The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-11-09

" " '' va 'iiu It"pit INTERESTED, anu not Dy ACt ui
congress. Whenever Congress attempted to in.
tcriere IN opposition To the wishes Of the people
oi the territory, its action remained dead letter
upon the Statute Book, and the people took such
legislative action as comported with their wshe.
and supposed interests Mr. Douglas then refer
Sd to The territories organised from Mexico and
called the attention of the auJieuce to the fact
That the abo'ilonlsts and free soilcrs all predca-
ted that slavery would certainly 90 into those
territories unless Congress intcrfered and prohib
1ted It by law, and condemndd him because he
was not opposed to such Interference The prob.
lem Is now solved who was right and who was
wrong IN That controversy Congress did not 4
dolt the Wilmot Proyiso did not prohibit slave
ry IN those territories by law and yet slavery
does not exist there, In California it was prohb-
by the people in the Constitution with which
that state was admitted into the onion. it is
well known that the people Of New Mexico when
they formed Constitution with the view Of ask
ing admission into the Union, also prohibited
slavery. These facts show conclusivcly that all
the predictions Of ihe abotionists upon this sub
ject have been falsi6ed by history, and that my
own have been literally fulfilled refer to these
facts, not IN the spirit Of selfgratulatlon, but to
snow that these men. who have alarmed the
friends Of freedom and for time partially con
'roi!ed the popular sentiment, were themselves
mistaken and mislcd their followers at the same
time that their doctrine was at war viii. the
whole spirit of our republican institutions.
The bill for the adjustment Of the Texas boun-
dAFy, to which gave 4 cordial support, | shall
pass by without comments for the reason that
have heard 10 complaints against it since nv re-
turn home. The ncxt in the series ,r ,,oasur.s
was the bill for the abolition of the slave trade
i'm he. Of Oil, 81,
my cordial support. have heard no conp.aints
against it, aud have listened in vain for one word
of approval from the advocates of abolition and
notification. While the who'll. series uf tbc ram.
promise measure, are denounced in coarse and
unmeasured terms by the Northern nuliiiers, mol,
one word Of con-ratIIaton to the friends of irrr.
dom-not a word Of approval of the act Of the
co"duct oi those vino voted Tor 1t, IS allowed to
escape 'he'r ups All the other measures OF the
schGhe oi adjustment are attempted To BE- kept
IN The back ground and concealed from the pub.
'c we m oFdsr tina: more prominence and iu-
por'an'r may be gwen to what they are pleased
10 ra,! 'he INFAMOUS FUGITIVE SLAVE BILL
DrIo'e ! proceed to the exposition oil tins bill,
1 VIII read 'he preamble and resolutions passed
.; 'ne common SouIeiI oi TINS city, last evening.
M DouS'as' then read the preamble and teso!u-
'''Ns' ~ "''o"S'
Whereas, The constitution Of the United States
provides the privilege of the writ Of HabeAs Cor
pns shall not be suspended unless, when, in cases
OF rebellion or invasion, the public safety may re.
qure II, and.
Whereas. The late act Of congress, purportng
To oe for the recovery of fugitive slaves, virtually
suspends the Habcas Corpus and aboli,hes the
right Of Trial by jury and by its provisions, not
only fugitive slaves, but white men, owing ser
vice to another, IN another state, viz: the ap.
prentice, the mechanic, the farmer, the al,orer en-
gagged IN contract or otherwise, whose terms of
service are unexpired, may be captured aud car.
ned away surnmalily, and without legal resource
OF any kind; aud,
Whereas, No law can be legally or morally
blnring on US, which violates the provisions Of the
Constitution; aud,
Whereas. Above all. in the responsibilities Of
human life AMI the practice and propagation OF
Christianity, the laws Of God should be held par.
amount To all human compacts and statutes
Therefore,
He'oiged, That the Senators and Representa-
ives IN Congress from the free states, who aided
aud assisted in the passage of this Infamous law.
md those WHO basely sueakcd away from their
eats, aud thereby evadcd the question. richly
merit tie reproach Of all lovers Of freedom, and
are ut only To be- ranked with the traitors, Bcne