Clay, Calhoun and Tompkins did rot shrink from
the trial the Republican party approved and
the people sustained them.
n l.ZD, however, the nation uncOnscIously
reached and entered new stage in It's sue
crssfa career, namely, tina, Of expansion. BY
purchases from France and Spain il had e1-
tended its borders from the 81. Mary's south
ward around the peninsula o. Florida, and from
tho Mississippi 10 the Rocky Mountains-an ex-
ps-i.ioa 70 be afterwards Indefinitely continued
We all know the advantages Of expansion.
They have augmented wealth and population.
Bu, we all know equally well, il we will only
reflect, that no ne" advantage 10 ever gained IN
national, more than in individual life. without
exposure to some new danger. What then, Is
,be danger that attends expansion II is moth
i1g less and can I've nothing less, than an increase
Of the strain upon the bonds Of the Union. The
time had come to organize governments finally
in the newly acquired territory Of Louisiana, on
principles that should DO applied thereafter in all
cases Of further expansion. This necessity
brought into glazing light new object, namely,
since the only existing cause OF mutual aliena-
ton among the States slavery, which was
already carefully circumscribed by the ordinance
of 1851, that anomalous institution must be fur
Their circumscribed by extending the ordinance
to cover the new States 10 be established in the
I.ouisianian purchase. To this end new and
humane impulse naturally moved the country,
namely, the freedom Of human labor.
But although statesmen qualified for the crisis
appeared, no party stood forth to support them
Fi.h constancy, and the country, after q tempo
TiTg glow o! FREQ soil excitement, subsidized into
cold iudilerence-and 80 q compromise was
made which divided the newly acquired domain
between fec labor and capital in slaves-be-
t0eeu freedom and siavery--a memorable conf
promise, which, after trial of only thirty four
cars, proved to be effective only In its conces-
5.0ns to slavery, while its greater guarantees Of
freedom were found unavailiDg and worthless
History says that the compromise OF 1920 vas
necessary to saye the Union from disruption.
10 not dispute history, nor debate the settled
moral questions Of the past / only lamen, that
"a mo- Uicin
tells US that the course then adopted was wise
do not controyert it. / only mourn the occur
renee Of even ono Case-mOss certainly the only
orc that ever did happen-in which the way Of
wisdom has failed to be also the way Of pleas
lntness and the path Of peace. |. was in lS2oo
We have continued ever since the divcrgen,
course then so nconsiierstely entered until a,
last We have reached point where amidst con.
fusion, beaderncnt and mutual determinations
in seems alike impossible to 20 forward or to re-
turn We have added territory after territory
and region after region, with the customary
boldncss Of fceby resisted conqaerors, no, mere.
I, nececting to keep slavery out of our new pos
sessions, bu, actually removing all the barriers
against It which We found standing at the times
at conquest. In doing this we have defed the
moral opinions ~ mankind, overturned the law,
and systems of our fathers, and dishonored their
glorious constitution which they gave us, carries
with It, it attends OR eagles, not freedom and
personal rights TO the oppressed, but slavery and
a hateful aHl banclul commerce in slaves, where
ver We sil conquest by sea or land over the
whoit n... .re globe
" hiie must now, III Difference to history,
excuse he hrst divergence, it is manifest that
Olr subsequent persistence in the same course
las been entirely unnecessary and unjustifisble.
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Canada, what
remains OF Mexico, all the West Indies and
Central America arc doubtless very desirable,
but We have patiently waited for them, and are
now likely TO wait until they can be acquired
w!thou; receiving slavery with them, or OK
tending it over them. Nay, all the resistance
We have ever met in sdling Spanish American
territories to our Republic, has resulted from
our willtui and perverse purpose Of subverting
freedom there, 10 blight the fairest portion OF
the earth when We found il free, by extending
over il our oniy national agency Of desolation.
We NAV doubtless persist still further We
may add conquest 10 conquest, for resistance
10 our ambition daily grows more and more
Impossible, until We surpsss in extent and ap-
parent strength the greatest empires of an
r'rnt ~ modern times, all the while enargng
the area Of African bondage but after our al
ready ample experience, | think no one will be
bold enough 20 deny that We equally increase
the evils Of discomfort and the dangers of do
mestic faction.
Fellow citizens, while | lamen. the national
divergence have thus described I do not con-
less ii to be altogether inexcusable. Much less
DO blame any one or more Of our politicians or
parties, while exempting others. All are, in
different degrees, perhaps, responsible alike, and
all have abundant, IL not altogether adequate
excuses. Deviation once begun, without reali-
zing the immediate presence of danger, i: was
easier to continue on than 10 return The coun-
try has all the time been growing richer and
more prosperous and populous. 1t was not I'M
natural that we should disregard warnings of
what we were assured by high though interest
ing authorities, always were distant, improbable
and even visionary dangers. II cannot be denied
that the African races among US are abject, al
though their condition, and even their presence
here are due not to their will or fault, but TO
our own, and that they have direct interest in
the question of slavery. How natural has it
been 10 assume that the motive Of those who
have protested against the extension Of slavery,
was an unnatural sympathy with the negro in
stead Of what it always has really been, con-
Germ for the welfare OF the white man. There
are few, indeed, who ever realize that the whole
human race suffers somewhat in the Affections
and caamities which befall the humblest and
most despised Of its members.
The argument, though demanding the most
dispsssonste cslmness and kindness, has too
often been conducted With anger and broken
out into violence.