Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-10-21
Antt- 9IauGrp.
From the National Era.
The Five Acts Of the General Gov
eminent,


1t may be well to present the various acts of
the Confederation and Union on the question of
the extension Of slavery
V.-THE WILMOT PROVISO
The comparative ease with which the Slave
Power accomplished It's will in the case of Tex
as emboldened it beyond measure, especially 4
when its great Advocate and Embodiment reco-
lected that annexation was carried in full view
of his daring declaration that it was necessary to
prevent the abolition of slavery in Texas, and,
by consequence, the impairment of the system
in the United States. The sanction given by
majority of tl.c American People, under such
circumstances, to the measure, he construed
into a sanction to slavery. Was it any wonder,
therefore, that further extension of saveholding
territory should seem desirable to the Powers
that be-" that vaster schemes of slaveholding
acquisition should be harbored War, it is said,
resulted from the annexation Of Texas SO it
did but only because the great object to be
gained was-Calfornia, New Mexico and, per-
haps, Chihuahua. Had there been nothing ul-
terror in the plans of the shareholders, annexa-
ton need not to have resulted in open war.
Many of the Democrats began to open their
eyes to these things, and as a measure dictated
by regard for their own independence, for the
reputation of their country for the cause of HUI
man Liberty they, in conjunction with Wings of.
the North, undertook to revive the original Anti
Slavery policy of the Government, by the intro
duCtlon of the vital article of the ordinance Of
1887, to be annexed to any measure, executive
or legislative, for the acquisition Of territory as
i follows;
Provided That there shall be neither slavery nor
involuntary servude in any territory which shall here
after be acquired by annexed to the United States,
by virtue of this appropriation or in any other manner
whatsoever except for Crimes whereof the party shall
have been duly convicted Provided acqys, That any
person escaping into that territory from whom labor or
service is lawfully claimed in any one Of the United
States, such person may be lawfully reclaimed and
carried out of such territory, to the person claiming
his or her service"
This proviso was agreed upon by the Wings
and Democrats in consultation, and measures
were taken that there should be no failure in
getting it before Congress. When, towards the
close Of The first session of the last Congress,
bill. vas Introduced, appropriatng two millions Of
dollars, in response to the demand of the Chief
Executive, for the purpose Of making peace with
Mexico by the acquisition of territory, several
members were ready, but Mr.. Wmot, of Penn
sylvana, succeeded in obtaining the floor, and
offering the Proviso. 1t sent thrill of Joy
throughout the free States all parties sustained
it; and Wings and Democrats in the House of
Representatives carried it through triumphantIy.
1t was defeated in the Senate, in consequence
of the hour Of adjournment till the next session,
cutting short further action and discussion.
Again introduced, at The following session, as
proviso to similar bill, it was carried through
the House, after a protracted and severe strug-
gle, but by diminished majority; sent to the
Senate, where it was stricken out of the BILL
which then was returned to the House, where an
attempt to restore it failed, by about the same
vote that carried the Missouri compromise, and
the bill was passed
WHAT MUST BE
Thus far, the three millions placed at the dis
posai Of the Chief Executive, have accomplished
, no peace. Territory, however, has been oyerrun
by our arms, and is now under military rule
That the Administration will ever abandon Cali
5 forua, or large portion Of New Mexico, no
sane man supposes, The recent triumphs of the
arms of Gen, Scott render it not improbable that
! the Mexicans may be inclined to listen to some
terms of peace. 1t is not unlikely that ncgotia-
tons may be commenced before the next Con
; gress, and that that body may be called upon to
act in the matter-the Senate, as the constltu-
tional adviser of the President; and the House
as its consent will be necessary to the appropra-
tons which shall be required. This ProyisC
= must then again come up, and, in all probability
will be finally settled. Its agitation will consti-
{ tute the great crisis in our history; and as it
shall be decided, we cannot but think that the
destinies of Republicanism in this county and Of
our Union will be determined
+ THE QUESTION.
The question is simply this: Shall the orgi
y nal Anti-Slavery policy of the Government, the
wisdom and beneyolence of which are glorious.
ly attested by the unexamped growth of popula
l. ton, wealth, intelligence aud power, in the
e States of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wis
u consin, and Iowa, be revived in its fulness, anC
u adhered to hencelorth forever? Or, shall the
1t compromising policy Of 1920 and l845 the cru
city and folly Of which are painfully demonstrat
> ed in the retrograde march of population ant
power in the older slave States, in the diffusion
{ of blasting institution over the fertile plain
and valleys of the new slave States, in the de
vouring aggressiyeness which marks the charac
}. ter of our wandering population on the South
g west in the gross usurpatons by slavery, of Of
d flee and power in the Federal Government, il
T. the present miserable, wasteful, inglorious wa
against a sister Repubc-shall this comprom
sing policy be finally settled upon as the perma
nent policy of the United States
r: Recollect, more is demanded now by SLAYER
St than was ever whispered before The ordinanc
y of ~ not only excluded it from all the territor
of the Confederation--it emancpated the slave
St there. The Missouri compromise only alowe
N it to continue in a certain portion of the Unite
RI States territory, where it had become incorpora
If ed with the prejudices and usages of the people
10 But the advocates of the extension Of this con
n promise to the Pacific, propose to permit SLAYER
ID to euter, take root and flourish in territory wher
Sc it is now prohibited by the laws of the sister RI
IN public, against which we are waging war, an
m which we are fond of styling semi-barbarous !
And this demand, unprecedented in our hstor
!, ? is made at period when Christendom in the oil
- world has branded slavery as a curse, and eve
Of Mahomedanism is moving for its abolition.
" SHALL WE WEI Do