The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-01-18


from the New Mexican conquest cast of tho
Rio Grando and north of the Missouri Com
promise line to frecdom-althouph claimed
by Tcxas-and left all tho rost of the tor
ritory acquired, to tho construction of the
Mexican law which had abolished slavery
at ono time existing tbere. This was tho
second hard.wou pucification by which Mr.
Clay hoped to lay forever tho spectre of dis
union, founding it on tho principle Of tho
Ordinance of 1877, which had resigned to
slavery all tho territory which properly np
pcrtaincd to tho domain OF tho slave States.
rcsorving that belonging to the United
States Tor settlement by frecmcn exclusively.
The leading parties in their presidential
platforms, in which thcy submitted thor
claims for tho sanction of tho popular vote
AT tho Immediately ensuing election, ratified
this settlement of 1850, adding q new sarc.
! tlon to the Missouri Compromise. But both
these compacts between tho States for tho
settlement of tho great sectional issues were
nulIificd by the Kansas Ncbraska bill. This
brought on tho civil war in Kansas, wngpd
to dcfoat the right Uf tho people to exclude
slavery from tho sanction of their cOnstitu.
ton, and this failing, the State itself has
beon excluded from admission into tho
Union, in violation of the uniform practice
Tho repeal of tho Missouri Compromise did
not satisfy the slave propagandists. 1t did
not remove tho ban against slavery in the
territory acquired from Mexico, and which
might attach to olhcr territories thereafter
acquired. To secure tho right OF taking and
holding their slaves in tho territories. and
to toftify it against Congressional inter.
forcnco. tho Supreme Court was Invoked to
establish as part of the Constitution, that
| tho local, domestic. State Institution Of
slavery was property which u man could
carry with him and hold us property. whoro.
over he could 90 himself, and therefore
it would DO n violation of the Constitution
to exclude the institution from any terri
tory o! the United States. As tho Consti.
tuition of tho United States is equally su-
premo in the maintainance of all rights
placed under its protection whether thoy
arc contravencd by tho Constitutions and
laws Of States or territories, the Dred Scott
decision, as interpreted by tho South opens
tho whole country to tho expansion oEI
slavery.
Iii not tho election of President under
tho requirements of the Constitution which
has given rise to tho movement in tho
South. 1t is not his opinion about the OK
tension OF slavery. for that is tho samo tha;
Nor is it about tho fugitive slave law, the !
the judicial decision in the Dred Scott case.
or other political issuoo. Nor is It personal
ropuguance. All parties agreo that ho is
honest. capable and faithful and SO cloar is
his reputation that tho virulence of party
spirit cxortcd in struggle for tho highest
place aud tho greatest patronage, could not
DO tempted to ussal it tho outbreak which
has followed is not the effect of nm election
on disappointed parties. Tho result was
anticipated by all, and tho occasion is only
siezed upon as signal for tho explosion OF
n plot. long maturing in secret counsels to
accomplish Mr.. Ca!houn's new schemo of
government for tho savo Statcs-the os-
tublishmcnt OF Southorn Confeduracy.
which, in the language recently pronounced
by distinguished Southern statesman.
"Will expand as our growth and civilization
shall demand; over Mexico. over tho isles of
the sea, over tho far. off Southern tropics
until We shall establish great confederation
of Republics, the greatest freest aud most
useful tho world has seen." .....
On tho occasion of my Inauguration,
felt il to bo my duty TO warn my country.
mon of these hostile designs against tho
Federal Union. But then thoy wcru in
speculation only. Now they arc in act.-
tioual government be degraded into a moro
league between independent States, existing
only by their suffuranco, subordinate to thom
and subject to be destroyed at tho pleasure
of auy State in tho confoderacy: Or shall
it continue to DO maintained as govern
ment proper-sovereign within its pre-
scribed spheres as the States arc sovereign
within their prescribed sphoros-foundcG
on tho adoption of the people as woro tho
States, and creating direct relations between
, tsof and the individual cuizon, which no
, State authority has power to impair or DIS
turb, and which nothing can dissolve but
| revolution.
: Nearly thir'y-eight years ago. the peo,
pie Of Ohio, speaking through the Gener-
al Assembly, declared what in their judg,
, ment are the constitutional relations be-
tween the federal and atate governments
, quote but one OF series OF resolves Of
, the General Assembly on this subject:
"That the Fedora! Union exists in a
solemn compact entered into by the vol,
untary consent of the people Of the United
States, and OF each and every State, and
that therefore, no State can claim the
right 10 secede from, or violate that com
paw hhu Ho"SNCi may OC tHC
supposed or real burthens of State, the
only Legitimate remedy is in the wise and
: faithful exercise of ,he elective franchise
, snd solemn responsibility of the public
agents." 5
+ This is the judgment Of Ohio to-day.
r There never was people so thorough.
! ly bound together as a nation as the peo
y pie of the United States. The founders
I oi the government took possession of the
/. country under the authority Of the paren
}. Stale, acknowledging its sovereignty a,
binding all the colonies together as por
f ton of the same realm. When they re.
: solved upon a separation. against the con
+ sent OF the supreme power, they entered
= = upon war to establish republican gov
% ernment. embracing the coniederated col
' onies, TO "take their place among the ma
) tons Of the earth" as one and an indepcn
d dent people, constituting another nation
10 Of which the Articles Of Confederation
n establishing it on the basis of "perpetua
l. union" was the evidence to the world
!. and the covenant among themselves. Th,
= Constitution of the United States was lht
repetition OF this grand national act and
- ha;n,, MARI anc,h aI;coIls H., AT ,F a..