Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-08-18


larry organized government and the Protection of
our laws which as citizens Of the United States
they claim, is high duty on our paf and ore
which We are bound 10 perform, unless there be
controlling reasons 10 prevent it.
ln the progress Of all governments, questions
OF such Iranscendant importance occasionally
arise, as TO cas-, in the .hade all those ef mere
party character. But one such question can now
be agi,aled in This country; aud this may endan.
ger our glorious Union, The source Of our great
ness, and all cur political blessings This CUES.
tion is slavery. With The slaveholding Safes
This does no embrace merely the rights OF proper
", however valuable; bu! il ascends Tar higher,
and involves The domestic peace and security OF
every family.
The fathers Of The cons,iu,ion-lhe wise and
patriotic men who laid the foundation OF opr in
notwithstanding The danger from this quar-.
Ter acted in Spirit OF compromise and mutual
concession on This dangerous AMI deica,s snh
lee,; and their visio,; oGgbs 10 Ss lbs guide OF
their successors. Whiisi they !: 10 the SAFES
exclusively the question OF domestic slavery with
in their respective limils they provided that
slaves who nigh, escape into otner States not re-
coenlzing the institution Of slavery, shall "be de-
lvered up on The claim OF the parry TO whom such
service or labor may be due"
Uron This foundation the matter rested until
the Missouri question arose.
In December, 1919, application was made 10
Congress BY the people Of the Missouri Terrific.
~ Tor admission into ihe Union as State. The
discussion upon The subject in Congress Involved
the question OF slavery, and was prosecuted with
such violence as 10 produce cxcnements alarm.
ing 10 every patriot IN the Union. But The good
genius OF Cancellation which presided at the birth
OF our institutions finally prevailed, and the Mis-
souri, Compromise was adopted. The eighth Sec
ton OF The act OF Congress OF the 9Th OF March,
1920, 80 authorize The people Of The Missouri
Territory oorm constitution and Stale govern.
ment," &c., provides: "That, in all that territory
ceded by France 10 the United States, under the
name OF Louisiana which lies north Ut thirty
six degrees and thiliy minules north latitude, not
included within the limits OF The SAFE conlem.
plated by this act, slavery and involuntary servi-
tude, Otherwise than in the punishment Q! crimes,
whereof The parties shall have been duly conyic.
ted shall be, and IS hereby, forever prohibited
Provided always, Tha, any person escaping into
Inc same, from waom labor or service is lawfully
claimed in any State or Territory OF the United
States, such fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed,
and conveyed 10 The person claiming his or her
labor or services Aforesaid
This compromise had the effect OF calming
the troubled waves, and restoring peace and good.
will throughout The States OF the Union.
The Missouri question has excited intense aei-
tation OF The public mind, and threatened 10 divide
the country into geographical parties, alternating
the feelings OF attachment which each portion OF
our Union should bear 10 every other The COM
promise allayed the excitement, Iarqliized the
popular mind, and restored confidence and lraIer-
nal feeling. LIS authors were hailed as public
benefaciors.
do no. doubt lha, similar adjustment Of The
questions which now agale the public mind
would produce the same happy results. II The
Legislation of Congress on the subjec, Of the other
Territories shall not be adopted in spirit OF con.
Citation and compromise, il is impossible that The
country can be satisfied, or Ina, The most tisas
trous consequences shall fail 10 ensue.
When Texas was admued into The Union, The
same spirit OF compromise which gnided our prete.
cessors il the admission OF Missouri, quarter ot
century before prevailed without any serious oppo
siton. Tie "jonl resolution ior annexing Tex
as 10 the Unilcd States" approved March the ist
one thousand eight hundred and iury-hye, pro-
yides lha, "such States as may BE- formed out Of
tina, portion OF said territory lying South OF 30 De
erees, 80 minutes North latitude, commonly
known as the Missouri compromise line, snail be
admitted into The Union with Or without slavery,
as the people OF each State asking admission may
desire And IN such State OF states a. Shall be
formed out Of said territory North .! Inc Ms ourl
compromise line, slavery or involuntary sefVl-
lude Except Tor crinel snail b" prohibited
The territory OF Oregon lies lar north Of thirty.
six degrees thirty minutes, the Missouri ana
Texas compromise line. lis Southern boundary
is the parallel OF A. leaving the intermediate
distance 10 be three hundred and thirty geographl'
cal miles
And il is because the provisions OF this bill are
mol inconsistent, with the terms OF Inc missouri
lad Ia 10 ia, IN
the Pacific ocean, that | have not ie!t al libec.
~ 10 Withhold my sanction. Had II embraced Ter.
rl!ories South OF that compromise, the question
presented for my consideration would have been OF
a lar different character, and my action upon II
mus, have correspondent with my convictions.
Ought we now 10 disturb The Missouri and
Texas COMPROMISED Ought we at this la!eday,
in attempting 10 annu what has been SO long es-
,ablished and acqcicsced in, TO excite sectional
divisions and jealousies 10 ALLEVIATE The people OF
dtfsren! portions OF the Union from each Other
and 10 cndanscr The existence OF The Union ITSELF
From the adoption OF the federal constitution,
during period OF sixty years, our progress as
naricn has been without example IN The annals OF
history. Under the protection Of bouniliul Pro.
videace, we have advanced with giant strides in
the career VI wealth an! prosperity. we nave
enjoyed the blessings o. freedom 10 greater c1-
tent Than any Other people, ancIeGt Or mncern, un-
der government which mas preserved order, and
secured To every ci8,n lie. iberti aud property.
We have now become an example ior imitation
10 The whole world. The friends oi freedom IN
every cline point with admiration 10 our insIlu-
tons Shall we, then, a, tie 'nomcn! when the
people of Europe are deyoing all their energies
in the attempt 10 assimilate their institutions TO
our own. peril all our blessings By despisns the
lessons OF experience, and refusing 10 tread IN he
footsteps which our fathers have Irodden : And
tor what cause would we eGdaDeef our gloflou
Union? The Missouri compromise contains
prohibition OF ,lavery throughout all that vast re-
sion extending l2t degrees along The PacIllc,
tsom the parallel oil 80 degrees 80 minutes 10 that
Of forty nine degrees, and east from that ocean
10 and beyond the summit Of the Rocky noun
taias. Why, then, should our institutions be
endangered because il is proposed 10 submit 10
the people Of the remainder OF our newly ac-
quired territory lying Sonth OF thirty SIX degrees
thirty minutes, embracing less than tour degrees
of latitude. tho question whether, in the language
Of The Texas Compromise they ">hnll be ad
mi,tc1 las a Stale) into the Union with or with.
out slavery" Is this question to be pushed to
such cxtremilies BY excited partlzans on tho one
side or the other, in regard 10 our newly &C
ouircd distant possessions OH the PACING, as 10
en0lnGPT Inc ulllUu VI bO'N1'
which Constitute our confederacy' have
an abiding confidence that the sober reflection
and sound patriotism Of the people of all the
States will bring them to the conclusion that the
dictate of wisdom is TO follow tho example oil
those who have gone before W, and settle thi'
dangerous question on the Missouri Compro,
mise, or some other equitable compromise, which
would rcspec, the rsats Of all, and prove salts
factory 10 the different portions Of the Union
Holding as a sacred trust the Executive au
tbority for the whole Union, and bound to guard
the rights Of all. should be constrained, oy
sense Of duty to withhold my official sanction
from any measure which would conflict wit
these important objects.
cannot more appropriately close this mes
sage than by quoting from the Farewell address
Of the Father Of his Country. His warning
voice can never be heard in vain BY the Ameri
can people. If the spirit of prophecy had d.,
lincily presented 10 his view, moro Than nal
century ago, the present distracted condition Q
Il lar tch