Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-14

make O slave OF single human being
who wodld not be so without 1t, 10 their
diffusion over greater surface would
make them individually happier and
proportionately facilitate tho accom-
plishment of their emancipation by d.
yiding the burthen on greater number
OF coadiutors.
This was the great iniquity which
caused the whole western reserve OF
Ohio in single day 10 turn from the
WING to Republican,
II was not the South which arrayed
itself against the only sovereignty
known to 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 decision, was the inevitable sequel
10 prior sdjudications, and could have
/ been no other than it was and those
prior adjudications, like the votes OF the
! two houses in 1888, had been too reason
able to awaken agitation or serious COM
ment. The adjudication was that the
Territories secured to the States by the
common blood and treasure land, 1t
might have been added, more largely
secured by the blood and treasure OF
the South if the donations to the Gene
raj Government be considered)-that
these territories we're secured equally TO
all the States, and not unequally to
any, and that it WIS to deprive the citl-
zen of his property without due process
OF law-to take his slave from him mere
Nv 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
il was planted on the side OF the Bank
of the United States, should have been
estopped to denounce their own canon
lied authority.
WANTED THE SLAVE LAW NULLlFlED.
Fourteen northern States passed laws
to practically nullify the fugitive slave
law, but in doing so they not only vio-
lated the compromise and the compact
OF the Constitution, but the law as then
own courts expounded 1t. The highest
courts of these States Including that of
Massachusetts, speaking through Chief
Justice Shaw. whenever the occasion
arose to pass upon this law. uniformly
supported it. The Supreme Court OF
Wisconsin did give a hasty opinion
against it, but quickly retracted 1T The
lawless legislation was not South, but
North, as tried by the exclusive jurls-
prudence of the latter. Never were peo-
pie more completely covered by all the
planopy of law-even the law of vim
dictive Commonwealth than the peo-
pie Of the South.
1t was in this state Of the law OF the
land, as expounded by the highest Fede-
raj tribunal, that a party arose which
sought no suffrage, offered no candl-
dates, and excluded recognition IN all
that portion Of the country which IS
called the South. 1t was n declaration
of war against fifteen Of the States OF
the Union and against the Federal COM
pact upon which they stood. 1t was an
appeal to one portion of the country,
and that the most powerful portion, to
know no rest until they had destroyed
the other. 1t had no other reason of
existence than to slit the North from
the South by Que clean cut. and
then to mass the former against
the latter. 1t had one memorable pre-
| decessor IN the convention OF northern
| States (from which every southern State
was excluded, which net at Harrisburg
in 1923 to frame the tariff known TO his
4, g hgf
The abominations" of that bill had
been driven from ike field in demoral-
lied rout and disorder By their own
intrinsic force they could make no
further stand. Only on the back of this
new agitation could they again ride into
power. The States which could no
longer be banded under the invoca-
ton of an imaginary interest were
at last and permanently banded under
the banner of a real enmity.
This opinion may be reinforced
by that of COOL dispasslonate, Free
| Soil Democrat-the ablest northern
statesman of his time and surpassed by
none of any time. 1t twas the opinion
Of Samuel j. Tilden that if the Repubi-
can party should he successful the
Federal Government in the southern
States "would cease to be self-goyern-
ment, and would become government
by one people over another distinct peo-
plea thing impossible with our race
except as a consequence OF successful
war, and even then incompatible with
our democratic institutions
This was what the statesmen Of the
South foresaw and looked courageously
in the face. The success OF the party
ranged against them meant the govern
ment OF the South by the North and for
| the North-the relation of victor and
victim. Lincoln was the representative
Of opinions and interests confined to
one half of the country and pledged to
an irrepressible conflict with the other.
The tariff which sprang from the first
throes of the CONFUSION gave audible
warning, that one OF the spoils which
belonged to the victor was the taxing
power of the government, to be used to
throw the substance of one half OF the
States into the lap Of the other; the
supplies of the South to be intercepted
by the receipt of customs, which would
divert the profits of her industry into
the pocket of the North.
VIRGINIA CAME FORWARD.
Nevertheless, when every right OF pro-
perty and every right of government
was at stake, Virginia took counsel. not
of her fears, but OF her patriotic love
for the Union, which she had done so
much to enlarge for which she had
stripped herself of the whole north
west territory. She had given not
principalities but empires to the
General Government What those
who now condemned her had sac-
rificed for the Union was far less
legible. Her voice was raised for peace.
She pointed ont that every practical
issue which could possibly arise on
the slavery question had been settled
by the memorable logic Of events /;
that Kansas had already prohibited
slaves, and it might be added negroes /;
that no territory north of Kansas could
possibly be expected to do otherwise,
but to allay apprehension she reiterated
the proffer of the South to stipulate
against admission on such terms. The
relation to this subject of the territory
south OF Kansas was fixed by the com
n