Year: 1861

by the lou darie' Of any existing State,
amounts to one and half, or two millions
OF square miles; an area much greater
! than that covered by all States lying be,
tween the At antic ocean and the Missis-
sippi River not much less, perhaps, than


the area covered by all the present Ststes,
That the people of the larger and more
numerous free State should combine 10 ex


clude those Oft he weaker and less numern
ous slave States, from the enjoyment Of the


whole OF this immense inheritance, is an


outrage so prepostcrous, that one is the


less astonished that it should react in q


counter combination to establish slavery


in the whole of it and while the pretext
OF conscientious scruples for seizpz ali


was the natural, because the only one,
however ignoble, which the strouR
could use the counter resort OF the wea.


ker party was also natural, and the only


one they could make but war, namely,
extreme constitutional right, countenRn-
ced by their construction of political
Judgment of the Supreme Court. In 'eaS
ect as there are but three possible relations
of the cause, as has Ist been showp, $50
there are but three possible methods in
which the case can be solved. On, is by


an equitable partition Of the common in-
heritance, founced on the mutual reoogs
milton by the parties of the undeniabls
fact that 1t Is common property Il Sec


ond is, for the owners of the Inheritance
determining to fight out thoir opposite
claims in each particular Territory -
somewhat after the manner of the Kansas
} affair: the third is, to dissolve the Union,
} and fight out the opposing claims after


wards, leaving the Territories like every
thing else, in state of anarchy, useless to
either party. 1t is indeed conceivable that
after dlssOlving the Union, men might re-


cover their senses, and be capable as alien
enemies to each other, of acting with
degree of mutual Gorlrararce and Justice,
which it Practiced when they were united
by the most sacred bonds, would have kept
them friends forever. The probability of
such Il miracle, every one will determine
for himself as well as the probability that
the future inhabitants OF the vast region
thrown away by the nation in its disgrace
!, ful paIoXysns, will put faith enough in
) such miracles to respect any partition Of
them among the fragments of disbanded
confederacy. II is in vain that we would
evade the sacred duties which press us,
and from whose performance there is no
escape that does not at the same moment


brand US with infamy and hurry US to
: wards destruction. There is but ono
e po sible result that is just and right-and
. there Is but one possible way Of reaching
! that result that is either sure, tair or


peaceful: but that result, and that way of
! reaching it, are perfectly obvious and


when once recognized and pursued, they


remove whatever difficulty the fair and
complete execution of the duty to restore
fugitive slaves leaves 10 be removed. Il
is upon these two points, as we have tried
in all fairness to show, that the nation is
Found and obliged to set herself right
that the people are required TO make their
majestic voice audible above the clamor of
factions and that all good men are called
of God, by word and by deed, to rebuks
on every side the frenzy OF the hour.


| 9. The particular mode in which the
recognition of the common right OF the
States in the national Territories, should
be made and the particular way and ex-
tent to which practical efficacy shall, at
the moment, be given to that recognitioni
do not appear to us to be matters Of
very high Importance IN themselves, or
matters which ii is necessary that We
should discuss here. An etiectual law,
and its ettectual execution, concerning the
rendition of fugitive slaves a sincere rec>
ognition of the common right Of all the
States in the national domain, and the
mutual aOaudoument by the North and
the South of ak claim and attempt to
make all the Territories eithor free or
slave: 1t Is npon these points that good
understanding will settle all the rest-and
that the refusal TO come TO such and un-
derstanding. will throw upon those so ac-
ting, the whole responsibility Of all that
may follow. The toregone conclusions of
political parties, and the previous COM
initials of public men, are utterly insig-
nifcant in any true appreciation of the in


terest now at stake. The propounding OF
particular theories, or Of special lines Of
policy, or of lists of propositions. or any
thing Of the sort-by State Legislatures,
by resolutions in Congress, by Conventions
Of the people, or in any other way-where
the design or the effect is TO embarrass or
to obStruct the indispensable settlement,
is either great weakness, or a covert at
tempt TO prevent any settlement The
demand of either party TO have division


ofthe Territories that is grossly unequal,


is that far unjust and manifestation of
the same spirit of claiming all, which has


already wrought so much mischief. And


with a million or two Of square miles OF


national domain, not yet embraced in any


State, with country large enough to con.
tain Fifty or hundred times its present
population-and with instant difficulties
which have already produced the most ter
rible calamites, and whose early settle


ment may be indispensable to the proven,


ton of universal revolution; the purpose


to make that settlement depend upon all
explicit agreement concerning the dispo'


siton we will hcreaftor maxi cf foreign


States, which we may possIbly conquer or
purchase at some future day can be con-
sidered nothing else than a purpose Of
preventing the possibility of any settle.


ment Beyond all doubt if the free


States consider that the main use of out


Constitutional Union and our continued


national existence, is the extinction OF
negro slavery on this continent; or if the