The Jasper weekly courier., 1861-02-27

1
slavery 10 the Territories presented in Ia,
angry and excited form which has since civ
J en- us 80 much trouble and anxiety.
After much angry feeling and discussion ol
both sides, 90 preliminary measure, II wa
enncted by Congress. that north OF q Ger
tain line since known ns the Missouri com
promise line. slavery or involuntary seryi
'ude should thereafter be prohibited. Will
This. much Of The opposition 70 the a3plica
ton of Missouri was withdrawn, and proyi
lsions were made BY which she was admitted
na one Of the States OF this Confeierrcv
These measures were ncquicscei in; and
thus again was The slavery question disposed
cfby acting upon the ider Of division oftc.-
ritory between those who desired to t,lerste
and those who desired 10 prohibit slavery.
| As one result Of The Msxioaa war. we
rrquired avery large new is,ric, or country.
Az perliriatry TO thi acquisition. II was
proposed II Congress to foreyer exclude
slavery from rlltcrritory 70 be TINS acquired.
If Tread the history o, the country corset
", Ill is no frst time proposition was
ever seriously urrei 70 exclude slave hcls
ere from 81 the Territories of the United
Sta'es. Those who now contend that such
a policy isln accordance withihe practices Or
the fathers n the Republic, certainly DO noi
read history impariial'y. That mary or them
cn'erteined anii-slavery views, hardly
cranbut they rsver went SO fsr ns 10 st
tempt, either By coneii'uiional provision, or
congre ersional enactment 10 exclude slavery
from al common Territories. As before
remarked, theirs was rather policy Of d.
vision, md not Of total prohibition or ex-
clusion.
The proposition thus 70 exclude slavery
from the proposed newly-acqnircd territory
failed. Aaer i's acquisition. q proposition
wes brought forward 70 extend Ire Missouri
lire through hi. icrritory to The Pacific
ocean. That also failed
10 1850, ~ part Of the compromlse
measures pf ihnt year. and az one of The
necessities Of the times, new policy in re-
la;ion % slavery II the Territories was in|
augurs'ed. II vas provided thar The people
Interested shonld determine whether they
would have slavery, Or not, without the in-
'crven'i0n Of Congress; thus ebarioninE
the older policy Of division. This plan
seemed % beso much III accordance with
he genius cf our Goreramen'. and ~ such
'ssy univcrsal application 70 sll Territories,
situated that il was embraced BY
10Th q the leading nelilicnl pariies Or he
lay. II bn' remained TO repeal the act Which
'ssnblshed the Missouri line, 70 maize this
principle applicable 10 a y then existing Ter.
ito'ies, and this was accordingly done IN
Ls54
E9lwi'hrsniinc ihe opposition which fol-
. wed The repeal % he Missouri linz. !. in
'ommcn with thousands Of other friends cfl,
4 that measure never doubted that the prin-
irie on which IL was done would re nrai.
anciionci W ,hu people. Such Tbelieve 70 ,
v The opinion Of a msjoTiiy Of the Amer. .
I'm people to-day on the abssract question
lone. Eit other questions have now over
hsdowcd this one; and il il with The exl- !,
'eacIea Of The hour that tie pracii states
mar must deal.
Bearing upon this question Of popular SOW
rafuutv fo~.. - ~, ~~,n..tt..
he theory Of congressional ;ntervcn'ior,l I
he decision Of the Supreme Court Of The
Jniled States, IN the Dred Scott case, has
'laycd an imporfsn, part. Whatever differ /;
noes Of opinion may prevail either among
~ political friends or nv political oppo- ,
tents, in relation 10 this darsion, il IL duel
Q frankness 10 cay that was not taken .
" surprise ty n; aud that, from The iirs', !
cry cheerfulIy acquesccd III Il. In the first,
lace, felt i my duty, as good citizen
Q yield obedience 10 the tribunal which !
pronounced this decision. la the nexl
lace, the reasons assigned BY majority oft
ne jadgcs who concurrcd ii il, were, to me, ,
satisfactory a. 70 The conclusions TO which Z
he court arrived. hSve not time 10 re- 1
Jew that decision now; but | will remark |
n passing, that II i be conceded that the !
light oi tho master in the services OF his \
lave be under any State law, vested pro. !
crty righ', then none but a sovereign pow. q
: can divest this right. Il follows, there i
pre, that 10 enable any legislative body 10 4