The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-14

ceased 10 eNlSi, the uhlllS VI TUG nam
was not excessive: that when the practi
cal operation OF the compromise had bee
repudiatcd by the North. with every OK
PRECISION Of sc0rn and contempt. the dea
letter need cumhcr the statute book NJ
longer. And after All, what WAS the prac
teal effect OF such q settlement as de
rived from actual experience. 1t hat
been witnessed IN the case Ct New Mexi
Co the most important OF the territories
which had been organized for more thar
ten years. which was open TO slavery by
the settlement OF 1850: whose climate wa'
suitable, which adjoined Texas IL had
an area Of 100000 square miles, and al
the end Ct ten years. there were upor
fits soil only twenty-five slaves and OF
these only ten we're domiciod Did II
injurs the negro: did II augment slavery
II there was one man who, more than any
other, was the author Of freedom in this
Western hemisphere, that man was
Thomas jefferson. lie was rot seeking TO
augment or prolong slavery when he
wrote 20 Mr. Holmes. Of Massachusetts,
who agreed with him: "Of one thing !
am certain. that as the passage OF slaves
from one State 10 another would not
make slave OF single human being
who would not De so without IL, so their
diffusion over a greater surface would
make them individually happier. and
proportionately facilitate the accomplish
iment OF their emancipation by dividing
the burthen on greater number of coad-
tutors"
Test Question.
This was the great iniquty. which
caused the whole Western reserve OF
Ohio. in a single day. to turn from the
WHY to Republican. on January r. 1888,
the principle of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
At do frrf nv
the final resolution Of the series, which
on that day passed the Senate by a vote
OF nearly four 20 one. on the following
day resolutions covering the same grounds
as 10 the territories passed the House by
large ma jOTities. The question involved in
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Act had been
established, as far as the nearly unani-
nous agreement OF both houses could
establish 1t. sixteen years earlier, without
creating any excitement whatever. IT
had received the imprimatur Of the States
and of the people.
1t was not the South which arrayed IT.
self against the only sovereignty known
10 this cOuntry-the sovereignty of law.
The constitutional position of the South
received the sanction Of the only umpire
known to the Constitution. The final
sanction, known as the bred Scott de-
cislon, was the inevitable sequel to prior
adjudicauOns, and could have been no
other than ii was; and those prior adj
publications. like the votes of the two
houses in 1888. had been too reasonable
TO awaken agitation. or serious comment. |
Tie adjudication was, that the territories, |
secured TO the States by the common |
blood and treasure land it might have |
been added. more largely secured by the |
blood and treasure OF TIE South, If the t
donations TO the general government be |
considered; that these territories were |
secured equally to all the States, and not
uneQually to any; and that it was to de-
priVe the citizen Of his property, with
out due process of law. TO take his slave
from him merely because the latter was
found in the common territory Of the
United States The adjudication was, that
the Federal Union rested on the basis Of
Federal equality.
At least the school Of construction.
which proclaimed the judgment Of this
tribunal TO be the ultimate reason. when
It was planted on the side of the Bank
Or the United States. should have been
est0pped TO denOunce their own canon
zed authority. Fourteen Northern States
passed laws 10 practically nullify the
Fugitive Slave law, but in doing so they
lot only violated the compromise and the
contract of the Constitution, but the law
Is their own courts expounded it, The
highest courts OF these States dncluding
hat OF Massachusetts, speaking through
'hief Justice Shaw, whenever the occa-
ion arose to pass upon this law, uni
ormly supported it, The Supreme Court
f Wisconsin did give a hasty opinion
gainst il, but quickly retracted IT. The
awess legislation was not South, but
Worth. as tried by the exclusive juris-
rudence of the latter. Never were peo-
lie more completely covered by all the
anoply Of law-even the law of vindic-
I've CommOnwealths-th the people of
he South.
1t was in this state of the law Of the
md, as eXpounded by the highest Fed
raj tribunal. that a party arose which
ought no suffrage, offered no candidates
nd excluded recognition in all that por-
on Of the country which is called the !
suth. 1t was Il declaration of war
gainst fifteen Of the States of the Union,
nd against the Federal compact upon
hitch they stood. 1t was an appeal to
ne portion OF the country, and that the {
lost powerful portion, to know no rest !
ntil they had destroyed the other 1t G
ad no other reason Of existence than ]
slit the North from the South by one '
can cut, and then to mass the former I
sainst the latter. 1t had one memora- Z
e predecessor in the convention Of l
OIlutTn OlaltS NlOUl winch every South ?
n State was excluded, which met at Ii
arrisburg I'm 1923 TO frame the tariff =
lown TO history as THE Bill Of ADomi- S
atoms" The denominations" of that bill g
al been driven from the field in democrat a
ed rout and disorder. By their own in Il
insic force they could make no further c
and. Only or the back Of this new b
citation could they again ride into It
he States which could no longer be e.
Inded under the invocation Of an imagi- Il
Try interest were at last permanently d
Inded under the banner Of real II
unity. This opinion may be reinforced Il
that of a cool. dispassionate. free-soil v
smocrat, the ablest Northern statesman h
his time, and surpassed by none of II
" time. 1t was the opinion of Samuel Of
1tiden that If the Republican party s.
ould be successful the Federal Govern Il
ent In the Southern States would T
ase to be self-government, and would al
come Government by one people over Of
other distinct people-a thing impOssi- st
with our race, except as a conse- tn
ence or successful war. and even then tr
compatible with our democratic institu- tr
ms. Article of James c. Carter in f.
Atlantic Monthly for October, 1892. SO
Victor and Victim. Of
his was what the statesmen Of the Fl
dth foresaw and looked courageously of
the face. The success of the marty 4
lgsd against them meant the Govern FL
mt Of the South by the North tn
the North-the relation of or
tor and victim. Lincoln was Tic
representative of opinions and in su
ests confined TO one-half of the coun- its
and pledged to an irrepressible con az
with the other. The tariff which de
a"6- rom 'He nrst throes or the con- pa
s st gave audlole warning that one sid
the spoiis which belonged TO the vic sol
was the taxing power Of the Govern II