Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1861-02-21

Zlng slavery Ia the s0ninw6s,eFn Lei
ritory. Your Jefferson acquired to
Territory of Louisiana, with its slav
properly, and be signed and approve
bill to regulate the coast siav
trade, by which slaves we're perm'te'
Ito be taken from one section OF tn
Union TO another for sale. And, 81,
every Presi ient up to the presen
hour, has approved and signed bills il
conformity to the views which ar
eontended for upon the part of tn
South; and it is ouly within the las
few years that this opposition TO th'
Institution of the South has advanced
TO its present formidable andthreateu
ing position. And why is il? may
be traced back to morbid : 1ardor
me, for intend to say nothing in
,entionaily offensive but, in my
Judgment, it may be traced back TO a
morbid sensitiveness upon the part oi
! the northern mind upon this subject,
This hostility to slavery at its origin
attracted littl. attention at the North,
and few gave eountenance to il; but
i:gradualy got Into the school-houses,
into school.books, into the pulpit.
and into all the various modes of ed
ucation, and into all the means used
in the formation of the moral senti-
ments Of the people. Ii has been
continued; and the present genera
lion have been brought up and edu-
Gated from the nursery in a feeling
of hostility to this institution, which
was thus tolerated by the fathers Of
the Revelation in every State in the
Union. This system Of education
has gone on till large majority OF
the people of tho North have grown
up to manhood under sueh influences.
And what is the result? 1t has
formed political associations, and a
political party which Eow proposes
to take control OF the government,
of the country. and to do it upon
the one single, isolated idea of hos.
iility to soat hern institutions. In
1856, this, party first assumed a
prominent and threatening attitude
toward the South? And what do
We lind them declaring upon that
occasion? When they formed the
Republican party, IN 1896, they
formed it without regard to parties
or political differences and divisions.
Wien they came TO lay down their
principles, they announced that as
their cardinal doctrine. ln that body
We find men who had been Wings,
Democrats. and A Dericaus; meE who
bad belonged 10 all the political par
ties Of the country; but all their past
party predictions were to be laid
aside, aud the new party. without re-
gard TO them. was to be formed, 1t
was so formed, and their declaration
was:
"Resolced, That the Constitution
confers upon Congress sovereign pow
er over the Territories of the United
States for their government. and in
the exercise Of that power, it is both
he right and duty Of Congress to
prohibit in all the Territories The
twin relics oe barbarism-polygamy
and slavery
10 1860 the same party again laid
down their platform; which was as
follows:
.S. That the normal condition OF
all the territory Of the United States
is that Of freedom. That as our re-
publican fathers, when they had abol-
ished slavery 10 all our national ter
ritory. ordained that no person should
be deprived OF l;fe, liberty, or proper
y, without due process Of iaw,' 1T
becomes our duty, by legislation,
whenever such legislation is neeessa-
ry, to maintain this provision o: the
Constitution against all attempts TO
violate it; and We deny the authority
of Congress, Of a Territorial Legls.
lature, or of any individuals, to give
legal existence to slayery'in any Ter
ritorv of the U0i.ed States.
When that party, in 1860, in con-
vention, came to look out for a rep.
resentatiye Of the principles which
they intended to inaugurate IN the
Government, provided they suc-
ceeded, ii looked ovei the country
for such an individual. The two
most prominent and eminent men who
presented themselves for that nomin.
alton were the honorable MIR. Seward,
Of New York, and Mr. lincoln. OF
the Stste.of Illinois. Upon the frst
ballot MIR. Seward receiyed a large