Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-07-17


ern and Southern Sections of the
United states which have resulted
In n Sectional Civil War.
The Government Of the United States, under
our present Constitution. went into operation in
1859, being seventy two years ago.
Ii 10 now rent by civil war; and every patriot
10 trembling with anxiety Tor its fate This con-
dtion of things has happened TO the Government
At time when il is considered that our people are
the most enlightened the best qualified for self
government, and in the enjoyment OF the most
perfect one of any people now existing, or that
ever has existed on the face OF the earth. At q
time, too, when ease and plenty reign throughout
our borders Whence has come this sectional
and fraternal strife and bloodshed? This ques
ton must be answered; the cause OF these diSsen-
tions must be understood. before we can be in =
condition to properly heal them They COM
menced in 1919. Up to that date, no sectional
strife had occurred between the North and the
South under the present Constitution. No dis
cord had made its appearance. The institution
of slavery existed in the eleven Southern States;
il did not exist in the eleven Northern; but il had
not been msde source OF controversy; and the
North had. in the convention, sanctioned, and
afterwards even most ndustriousy pursued the
profits Of the slave trade. Kentucky, Tennessee,
Louisiana. and Mississippi. slave holding st ties.
Union without objection, or at least without Sc
rious objection. on that ground. Territorial gov
ernments had been organized for Louisiana and
Mississippi and in effect for Alabama and Ten
nessee, without any clause excluding African
slavery; but, the other hand. that OF Louisl-
ana, and, IN fact. those of Alabama and Tennes-
see, expressly sanctioned it, q How U. S. Rep.
2l2.) and the right or the slave holders from
other States to migrate into the territory with
their slaves 6 Benton Deb. 39l
+ In the case of Mississippi territory. in 1898.
such exclusion WAS moved b! Mr.. Thatcher
/ OF Massachusetts,, but it received but twelve
votes Bent Deb. vol 9, p. 22l.
The policy of the Government seemed to be
settled upon the proposition that all the people of
the United States had right to the unembar
raised occupancy and purchase OF the public
lands which had been acquired by common effort,
and were Jointly owned; and that. as slavery had
not been made, at the formation of the Consti-
taton a ground of refusal to form Union with
/ slave States 80 il was not to be made ground
OF refusal to admit into the Union formed, addi-
tional slave States a. well as tree, in future.
/ The two sections of the Union we're unequal in
political strength. The then eleven Northern States
hid ll9 electoral and congressional votes, while
the eleven Southern had but l0l; dsproportion
which has been increasing ever since. But though
tie North was thus possessed OF the power. she
had not sought to exercise il oppressiveiy upon
the South all had acted together for the common
good. The Democratic party was in power, and
had been for the sixteen years previous, dating
from the election Of Mr.. Jefferson.
The Northern Hartford Convention Fsderalists
had lie rrred that. upon cid issues, they werehope
lessiy out of Office, and they were seeking tor
some new issue on which to organize party with
the purpose of regaining political power. The
occasion presented itself in the Missouri Re-
srRIcrIoS. On Saturday, the 18th day OF Feb
ruary. 1919 bills, in the usual form. wee pend
ing. to enable Maine, Missouri and Alabama to
/ form State governments with 8 view to admis
! sion into the Union That relating to Missouri
WAS first taken up, ~hen Mr.. Tallmsdge moved
/ MS an amendment to the bill: "That the further
introduction of slavery, or involuntary seryitude,
be prohibited" &C., in Missouri. Bent. Deb, vol.
6, pp. 1893, 1884
Thus and then and there, the Pandora's
box of a sectional party opened. What train of
evils has issued from it!
! 1t occurred, it may be remarked just nine years
after the slave trade had Leen prohibted-that
having been done in ls05-by which trade the
/ North, with great profit, had supplied the South
with great number of her slaves, which the
North now sought to render of as little value rs
possible.
! Arkansas had been under the same Territorial
government with Missouri; and, on the latter
! forming State government. it became necessary
! to organize Territorial government for the for
! mer. This, Congress proceeded to do, and. on
/ Wednesday, February II, 1919. bill, in the
usual form. WAS pending in Congress for that
/ purpose. when Mr. Taylor novel to amend the
! same "by inserting a clause similar to that in
corporsted. on motion of Mr.. Tallmadge. in the
Missouri bill, to prohibit the existence of slavery
in the new Territory" Bent Deb. vol. 6. p. $50.
The whole of the territory upon parts OF which
these bills we're to severaly operate, was then
1 Il - IL
! the territory acquired from France in 1903,
by treaty, which treaty being supreme law, con-
tanned this provision. in its third article. viz:
"The inhabitants of the ceded territory shall
be incorporated in the Union of the United States
and admitted as soon as possible, according to
principles of the Federal Constitution, to the en-
joyment of all the rights. advantages and immu
mites of citizens of the United States; and in the
meantime shall be maintained and protected in
the free enjoyment of their liberty, property and
the religion which they profess"
/ Thus we're the attempts made simultaneously.
in Congress. to refuse the admission of slave
/ State and to exclude slavery from the common
territories, and upon the avowe ed ground of chang
ing the policy of the Government, and establish
ing the rules to be applied in all future cases, Of
no more slave States and no more slave terrific
riss.
Against these attempts, the South struggled on
]
tice of the North, till February %. 1921. when
the attempts were overthrow, and Missouri
admitted with her Constitution as her peO-
pie had made it. the Arkansas restriction having
been also defeated. and from that time the South
has been denounced overriding the North be-
cause in that instance she prevented the North
! from overriding her. and those of the North who
were unwilling to join in the crusade of overriding
the South have since been denounced as click
spit.les and dough faces"
In the two years of earnest, heated, often an
cry discussion which took place upon the bills
above mentioned, threatening excitement was
produced. Sooner, said Northern men in that
| discussion, let the Union be dissolved and civil
war deluge the land in blood than that slavery
shall cross the Mississippi river. See the Speeches
of Talmsdge, TAYLOR, ard others, in the 9th vol
OF Bent. Deb. 1t artifcially gotten up in
the North, with a view of frightening the South.
Sad Mr.. Johnson. of Virginia:
| Gentlemen tell Va that there is great excite
ment in the country, and desire MS to be quiet and
patient, lest should add to the excitement
And pray, sir. by whom has this excitement been
produced? From what quarter did the PROPOSE
| ton Gomez he amendment excluding slavery.
Where have town and county meetings been got
ten up to manufacture resolutions of thanks to
individual members of Congress, to stimulate
them to 60 on in this choice work Of excitementl
Not in the slavcholdng States-not in Virginia;
but IN the States north and east OF the Potomac
in New York and New England Do gentlemen
believe that they will be permitted 70 produce
state Of agitation and excitement in the country
and then to avail themselves of the state of pub
lie feeling in order to silence opposition Gentle
| mon will excuse if we can not initiate the
meekness Of the lamb which crops the fowery
food and ticks the hand just raised to shed its
blood"
Says Mr.. Hardin Of Kentucky: "0n our side
OF the House, Mr. Chairman. We are contending
not for victory, but struggling tor political
existence. We have already surrendered to the
on-slaveholding States all that region of the
American empire between the great rivers Ohio
and Mississippi; and if you tear from us that i'm
mense country west Of the Mississippi. we may at
once surrender at discretion crouch At the feet of
our adverssries. and beg mercy of our proud and
| naughty victors.
xitl, ts of rraer,ori.ls