Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-08-18
Mr.. Webster and "Tree Soil.o

We rejoice that Mr.. WEBsrER's health has
been SO far restored that he has been able to
return TO Washington and resume his sea- the
Senate. AS he was absent during the discus.
sion of the so.called Compromise BILL the coun-
try has been anxious for some expression of his
views on the principal point of interest in that
bill,-the extension of Slavery,-not SO much
because it doubted what those views would be.
as because it wished to see how the great cham.
pion of Constitutional liberty would meet this
new spirit of encroachment on the part of the
South. An opportunity has now been presented
in the coming up before the Senate of the House
bill for the government of the Oregon Territory.
The crafty South proposed to incorporate in the
bill such reason for theIprohibition of Slavery
in Oregon, as would, by and by, by implication,
furnish an argument for its establishment in the
territory south of Sc 80. We subjoin the re-
marks of Mr.. WEBSTER. They are short, clear
and comprehensive and we cannot but regard
it as an evidence of the dcgeneracy of the
times, that with men animated by such senti-
ments,-a party standing on such platform (at
least the whole northern section of it without
excepton) should 60 begging for the support
and approval of such neophytes in freedom as
Martin Van Buren, and his bevy of disappointed
Locofocos. But to Mr.. Webster's remarks. lie
said:
! 1t is desirable, sir, undoubtedly, that there
should be established, as soon as may be, a pro-
per Government for the Territory of Oregon
and am willing TO vote for the bill to establish
such Government which has come to us from
the House of Representatives but if amended,
as proposed by the proposition for amendment,
now under the consideration Of the Senate,
shall not be able to vote for the bill.
The fourteenth section of this bill provides
that the inhabitants of said Territory shall be
entitled to enjoy all and singular the rights, pri.
vieges and advantages granted and secured to
the people of the Territories of the United States
northwest of the Ohio, by the articles of COM
pact contained in an ordinance for the govern
mcnt of said Territory, passed 18th Of July, 1887
and shall be subject 10 all the conditions and
restrictions, and prohibitions of said articles of
compact, imposed upon the people of said Ter.
ritory. 1t is well known that by the ordinance
OF 18th July, 1871, involuntary servitude, except
as punishment for crime. was excluded from the
northwest Territory. The proposal now before
the Senate is, to give reason for applying that
is, in the words Of the mendment.-''Inasmuch
as the said Territory is north of the parallel of
SO deg. and 80 min. of north latitude, usually
known as the Missouri compromise" under
stand sir, that when a man does an act, and
undertakes to give reasons for that act, and
gives but one, without suggesting that there
are others, the world is fairly entitled to draw
the inference that he has no other reason. For
my part, sir, should think that with this pro.
viso in the section, the implication would be ir.
resistibe that if the Territory were south ofthc
PARALLEL of SO deg. 80 min, the proposition Of
the ordinance of 1887 would not be applied
For one, | wish to avoid all committals, all
traps by way Of preamble or recital and as ! do
not intend to discuss this question at large,
content myself with saying, in few words. that
my opposition to the further extension Of local
slavery in this country, or to the increase of
slave ranrNsrn,aton in Congress is general and
universal. Ii has no reference to limits of lat
tit"de or points of the compass. | shall oppose
all such extension and all such increase in all
, places, at all times, under all circumstances,
even against all inducements, against all sup
posed limitation OF great interests, against all
combinations, against all compromises. This
is short. but hope clear and comprehensive
) II is merely to announce my purpose. and |
, have no more to say against this bill fit be
the pleasure of the Senate TO take it AS it came
from the House of Representatives it shall have
my support. Ii amended, shall vote against
; it. So much for the Dragon Territory
} With respect to California and New Mexico,
no subject regarding them is before the Senate,
and therefore have only one remark to make,
and that Is, that the controversy which has
arisen in the Councils of the Country respect
ing the Government of these Territories, is Just
exactly that controversy which | supposed it
very easy to foresee from the very beginning
easier to see from the beginning, fear, than it
is now TO foresee peaceable and satisfactory
termination of it.-That subject is not now be-
fore us. | will therefore say no more upon it,,
but that am happy in the reflection that for one
had nothing to do with the commencement of
the late war with Mexico, but to oppose it with
) all my might. ! regarded the war as a calam.
lty,-l regarded the treaty as a calamity and
! fear i is likely to prove by the anneXations
and acquisitions which it has brought to us, a
greater, because a more prominent, calamity
than the war itself