The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1861-01-23
Just Concessions NOT Degrading.

The New York Tribune, in exhoring the
Re publicans TO stand firm, wishes to oe un- !
derstood as speaking authoritively when IT |
declares ''that President LgNcoLN is not in
flavor of making concessions or real con.
"cessions, nor in favor of any measures
'looking 10 the hum iIiaton of Freedom or
"lhe free States" We should like TO know
who demands The humiliation of the free
States No person wants single free State
! in this Confederacy to surrender a particle
of lis freedom. We are not asked 10 aban.
don any of our rights 10 do anything that
will in the most remote particular interfere
with our prosperity. But we are asked 10
( repair some oflhe wrongs that the North
! has committed, aud 10 afford the Southern
States some reasonable degree OF security
that they will be safe within lie Union. In
the first place, we are asked to repeal all
! laws III prevent the efficient execution OF
| the fugitive slave law or tend 10 embarrass
| The master in recapturing his fugitive slave
! We are bound 10 obey the constitutional
! INJUNCTION in this particular, aud we are al
a loss 10 perceive what humiliation there
would be in repairing the errors committed
in the passage OF personal liberty laws in
tended 10 nullify this provision of the Con-
stilution. 1t might 5e some humiliation
for those who were instrumental in the pas
sage Of such laws 10 rettace their steps
but this is an individual mater, of no par
ticuar concern to the public. We contend
that no State can be humbled by showing a
proper degree Of zeal in carrying out the
provisions OF the Constitution, or by remoy-
ing any impeachment it may have thrown in
the way of the due execution OF. such pro-
visions. magnanimous man is not hum
bled by coniessing and repairing his faults
-neilher is a great State 1t is only very
small and mean natures that refuse 10 atone
for errors committed, or feel that confess
ion and reparaIion are degrading.
We have YET TO learn that II would be
humiliating for ahy of Ihe free States to
/ recognize and conform 10 the decisions OF
the Supreme Court of The United States
| That court has solemnly adiudged hat Con
gress does not possess power under the
: Federal Constitution to exclude the prop
. erly belonging 10 Southern men from the
5 comm on territory belonging 10 all the States
) of the Union. The Northern States, ol
rather the Republican party. have announ'
2 ced their intention TO exclude slavery from
the Territories, notwithstanding the decis
= ion of the -Supfeme Court, thus pledgins
themselves TO what has been .iudiciaily de
= iermined cannot be done without an infrsc
v ,ion of The Constitution. The South asl
n that the decree of lie court in their fayo
r shall be recognized as paramount law, ant
: The Republicans are afraid that If ihey
= yield 10 this demand the Tree States will b,
Y humbled and degraded. What contempt
p BILE nonsense. The free States would be M
e more degraded by submitting TO the decis
= ion OF the Supreme Courl than any individ
), ual who submits his claim 10 an acre o
: ground and loses it would suffer degrade
5 ton by yielding his claim. If the free
; States have assumed position with refer
\ ence 10 the Territories which is unlenable
Il il is time for them 10 abandon their falls,
o claims. The sooner the better. Free Stale
T cannot be hum5ed by such concessions
o however much hetha5ogueS who have pia
d ced them in false position may be degra
d ded-and we are no; sure that anylhiu;
e could increase the degradation Of the Re
II publican leaders, who have brought In
,r country INTO difficulty by their misrepresen
n talions.
'f No doubt a piralca crew would fee
i. deeply mortified and humbled if they wer
IT captured and compelled 10 make restIlullo
IL OF he effects unIawlulIy seized by them
IS providing they should be so fortunate as /
y escape hanging but no great, Tree, mag
A. unanimous party or State ever be humil
IT lated by doing justice. Neither would
degrade a great party TO preserve the Uno
from disintegra6on aud the horrors OF civ
oi commotion--eyen if peace could only b
e purchased at the price OF substantial con
II cessions and the political overthrow c
T. reckless leaders. Bot no man can estimat
10 the humiliation, the degradation, the retri
= button, in store for The parry which plunge
sr this country into civil war, rather than con
e cede one iola of their extorlionate demand
l. to preserve peace and Union.-PGtrtof 4 Ur
n iOI.