The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1862-04-23
For the Star ofthe North
THE GREAT ISSUES.


Ma EDIroR:-By the request of the DEM
ocrats of Benton, feel disposed to com
munica.e 10 you few thoughts on the gret
issues for pnblca a,ion; and hope you will
give it room in your valuable paper, as ii Is
the first | ever prepared for newspaper.
For thirty years or nearly have been neil
trail in politics, but still have kept an eve
single 10 all the moving princ pies, in tile
United States, of our demagogues espeei-
ally for the last four years-until the pres
ent-whle there has been fierce political
strife raging during that lime-whlch has
divided our people into political partes,a
causing many bitter and severe things 10
be said OF each other. ! rejoice that no man
has ever doubted, much less disputed. my
devotion and fidelity as a Democrat. My
object in communicating TO you is, TO invite
your especial attention to the great podfi;af
issues. Sir, there never has been time, in
the history of our country, when it was
more important for our people to examine
carefully and impartially, the nature of the
measures efecting our general welfare, th an
al this present moment. In the midst OF
profound peace, with universal health. and
the greatest abundance of all the benefits oi
life, which a kind Providence ever show
cred upon his chosen people, surrounding
us, we find instead OF contentment and graf
itude prevailing, our people divided into
hostile sections; the one alienated from the
oher, and angry feeling and hostility en-
gendered and stimulated until the very peace
of the co1ntry is disturbed True, Why all
this discontentment! What il the cause
of all this sectional strife There must be
a banefu and unfortunate one, which ought
to be removed In my opinion, no Impair
tial man alter examining the whole subject,
can entertain doubt as to the cause. This
sectional strife is traceable 10 one source
and that is. the attempt on the part of the
Federal Government to interfere with the
domestic affairs OF the people. Congress
never yet touched the question of slavery,
either in the States or territories, without
stirring up sectional strife and animosi,y.-
For the first thirty years after the adoption
of The Federal Constitution, there was peace
on the slavery question.
Mr. Seward, in a late speech at De rolt,
called the attention OF the people 10 the
fact, that from the adoption OF the Consti,u-
ton down TO 1920, there was no sIrife-no
controversy on this question but from that
year, al irregular periods down to this day.
there had been strife and turmoil aud
white these two facts were true, it was the
a & NJ IN
have drawn the proper inference from this
great truth. He ought TO have told the peo-
pie that during the thirty years from the
adoption of the Constitution down 10 1920,
when there was peace, that Congress never
interfered with the slavery question any
where. During that period Congress ad-
mitled into this Union several new Safes,
and organized several new territories In
each of these new States and territories the
principle was observed that each might
! have slavery as long as it chose, and abol-
| ish IL when tired of the institution So long
as that principle was adhered TO, in good
! faith, Northern and Sonthren men were
brethren the free and the slave States lived
in peace and harmony with each other
The Federal Constitution is predicated on
terfere with the question OF slavery.
wish 10 invite your attention, for mo-
meni, TO The great principle on which our
Government resls: the Federal Government
has no power except that which is dslega-
ted to it in the Constitution. All the pow
er delegated 20 it is Federal and National il
| lis character, and not local. Take mp the
| Constitution and you will find that the Fed
eraI Government is authorized 10 make
| war establish peace, regulate intercourse
coin money; but Congress is not authorized
| to interfere with the domestic affairs of The
people, nor is Congress permitted by the
Constitution 10 interfere between husband
and wife, parent and child guardian and
ward. or master and slave those things are
all withheld from he Federal Government
and reserved to the people. repeat lha
for thirty years, after the Government wen
into operation, Congress obeyed the Con
stituiion, and confined itself to Federal mat
| tiers, without interfering with slavery Sup
pose this new doctrine, proclaimed for the
first time by MR. LINCOLN, seven years ago
! when he was nominated for the United
States Senate that, sthese States must all be
free or all slave, otherwise the Union canno
endure, had prevailed when the Consiisu
ton was adopted, what do you think woulc
| have been the result! say this De W doc
trine, for no man who lived in the days
when the Constitution was made, eve he arc
or dreamed olsuch proposition. Remem
Der that, at that time, this Union consisted
of thirteen States, twelve of which were
slave holding and but one free 10 yor
think that one free State could have abol
ished slavery everywhere? Is it not prob
able, aye more than probable that the slave
1 h-tl.r~ C,.fas .r0,ld have mt voead the