Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-03-21

honor and iustice-and Justice would be
the highest honor-to Virginia for that act
of cession of her northwestern territory
| will say, sir, that it is one of her fairest
claims to the respect and gratitude of the
United States, and that perhaps it is only
second to that other claim which attaches
to her that, from her counsels, and from
the intelligence and patriotism of her lead
ing statesmen, proceeded the first idea put
into practice for the formation of general
Constitution of the United States Now,
sir, the ordinance of 1887 applied thus to
the whole territory over which the Congress
of the United States had jurisdiction. 1t
was adopted nearly three years before the
Constitution of the United States went into
operation because the ordinance took ei-
feet immediately on its passage, while the
Constitution of the United States, having
been framed, was to be sent to the States
TO be adopted by their Conventions; and
then Government had to be organized
under it, This ordinance, then, was in OPP
era.ion and force when the Constitution
motion, in April, 1893.
Mr.. President, three things are quite
clear as historical truths. One is, that there
was an expectation that, on the ceaslng of
the Importation Of slaves from Africa, slave
ny would begin TO run out. That was hoped
and expected. Another is, that as far as
there was any power in Congress to prevent
the spread Of slavery in the United States,
that power was executed in the most abso-
l.,ta ha sill
honorable member whose health does not
allow hi,n To be here To day
4 SENATOR is here. (Referring to
MIR. Calhoun.)
MI WEBSTER. l am happy to hear
that he is-may he long be in health and
the enjoyment of it to serve his country
SAID the other day, that he cons idered this
ordnance as the first in the series of meas
ares calculated to eneeble the South and
deprive them of their Just participation in
the benefits and privileges of this Govern
lnent. He says very properly that it was
done under the old confederation and be-
fore this Constitution went into effect but
my present purpose IS only to say, Mr.. Pres
Ident, that It was done with the entire and
unanimous concurrence of the whole South
Why, there II stands The vote of every
State in the Union was unanimous in ia lor
of the ordinance, with the exception of
single individual vote, and that individual
vas Northern man. Bat, sir, the ordin-
snce aboIshing. or rather prohibiting, sla-
very northwest of the Ohio, has the hand
and seal of every Southern member in Con-
gress. The other, and third clear hlstorl-
cal truth is, that the Convention meant to
leave slavery, in the States, as they fund it,
entirely under the authority aud control of
the States
This was the state of things, sir, and this
the state of opinion, under which those
very important matters were arranged, and
those two important things done; that is,
the establishment of the Constitution with
1 recognition of slavery as ii existed in the
States, and the establishment of the ordl-
nance prohibiting. to the full extent of all
territory owned by the United States, the
introduction Of slavery into those terrific
res, and the leaving TO the States all power
over slavery, in their own limits. And here,
sir, we may pause. We may reflect for ii
moment upon the entire coincidence and
concurrence of sentiment between the North
aud the South upon these questions at the
period of the adoption of the Constitution.
But opinions, sir, have changed-greatly
changcd-changed North and changed
South. Slavery is not regarded in the
South now as 1t was then. | see an honor
able member of this body pairing me the
honor of listening to my remarks he brings
to me, sir, freshly aud wildly the sentiments
of his great ancestor, SO much distinguish
ed IN his day and generation, so worthy TO
be succeeded by so worthy grandson, with
all the sentiments he expressed in the Con-
ven,ion in Phiadel pha
Here We may pause. There was, if not
an entire unaumity, general concurrence
of sentiment, running through the whole
community, and especially entertained by
the eminent men of all portions of the coun-
try. But soon L change began at the
North and the South. and a severance of
opinion showed itseif-the North growing
much more warm and strong against slave
ry, and the South growing much more warm
and strong in its support.
Sir, there is no generation of mankind
whose opinions are not subject to be nhu-
enced by what appears to them to be their
present emergent and exigent interest l
Impute to the South no particularly selfish
view in the change which has come over
her. / imputc to her certainly no dishonest
view. All that has happened has been
natural. 1t has followed those causes which
always influence the human mind and ope-
rate upon it. What, then, have been the
causes which have created so new 4 feeling
in favor of slavery in the South
which has changed the whole nomenclature
of the South on the subject-and from be-
ing thought of and described in the terms
l have mentioned and will not repeat, it has
now become an institution, cherished iIi-
in that quarter; no evil, no scourge,
but great religious, social and moral bles-
sing, as | think have heard it latterly de-
scribed! suppose this, sir, is owing
TO the sudnen uprising and rapid growth
of the cotton plantations of the
the South. So far as any motive of honor,
justice, and general judgment could act, it
was the cotton interest that gave a new
desire to promote slavery, to spread it and
use its labor. again say that tina, was