Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-03-14


ure to carry the prohibition when first attempted
IN 1884, says Congress cnce made this import
ant decIaration-' That all men are created
equal that they are endowed, by their creator
with certain inallena6le rights that among
these truths we're held to be life, liberty and thu
pursuit Of happtneSs and these truths were helC
to be self tUident These great truths welc
echoed through the United States Neverthe
less proposition for preventing violation o.
these truths, i'll country yet unsettled, and from
winch such violence might easily have beer
excluded, did not obtain What pretence
argument there could be none) could b. offered
for Its rejection? should, indeed, have OBJ.
Jected to the period proposed 1.-THE year 1900
tor the exclusion OF slavery for The admission
OF 1t tor day or an hour ought to have been for.
Ridden. 1t will be infinitely easier to prevent
the evil at first, than 10 eradicate or check it in
any future time. How would Congress wish
the New States to be settled by slaves or by
reemen? To suffer the continuance of slaves
TIL they can gradually be emanciDatekin States
already overrun with them, may be pardonabe
because unavoidable, without hazardmg grea,
evils but to Introduce them into countries
where nnna-''~---- ---A---~..,'i.e winch IIavp
been talked of-which we have boasted CT, as
asynms t" the oppressed of the earth can
neoer be f6tgioen.-FOR GODS SAKE THEN
LET ONE MORE EFFORT BE MADE To
PREVENTS TERRIBLE A CALAMITY"
The object was to lay the interdict 80 deep
that it should become the organic law of the
land. And we believe it vas so understood, and
that all subsequent action OF the people in form
ing state consIitutionsind governments were.
and must be made to conform to the prohibition
that was binding .forever so that no slave foot
should ever mark the soil without having his
nbs unettered and become. instead of a brute
A Tree man. That it becamc the organic law in
TACT ana was acquiesced in as such, we feel ae
snred from the fact that efforts have been made
by shareholders to introduce slavery into por
ton of the territory over which the ordinance of
~ was placed. If the new trnged notion con
tended for by the south, thathey have the right
under the constitution to emigrate into any state
with their slayes and claim protection under the
constitution, Why was it that the people OF Hi
nols poitioned Congress to recind the ordinance
OF ~? And we are told that this petition was
defeated ny southern men aud sayehodere-
Men who have uttered the most withnrlnp
anathames against the institution of slavery
toat ever fell from the lips of any man, abolition
Isl not excepted.
Ih9 idea that there is no binding force in the
" lImot proyiso--and that it Is a mere uultv
S contraaicted by every speech which has been
delivered by southern men. They put it upop
ms ground in all their arguments, that the vii.
NJ provlso "wlll shut them out OF the torr;toryo
that 1t will deprive them of sharing in the
run OF the war with Mexico, which was carried
N by southern men, at the expense of sontborn
'iooa ana treasure. Again we ask. why 80
much alarm at the efforts of the North to enact
no J" llno' provlso, 1t it is perfectly harmless p
Inc truth lies here, the prohibition of 'S7 has
been understood to prohibit slavery forever over
tftsdarFsss sHouid pass such 4 prohibition over
the Mexican territory, that there is an end of all
their cherished hopes, of making slave states
enough out of this territory to hold the balance
of power in the general government 1t has be.
come strife for power as well as the spread of
slavery.
But We are told that the ordinance Of 81 was
a part of the contract III The deed Of cesson, and
therefore, the people, nor Congress, have no
right to violate or rescind it. THIS is not the
fact The Northwest territory was coded by
the states which claimed it, in 1884, and the ii.
tie secured in l786. There was no conditions
attached to the grants, SO that Congress was
flee to act, and in accordance with the spirit OF
declaration Of independence, aud the genius ofthe
of our free government, itdd act, and prohibited
slavery and involuntary servitude at once and
forerer from entering into the territory. Con.
trary to all expectation there has been an add,
ton Of nine slave state|. And by what policy
h,s this been brought about? So soon as the
Northwest territory was dedicated to freedom
the shareholders adopted the plan of carving ont
slave states, from their own territory, so as TO
keep their influence in the general government
Thus it was til It Tennessee was brought out Of
North Carolina kentucky out of Virginia.
Mississippi and Alabama out Of Georgia! Cal.
ito lila, with free constitution now asks to be
admitted into the Union as sovereign free
state. The South, true 10 her purpose, deter.
ulned on holding the reins of government, and
| the balance Of power, objects to the admission
OF California until the abortion can be produced
by Texas. They object to the admission of
California upon the ground that she has deprlv-
ed them Of the right OF emigrating there with
their slaves, by ENGRAVING the Wilmot proviso
on to their constitution, We apprehend that
there is another objection which probably lies
deeper, one that they are not SO wiling should
be disclosed.
1t has been developed recently IN the Senate
We give the preamble and one resolution as
sample
COMPROMISE OF THE QUESTION OF
SLAVERY.
Mr.. Bell rose for the purpose Of submitting to
the Senate the following series of resolutions:
Whe eas, considerations of the highest inter
est to the whole country demand that the exist
ing aud increasing dlssensions between the
| North and The South, on the subject of Slavery
should be speedily arrested, and that the ques
tons in controversy be adjusted upon some basis
which shall tend to give present quiet, repress
sectional animosties. remove as far as possible
the causes of future dscord, and secure the I'M
interrupted enjoyment of those benefits and adj
vantages which the Union was intended to con-
fer in equal measure upon all its members: and
whereas it is manifest, under present circun
stances, that no adjustment can be effected Of
the points of difference unhappIly existingabe
tween the Northern and Southern sections of the
Unon connected with the subject of slavery,
which shall secure to either section all that is