The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1861-03-06
A Short Chapter Of History.

A Mort Chapter OF History.
The Republican speakers are accustomed
10 say that the exclusion of slavery from
the Territories was the policy of the Fa-
thers of the Republic This is one of the
favorite and stereotyped declarations of
Horace Greeley He endeavors assiduous
ly TO affect the lodgmeni of thi. idea in The
Pnbhc mind, so as 10 impress the belief
that the Republican leaders aim 10 carry
out the policy OF Washington, jefferson,
Madison, and those other great statesmen
who shed Instre on our early history. The
constant repetition of this falsehood has
won many believers in the free States and
in the obstinate refusal of ;he Republicans
to settle on constitutional basis the uues-
ton OF slavery in the Territories, we are
now reaping some of the fruits of this per
nicious tallacy. An article in the Boston
Courier OF late date, deals with this mat.
ter in very clear and satisfactory manner,
and revives some history incidents which
we think it worth while 10 spread before
our readers
In 1898 (says the COURIER The Mssissp
pi territory was formed ,inclnding al first The
lower part of the present Alabama and Mis-
sissippi. BY the organizing act. slavery
was not 10 be prohibited in the Territory -
Her Congress was not fettered by any re-
strictions imposed by cession from a State
MIR. Thatcher of Massac huseits, moved to
strike cut The exception as TO slavery The
debate which ensued is very briefly repor-
ted. MIR. Thatcher used very much the
same arguments which Republicans now
use. He regarded slsvery in the United
States the greatest OF evils and that
Government had a night TO take all due
measures TO diminish and destroy that evil.
Property in slaves is founded in wrong and
never can be right. Slavery ought rot 10
be tolerated or sanctioned by government
which originated from and is founded upon
the rights of man MIR. Ruiiedge, of South
Carolina, hoped the motion would be with
drawn, and that the gentlemen would not
indulge himself and others in uttering phi
iippics against the usage OF most of the
States, merely because his and their phi
losophy happened 10 be al war with it. Mr
Otis, of Massachusetts, hoped the motion
would not be Withdrawn, because he wan
ted gentlemen from his part of the country
10 have an. n..opportuniiy 10 show by their votes
how litile they were disposed to interfere
with the Southern States as 10 the species
of property referred TO.
No question appears 10 have been raised
as TO the power of Congress over The SUBJ
jeci; but on taking the question, only f,ceire
persons voted in support of Mr. Thatchers
amendment. 1t strikes us that This vote OF
the House of Representatives in 1898 is an
awkward fact in the way OF those who
maintain the proposition tha, exclusion of
slavery from the Territories of the United
States was the policy of our fathers.
This passage in our political history il
lusirates two facts First, that the men OF
'9s did not regard the exclusion of slavery
from Territories as the policy of the Gov
erEment, and the men OF '9s were the men
of 's5 Secondly, il shows that the whole
anti-slavery force in the House of Repre-.
sentatives was ttrelDe. Are we wiser and
better than our fathers From that nsera-
BILE minority of not a bakers dozen, have
sprung that horde of Goths and Vandals
who threaten TO destroy the Union of our
fathers, because the South demands that
the policy of those fathers shall be carried
out.