The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-08-12
the opening is more than three feet wide.
People below still persist In not removing"
Mr. C0RWIN'S GREAT SPEECH
A G A l N S II
THE COMPROMISE BILL!
Deferred in the U. S. Senate, July "a, 1913.


why object to this Compromise Bill. Sir,
there is no one-there can be no one-who
does not desire that every subject oflegislaton
which comes before the Senate should be set
tied tremendously, and, if it might be so, with
the unanimous concurrence ofcyery Senator.
But, sir, in my Judgement, with this subject as
as il stands before us, it would be arrogant
presumption to undertake to vote upon this
bill, with question before us which we UNI
dcrtake to transfer to the Judiciary Deport-
ment ofthe country. How is thsi Is il not
new thing in your legislation when system
ofpolicy is proposed, and the constitutional
propriety of that policy is questioned, to pass
an act for the purpose of getting case before
the Supreme Court, that that Court may in
struct the Senate of the United States as to
constitutional duty in the matter? Sir, if we
know certainly what that law will be, need
there be any hcsitancy how we should vote
upon this bill? Can any one suppose that the
Senator from Georgia, or the Senator from
South Carolina, if they believed that the lti-
CATION that's proposedlby this bill to be brought
into the judicial tribunals fthe country would
result contrary to their determination of what
the law should be, that they would be in favor
of such bill as this? Does any one believe
that if the Senator from Vermont could antic-
ipate that the Supreme Court of the United
States might decide that Congress, being ST.
lent upon tho subject, had allowed Slavery to
pass, at its pleasure, into these newly acquired
Territories, and to become part ofthe mu.
nicipnl institutions of those Territories, and to
decide also, that if Congress had enacted n
prohibtory law, il could not have gone there,
he would vote for this bill' Certainly he
would not. Is there any necessity that there
should be prohibtory law passed in order that
the question of Slavery shall be presented with
the aid of Congressional legislation to the Su-
prcme Court of the United States will not
~ ri 10 IA aoy that 1 lfl,.r vuit 40
tor from Vermont in a single legal proposition
that he has laid down. lregard Slavery as n
local institution. | believe it rests on that bn.
sis the only one that can give it a moment 8
security. believe it cannot he carried by the
power of the master over his servant, one inch
be- ond the territorial limits of the power that
makes the law. | believe that a slave carried
by his master into the territory about which
we are talking, ifSlnvery be abolished there,
will be free from the moment he enters the
Territory, and any attempt to exercise power
over him n slave will be nugatory. That is
my judgement. But | would guard against
any doubt on this subject. would so act that
there would be left nothing undonc on my part
to prevent the admission ofsluves; for am free
to declare that if you were TO acquire the coun-
try that lies under the line, the hottest couu-
try to be found on the globe, whore the white
man is supposed not to be able 10 work i would
not allow you 10 take slaves there, if slavery
did not evst there already. More than that,
would abolish it If could, if it did exist
These are my opinions, and thcy have always
been the same. 1 knowthat they were the o.
pinions of Washington up to the hour Of his
death, and they were the opinions of Jeifcr.
son and of others who, in the infancy of the
institution saw and dcplorcd its evils, and dep
recated ITS continuance, and would have tax
ed the mselvcs to the utmost to eXtermnatc it
then. possess no opinion on the subject that
I hnyn ppt Ipriy-CI fro,
| have only to say that those opinions have
always received the concurrence of my own
understanding upon the best investigations
that have been able to give to the subject
find the institution existing in several States
of the Union, under the guarantees of the
Constitution, and find that as a legislator, |
am forbidden to act upon the subject by the
Constitution, which am sworn to support aud
be thus forbidden. ] wou'd not interpose as
| would upon every spot on the face Of the
earth where by law am not forbidden Sir,
what has been your practice upon the subject,
if at any time in the progress Of the affairs Of
this Government you have acquired Territory
where Slavery existed what did you do with
it? With the forecast of n statesman you took
upon yourselves the difiic uties of managing
it.
When Louisiana was acquired, such was the
tone of public sentiment; and take upon my.
self to say that if had been in the power of
Congress TO abolish it then they would have
done so; fthey had not foreseen the state of
things that would have been consequent upon
such an act, they would have abolished slavery
in Louisiana. What did they do in regard to
the Northwest Territory in 1887? These were
the men who gave direction to public opinion
Would to God they had something to do with
public opinion now
They abolished slavery in the Northwest
Territory. 1t is true it did not exist there to
at. ant, ,,rl ant
Elements, comprchending Illinois and part of
what is now the State of Indiana And why
did they do it, Why did the men who then
exercised the power of the whole confederacy
the men who were the leading spirits who
formed the Constitution of the United States
why did they in 1857, abolish slavery in that
Territory? Did their opinions suddenly
change, so as to entertain such an adherence
of slavery that they abolished it wherever
they could, though sovereignty piled on sover-
eighty endcavorcd to invade that land conse-
Grated to free institutions by that law Thus
was the patrimony of Virginia transferred to
the United States, and thus did they who Of
tered that patrimony and nobly gave it to the
whole Union, forbid that slavery should ever
pollute its soil. And sir, is there any name on
the historic page of Virginia more illustrious
than that of Jefferson?
Why, there is scarcely Virginian who
dares to have an opinion contrary to the light
est thought he ever expressed. And is it so,
that we are now to be required for the sake of
some imaginary balance of power to carry sla v
cry into a country where it does not now exist?
That, sir, is the question propounded by this
bill. The Senator from Vermont is satisfied
that slavery cannot be extended to these Ter
ritories. ! believe, if his confidence in the ju-
dcal tribunals ofthe country were well found
ed that slavery could rot possibly go into
these Territories provided that the Senate is
.:..l,A h.tE o,,I 1la f,,fc / ntrnr
member of the Scnate-perhaps may be less
informed than ary-whether slavery does not
exist by some Mexican law, at this hour, in
California?