The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-07-02
TERRITORIES FOREVER FREE.

TERRITORIES FOREVER FREE.
An act for excluding slavery from the |
Territories has passed both houses of Con- |
gress. and has received the official sanction
of the President. 1t reads as follows
"ro the end that freedom NAV be and remain forever
the fundamental law OF the land in all place vhasevr
far as lies within the power dspe upon the ac
tion 81 the Government OF the Untd States 10 make
Belt nacted 40, That from ard ater the passage Of
this there shall he neither slavery involuntary
s'v,ude In any Of the Territories Of the United tate
fonet or aoaurtd by the United stat,s oherwse hsn
In punt Of crimes whersof the patty shall have
deem duly convicted"
During its present session, by it's acts
and in it's agents, Congress has furnished
the greatest contrast to be met with in any
legislative body. True to the teachings of
the Constitution, and to those of Washing
ton, and Of Jefferson - true to the dictates
of humanity, and the example of civilized
nations - the majority of that body, by an
emphatic vote, have declared the District
of Columbia forever free The slave pens
of Washington no longer disgrace the Ma
tional Capital. Falling back upon first prin-
ciples, the teachings of the revolution, our
legislators have declared liberty to be the
rule, and tyranncal usurpation to be the
exception. BY legislative act, slavery is
forever excluded from the territories. The
interests of slavery can no longer be promo
ted, or the fetters of the slave rvited by
national legislation. Every American citi-
zen should be grateful to God for the man-
hood displayed in these acts of their repre-
sentatives. The stain on our escutcheon
has been oblterated. Before high Heaven,
and before the nations of the earth, we now
stand forth redeemed, regonerated and dis
enthralled" from the national influences of
of slavery. Glorious will that day be when
of necessity, or by patriotic Legislation, eve
ry section of our beloved country shall be
delivered from this incubus on its energies.
1t is satisfactory to know that the ordin-
ance now passed is nearly identical with
that framed by Jefferson for the govern
ment of the territories in 1880. Thus is Con-
gress establishing the the Constitution las
it was" We may therefore well take cour-
age and go forward.
We have the contrast before us in the
speeches of Messrs. S. S. Cox, of this State,
and Richardson of Illinois. On perusal of
said documents, we are at a loss to deter
mine whether this duplicate of legislative
wisdom consider the American people in
sane, or are themselves demented. What
ever their mental condition may be Oh the
question of sanity, their speeches afford
them credit for vulgar cunning, petty So
phistiy and gross misrepresentation; which
in public men, during this crisis in our af
fairs, is utterly contemplate. Their object
is to destroy confidence, to promote dis
union, to pervert judgement, and to mis-
lead good and honest citizens. The posi-
ton occupied by Nero, when fddlng over
the burning of Rome, was infinitely more
respectable than the one occupied by these
men, Nero's actions were the out-Spoken
testimony of his true character. Their ac-
tions, Under the name of democrats, is de-
ception, and o reproach on democratic
principles.
On the union of slavery and democracy,
their action and teachings - and also that
of the whole Valandigham fraternity - cor
rectly designated them as hermaphrodite
politicians. BY assuming the name of de-
mocracy they have perverted the manhood
of democratic principles. By their unnatur-
al characteristics, they are bringing ruin on
the party at home, and contempt from
abroad. The time was when the oppressed
in foreign nations honored and applauded
the democracy of these United States. De.
mocracy has been the watchword for hu-
man liberty and human fellowship its char
ter in the past has been that of q republi-
can constitution, and the key notes of its
patriotic voice were sounded by Jefferson
and q Jackson. But times are changed ;
the fine gold has become dim. An attempt
is made to cover the Constitution of this
Republic with the black mantle of slavery,
and, by specious arguments, certain men
wish to make us believe that Liberty and Op-
preston are twin children of our system of
Government. BY the infamy of their acts,
hermaphrodite politicians have brought
deep and damnaSle disgrace on the name of
democrttSy, and its position as an exponent
Of human liberty has become so degraded
that no Intelligent lover of liberty wishes TO
do it reverance. It's pleasing to know that
the paS3es of the North are awake, the
specious>expedients Of the past are making
way ior, right action in the future, and we
hope set to see the creed of the democracy
ofthese1 united States expurgated of errors
which are suicidal to il as party and also
to our republican form of government.
The ignorance, the vanity, and the idle
ness, attributed to the negroes by Messrs.
Cox aud Richardson. are results of system
attic and long continued degradation, of hard
usage and brutal oppression. Had tie'e
honorable gentlemen experienced the same
kind of treatment from their infancy up, il
is questionable { they would have attained
any higher position in the scale Of civilza.
ton than s now occupied by a large mum.
her Of negroes jn tAc South. Judging by
the record OF public acts, the negro WHO
captured himself and vessel from Southern
pirates, and the one who brought of the
steamer PLANTER" from Charleston harbor
b6ve rendered more important services I'd
/thls nation, than has been rendered by Cox
Sad Richardsonand the record of their deeds
<5sill live in American history when the huf
fsonery Of honorable Congressman shall be
Hrgot,eu, The evil Of slavery exists, arc
he nation demands that il be reetifed. Bu
It's amslioation cannot be accomplished by
,disparaging the slave, or by attempting Il
. >inislesd honest and conhding citizens.
R<D~Gen, Sigel is said to have been oalle,