St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-02-21

vantages, but because it is badge of
dishonor to prohibit the migration Of
slaves to the Free Territories My
only reply to this-and trust it will
be regarded as sufficient answer
is: it was not thus regarded by the
fathers of the Republic. They inaug-
uratcd this policy, and never dreamed
that they were humiiating them
selves in the face of the world. Then,
if it did not disgrace a Washington,
nor Jefferson, nor a. Madison, nor
their descendants down to the year
1854, deny that it is badge Of dis
honor now. If this policy did not dis
honor the fathers, it will not disgrace
the sons.
| leave this branch of the subject
with one inquiry how will this COM
plant read on the page of future his
tory? The lowest of your people in
the slave States when they migrate to
the Territories are to be protected by
the laws in the enjoyment Of their
natural rights and it is of that pro-
lection that you complain. Why, sir,
if any one of the meanest people that
live within the limits of any State
should receive injustice within the
jurisdiction of a foreign Power, it
would be just cause of complaint
but how would this nation appear in
the face of the world in complaining
that foreign Jurisdictions protect our
citizens. When robbed of its suphis-
try, this is the substance of the com
plant. And you declare your pur
pose to encounter civil war on this
account On this subject, Mr.. Clay
once said-and commend it to the
serious consideration of secession Sen
atOrs on the other side of the Chamber ::
" But it. unhappily, we should be involved
in war, in civil war, between the two parts of
this tontcleraCy, in which the effort upon the
one side should he to restrain the introduction
OF slavery into the new Territories. and upon
the other side to Gprcc its introduction there
what a spectacle should we present to the as
tOnishmcnt OF mankind. in an effort, not to
propagate right, but must say ii. though
trust it will he understood to be said with no
design to excite teeling-a war to propagate
wrongs III the Territories thus acquired from
Mexico. 1t would be n war in which we
should have no sympathies, no good wishes 4;
in which all mankind would be against us !;
for from the commencement of the Revolution
down to the present time, we have constantly
reprOaChch our British ancestors for the intro
duCtion of slavery into this country. Cong
t'lobc, part |, "ot -, page III.
inquire, Mr.. President, in the next
place, how will secession, and proba-
bly, dreadful civil war, cure any OF
the alleged evils to which | have al
ludcd, aud the long catalogue added
to-day by the Senator from Virginia
In what way will dissolution Of the
Union enable You to recapturc your
runaway slaves 1t would destroy
your redress under the Constitution ::
and 10y the law of nations you have
no redress. Would it repeal the per
sonal liberty bills of which complaint
is sometimes made? Would civil
war and secession prevent in the fu-
turc the election Of sectional candi-
date by the people Of the Free States ?
Would it prevent agitation Of the
subject Of slavery within the limits Of
the Free States? Would it prevent
anybody from hating slavery? Would
it give you the control of the local
Legislatures Of the Free States, and
secure the passage of laws TO allow
you to hold slaves for temporary pur-
poses within their Jurisdictions =!
Would it give you the power to cs-
tablish slavery in the Territories :?
Every one, rs seems to me, must
answer each and all of these inquiries
in the negative.
These complaints, therefore, com.
ing from that part of the Chamber,
sound to me like mere pretcxts. They
are not the reasons of the blustcr and
threats and menace which rcsound
through this Chamber. There is a
reason, however, which justifies itself
by every historical parallel. You
have governed this country for the
last sixty years. You have controlled
its Legislation you have controlled
its Judiciary ; you have controlled its
internal policy you have controlled
its foreign relations you have grown
naughty, proud, and say it without
intending otlence-inSolent. Being
accustomed to command, you have
forgotten how to obey Although you
have been fairly beaten at the polls,
you refuse to yield the Government
into the hands of your constitutional
Successors. You demand that the
victors shall adopt your party dogmas
and your party platform as their poll
cy, or you will rob them of all the
fruits of victory. You propose to
adopt the Mexican policy-whcn van
quishcd at the polls to appeal to
arms to abandon the peaceful poll
cy adopted by your fathers, of settling
questions 10y majOrities according to
law. You prefer the hazard, to say
the least, of settling them upon the
battlefield.
If any one could doubt on this sub
ject, an examination of the terms Of
redress proposed by the vanqushed
party, will dissipatc that dclusion.
Every proposition includes as its car
dinal measure an abandonment Of
their principles by the Republicans,
and, | may add, the Douglas party,
and the adoption of the principles in
corporated in the Brcckinridgc party,
and in the Senate resolutions which
passed this body at the last session of
Congress.
The radical difference between the
Republican party and the Douglas
wing of the Democratic party-or the
northern Democracy, as it is some,
times styled-on the one hand, and
the southern Democracy on the other,
pertains to the right to exclude slave
ry from the Territories. The Repuh-
licans maintained that slavery could
be rightiully and constitutionally ex-
cludcd either by Congress or by the
Territorial Legislatures. The north
ern Democracy, who chiefly voted for
Mr.. Douglas, maintained that slavery
could be rightfully and constitutional
ly excluded by the Territorial Legis-
laturcs only. The Republicans and