Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-01-23

1
"nu democratic communities would arise
winch would apply themselves To The hon
oracle oihcG OF breeding slaves, to be com
sumed nn thefrce and Democratic nlant1.
Iions OF the South, Nni of thus replacing
the African slave trade hy an internal
trathc in human GeSL, carried on under
circumstances of almost equal u1Foci,v
tnrough the heart of free and Democrat
lc nation. Democracy has verify strong
aleeSt'on' nnd one not to be interfered
with by trifes.
But the most melancholy part of the
matter IS, that during the sevcuty years
for which the American Contedsrscy hos Es a
existed, the whole tone of sentiment with
regard to slavery has, in the Southern
States at least, undergone n remarkable
chnnge' Slavery used to be treated
us thoroughly exceptional institution
AS tue evil legacy OF evil timcs-ns
~ disgrace to II Constitution founded on
Ethe natural freedom and independence of
mankind. There was hardly a political
leader of any note who had not some plan
Tor its abolition. jefferson himself. the
greatest chief of the Democracy, had in
me early part of this century, speculated
IeePly on this subject; but the United
suites became posssssessed of Lonisiana
ana Florida, they have. conquered Tex
u.s. 'nSy nave made Arkansas and Missouri
INTO States, and these successive uc0us;-
tions have altered entirely the view with
winch Slavery is regarded. Perhaps as
much as anything, from the long license
enjoyed by the editors of the South of
writing what they pleased in favor of
slavery, rtM The ubSolHte certainty that
no one 'rOutd be found bold eAoula 10
''r'te Gnythimg OH tie Otder side, and thus
maze h'H'self u mark for popular rsngegncs.
the subject has come to be written ON in n
tone OF ferocinus and cynical extravaganza
which IS to nn European eve absolutely
appalling. Tile South has become enqDored
| Of her shame. Free labor is denounced as
degrading and disgrtccfll the honest tri-
umphs of the poor man who works his way
10 independence are treated with scorn
anu contempt. 1t is asserted that what
we are in the habit of regarding us the
honorable pursuits of industry incapaci-
tate nation for civilization and refine
nent, and that no institutions can be re-
ally free and democratic which do not rest
Ike those of Athens and of Rome, on5k
oroAd suhstratum of Slavery. So far
from treating Slavery as an exceptional
institution it is regarded by these demo-
cratic philosophers as the natural state of
a great portion of the human race; and.
so far from admitting that America ought
to look forward to its extinction, it is con-
tended that the property in human crea-
lures ought to be as universal as the nro-
Perty in land or in tame animals.
Nor have these principles been merely
inert or speculative. For the last 10 or l 2
years Slavery has altered here tactics, and
.Jr0m a defcHStUc SIDE has become an Gygreygivs
Pomer. Every compromise which the mod.
Grafton of former times had erected to
stem the course of this monster evil has
been swept away, and that not hy the en-
cro"chment of the North, but by the ag-
grcssive ambition of the South. With n
majority In Congress and in the Supreme
/ Court of the United States, the advocates
oil slavery have entered upon a career the
object of which would seem to he TO make
! their fNvOrite institution cOterminous with
the limits of the Republic They have
swept away the Missouri Compromise.
which limited slavery to the tract south Of
80 degrees of north latitude. They have
forced upon the NOrth--in the Fugitive
Slave biii-R measure which cOmpels
them to lend their assistance TO tue South
in the recovery of their escaped bondmen,
In the case OF kunsns they have sought by
force of arms to assert their right of bring
ing slaves into free Territory, ana in the
Dred Scott case they obtained an extra
judicial opinion from the Supreme Court.
which would have placed all the Terrific
rieS at their disposal. All this while the
North has been resisting, feebly and incf-
tectually, this succession of Southern up-
gressiOns All that was desired was
peace, ard that peace could not he obtains
ed. While these things were done, the
South continued violently to upbraid the
Abolitionists of the North MS the cause of
all their troubles, and the ladies of South
Carolina showered presents aud carcsscs
on the brutal Nssuiinnt of Mr.. Sumner.
In 1856 the North endcavnred to elect n
President who, though fully recognizing
the right OF the South to its slave propcrl
ty, was opposed to its extension in the
Territories. The North were defeated,
and submitted almost without murmur
to the result. On the present occasion the
South has submitted to the same or,lcnI,
hnt not with the same success. They
have taken their chances of clecting n
President Of their own vicws, but they
lmvc failed. MIR. Lincoln, like Col. Frc-
mont, fully recognizes the right of the
South to its institution of Slavery but,
like him, he is opposed to its extension.
This cannot be endured. With majority
IN both Houses of Congress and in the
Supreme Court OF the United States. the
South cannot submit to u President who
49, 9SA ''t'At' butGsS every
power in the Constitution is to be strained
in order to promote the progress of Slave
ry, they will not remain in the Union
they will not wait to sec whether thev are
injured but resent the first check To their
onward progress as Hn intOlcrHbIe injury
This, then, is the result of the history of
Slavery. 1t began as n tolerated, it has
ended as anaggressiyc institution; nnd, if
it now threatens to dissolve the Union.
Il is not because ii has anything 10 fear for
thaf tchich Il Posssssss GireHdy Guf 6s-7uzs IL
has rectfrei d check TO its hopes Of future
aegWiStioH.
tror N.,...,,,E