Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-01-18

But our political opponents who have dis
honored the word compromise, who trampled
without a moments hesitation, upon a compro-
mise when they expected to gain by it, now
ask US to again compromise. by securing sla-
very south of a geographical line. To this
we might fairly say There is no 5tcnsion for
compromise. We have done no wrong ; we
have no apologies to make, and no concessions
to offer. You choose your ground. and we
accept your issue. We have beaten you, and
you must submit, as we have done in the past
and as we would have done if the voice of the
people had been against US. As good citizens
you must obey the laws, and respect the con-
stitutional authorities But re IrH meet neuV
questions Of Naturalization nth liberal spir-
ii. Witioua surTendsriag our oonUictions an
the least, lrs mag notr diPoss Of the Terrific
rial eoafroreTsy By the exercise of vnquesftoned
Congressional power.
The only territory south of the line. except
that which, by treaty with Indian tribes, can
not be incInded within the jurisdiction of a
State, is New Mexico. She has now popula-
ton enongh for admission as a State Let
Congress admit her as a State. and then she
has the acknowledged right to form. regulate
and modify her domestic Institutions. She
has now nominal slave cCdc framed, and
urged upon her by territorial officers. Prac-
tically, slavery does not exist there. In the
region where the earth yields her increase
only by practice of irrigation, slave labor will
not be employed. At any rate, it is better to
settle all questions about slavery there. by ad-
mitfing the territory as a State. While a
territory, it is insisted that Congress may pro-
hibit it, and that the people have an undispu-
ted right to exclude slaves. Why not, by ter
minating their territorial condition, determine
this controversy? The same course might
now properly be adopted with all the terrific
ries of the United States
In each Of the territries there are now
small settlements scattered along the lines of
transit Within five years the least popu-
lOus viii contain sufficient population for e
representative in Congress. Dacotah, Wash
ington, Nevada and Jefferson are destined
soon to be as familiar to us as Kansas and
Nebraska. 1t IS rel ieorthy The consideration
Of the old States qriether 1t is not better to DIS
penSe nth all terr LordI organi=dionS-Gt-
rays erpensiUe and turbIent-dnd al once TO
eIrre he trioje into Staes Of Convenient size,
far admission. THIS lras the Jefersonian PIN
uh.ct did not contemplate territories, but
States. 1t was also sanctioned by General
Taylor, and, but for his death, would have
been adopted.
Tiiiis is an easy, efectual remedy, rithin The
Polesr Of Congress, and nj ais nature an IRE
Uooatle aci. There IS no necessity Of fan amend
ment TO fhe Constitution. II Is not at all prob
able Liat flro thirds of the STATES can agree TO
any amendments. Why attempt it unless to
invite new conquests, new acquisitions, to
again arouse sectional al imosoties? We
know that if Mexico is acquired the South
will demand it for Slavery, and the North for
free Institutions We must roregO, for the
present, new conquest, unless the love of ac-
quisilion is stronger than the love of domestic
peace.
Suppose it be conceded that the Constitu-
iiOn should be amended, what amendment will
satisfy the South Nothing less than the pro.
lection of slavery in the territories. But our
people have pronounced against it. All who
voted for Mr.. Lincoln or Mr. D buglas-over
three million three hundred thousand citizens
voted against this claim. Less than a mil
lion voted for it. Should a great majority
Yield 10 Il meagcr minority, especially under
threats of diSunon This minority demanded
that slavery be protected by the Constitution.
Our fathers would not allow the word ''slavc"
or slavery" in the Constitution. when all the
States but one were s!aveholding. Shall we
introduce these words when 4 majority of the
States are free, aud when the progress of civ
ilizalion has arrayed the world against slavery?
If the love of peace, and case, and O!lica, shoud
tempt politicians to do it, the pcope will re-
btl. assure you, whatever may be the con-
sequence, they will not yield their moral con-
viciions 10y strengthening the influence of
slavery in this country. Recent events have
only dcepened this feeling. The struggle to
establish slavery in Kansas the frequent muir
ders and mobbings, in the South, of Northern
citizens the present turbulence and violence
of Southern society the manifest fear of the
freedom of speech and of the press the dam
ger OF inxurrection and now, the attempt to
subvert the government rather than submit to
a Constitutional elcction-these events, dis
guise it as you may, have aroused a counter
irritation in the North that will not allow its
Representatives, to yield, merely for peace,
more than is prescribed by the letter and spirit
of the Constitution. Every guar autee Of this
instrument ought to be faithfully and religious
ly observed. But when it is proposed to
change it, to secure new guarantees to slavery,
to extend and protect it, you invoke and arouse
the anti-slavery feeling of the North to war a
g1irst slavery everywhere.
/ am, therefore, opposed to any change of
The Constitution, and to any compromise that
will surrender any of the principles sanctioned
by the people in the recent contest. If the
Personal Liberty bills of any State infringe
upon the Constitution, they should at once be
repealed. Most of them have s'umbered up
on the statue book for years. They are now
seized upon by those who are plotting disunion
as pretext 1t is always right and proper
for each State to apply to State laws the test
of the Constitution.
1t is remarkable fact that neither of the
border free States-New Jersey, Pennsylva-
MIA, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, nor Iowa-have
any such upon their statute books. The laws
of these States against kidnapping are similar
to those of Virginia and Kentucky. The laws
of other States, so called, have never operated
to release a single fugitive slave, and may be
regarded simply as protest Of those States
against the harsh features Of the Fugitive
Slave Law. So far as they infringe upon the
Constitution, or impair in the least constitu-
tionaI right, they are void, and ought to ne
repealed
venture the assertion that there have been
more cases of kidnapping of free negroes, in
Ohio, than of peaceable or unlawful rescue OF
fugitives in the whole United States. 1t has
been shown that the law Of rccapture and the
penalties of rescue have been almost invariably
executed. Count up all the cases of rescue oi
negroes in the North, and you can ffnd in your
newspapers more cases of unlawful lynching
aud murder of white men in the South. These
cases have become so frequent aud atrociouf
as to demand the attention Of the general gov
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