The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1861-02-28

sentiment has been rapid and irresistible,
It has prostrated The press, prostrated
speech, prOstrated the liberty of person,
and is now about to consummate lis work
by Frustrating the Constitution itself. An
evil in the outset, whose existence was de
plored, and for instituting which our "an
cestors were repioached. it hath come to
be BILE. sing in the opinion Of the South
"the Key Stone in the temple Of liberty"
that ought to be extended, protected and
perpetua.td. Decided 10 be local at first,
and dependent for its existence upon locai
l.w ty the highest Judicial tribunals of
the Southern States and of the U. S. it is
now claimed TO be national and to find a
law for its protection in the Constitution
Of the United States itself--a thing to be
restricted and gotten rid Of then, il is now
demanded that it be extended and perpet-
uated e7cn against the will Of the people
whom it is to burden and disgrace.
GRIEVANCES OF TIE SOUTH.
But let US see in what manner the South
have been aggrieved wherein they have
been wrouged and what their cause If
complaint,
The Constitution OF the United States
designed to confer equal political rights
upon the people and the States Of 10th
sections--iS partial to the South. 1t gives
Them what il denies us--a property repre-
SentatiOn. The properly (slaves) Of the
South alone have representation Of twsn-
ty Congressman. while the untold millions
If Northern property are without repre-
seulation. In many Congressional Dis
tricts Of tie South less than twenty thousand
flee white citizens elect their Congressman,
while with us it requires $4,000. There
may be grca! grievance in this, but ifso
the northern people are the sufferers.
The Constitution Of the United States,
for The benefit Of slavery. infringes upon
and strikes down the sovereignty Of Ohio.
The fugitive clause deprives us of the
complete and untrammeled control of our
internal affairs. We are compelled to rec
ognizc the existence and right of human
slavery, and not only forbidden to "leed,
harbor." or assist the bondsman who
fccth from his master, but forced to return
the fugitive to labor. This may be griev-
auce but if it is SO it is not grievance to
slavery.
The federal government has, at great
COST returned 10 tie Southern States fu'
gitives from labor. We of he North haze
done tic work and foOted the Till. TLis is
surely no grievance to slavery.
The Federal Government has kept up
the 'postal arrangements" Of the Southern
States at an immense expense and great
sacrifice, and zoe Of tie North Aove been
burdonsomely taxed to supply The deficiency.
Slavery is assuredly not aggrisved by this.
At the demand Of the slave power--that
slavery might be extended. we anne xed
Texas, shoulderod her quarrel and fought
her battles with Mexico, and in the end
paid her $1O,0O0,0Oo for Territory she
never owned.
To satisfy the rapacity Of the sugar
planters of Louisiana. the federal govern
mcnt have laid duty Of twenty.four per
cent upon sugar, thus indirectly taxing
the consumers of sugar sc. 900, 900 year
for the benefit Of Louisiana. Besides all
this, the South. with lew insigu fcant
intervals have had the undiSputed and un-
divided control Of the general government.
They have made aud unmade presidents
controlled the legislature and the judiciary.
They have enjoyed both ;he honor and tho
epoils Of the republic.
Trus, in the late contests they were
striped by an indignant people Of the hon
ols they were dsgracing and trusts they
were abusing; but il this is a grievance, il
ibis is just cause for the rebellion they
have set ON ool--for the treason they are
plotting against the hopes and liberties Of
the people, then, indeed, is our condi-
ton piuiable, the republican experiment
a failure, and government tie "rope of
sand" 1t has been Oontemptuously called.
The defeat Of the Democratic party Is the
true cause of complaint. There is no other.
The cry against the personal liberty bills of
the North is but baseless preicxl behind
which treason skulks to hide its deform
ity. They have never prevented the re-
turn ola single slave. The alleged bad
faith in the executive Of the fugitive slave
law is equally unlounded, No law was
ever more promptly and mole terribly
execuled-ocsides if this be not SO the
South have themselves alone 10 blame
THEY hare hat tie iaW and tie officers Of
the taW I" their oVn hands, and the strong
arm OF the government pledged to their
support II they have failed to use the
instruments in their hands, they have on. i.
ly themselves 10 roproach.