The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-26
THE UNION.

as the 10th OF August put the enactment Of The Oregon
bill upon that provision OF the Missouri compromise and
Mr.. UNDERWOOD Allow me 10 correct the sena-
tor The gentleman is mistaken will state the facts
Il has been the subject Of remark before. and will now
s NJ o' ssy s
BRIcHT, OF Indiana, gave notice OF his intention to
propose the following amendment Here ii is print;
'Mr BaeHr intends propose amend the bill No So
ing lie following addoosl sectisoi i = a ! Il
dad bs furihsr enacted Thai all the ,era,o owned
Upper California, which lies north OF 80 deg 80 min north
atiude slavery and involuntary servude otherwise than
lawfully convicted shall be and prohibited Pro.
usd sass. That any escaping TO the same" Nc
After Mr. BaIcHr had given notice that be would
tice that would This amendmento add TO the end
Of Mr.. BRIoHr's intended amendment the following;
Provided further That citizens ofthe United States emf
United States south Of said parallel Of latitude shall be pro-
tected in their property In their slaves so long as the terrific
ny which they engrae CONTINUES under terion gov
eminent"
Now sir that bill with these amendments referred
TO the committee OF eight, OF which Mr. BRIGHT and my
self were members | renewed the proposition in the
committee OF eight and il was lost by equal division
That is the history OF the matter. ~
Mr. HALE That is not the amendment TO which
alude | read here extract from Houstons Debates
August 10, ls4s;
sThe Senate resumed the consideration of the bill TO
establish territorial government IN Oregon s i
The question being the motion OF Mr. UNDERWOOD TO
strike out page seventeen. line the words thirty
six degrees and thirty minutes" inserting
and also the words "usuay known as the Missouri COM
promise"
The proposition was made in both houses 10 put the
enactment OF that clause in the Oregon bill on the ground
fused to do it. II went to Mr. Polk, and he signed IT, and
sent il back with paper, the substance OF which, as
read it. was, that i was constitutional them but never
would be again. That sir, has been the Legislation OF
Congress, older than the constitution, coming. down
through successive Presidens-W ashington, Adams,
Jackson Van Buren, and so on and IN the organization
OF territorial governments IN Mississippi, LOUISIANA,
Florida and Mchigan-al in express terms recognising
this right, sometimes limiting slavery to certain class OF
slaves, in other instances excluding aiogeane, and
right, older than the constitution ITSELF running down
through the whole history Of the government conempo
raneous with itfor there has never been time since
the constitution was first adopted down to- the pres
ent moment in which this law has not been in force in
some portion OF the Territories OF the United States
we are told now that il adhere to the long estab
lshed weconsdered construction OF the constitution
II continue to tread in the old path which our fathers
marked out for older than the constitution ITSELF that
the sensbilty, the sensitiveness OF the South, which
has been sleeping than fifty years, will be galva
nized into such activity to endanger the Union itself
Well sir these arguments may g Al potent ,et oa want
the subject OF slavery here is something and the
senator from South Carolina gave date OF fifteen years
he said that had commenced in 1885 and that
it was introduced he the mischief that was to ensue
fromt The honorable senator from South Carolina did
go hack far enough agitang papers OF the sort com
planned OF here longer than that He ought to have
gone back to 1776 and he would have found Of the
most "agtatng" and "fanatica papers that he could
well nd beginning with the declaration that all men are
created equal The agitation OF this question OF slavery
goes back far that and ii shows what was the
ton and understanding OF those who framed the cons
tuition. wish to read. sir, petition presented TO the
first Congress that ever assembled under the federal
stituon and signed by OF the great minds that framed
it, allude, sir, to Mr. Franklin, not one OF these mod
"agitators not Of those amphbious animals that
h., hal in Tho furiIiU
tween light and darkness
On the l2th February, 1910, Benjamin Franklin. as
81 the Society TOT paomong The
held in bondage, and the Improvement OF the African
race, presented petition, which send to the Clerks
table to be read
.'FERRuARY IL, $780,
the abolition OF slavery the reefof free negroes unawuiy
held in bondage and the improvement of the African
presented and read.
..The memorial respectfully showeth:
association was formed several years since in this State
number of her citizens of various religious denomina
ef Of those unawnly held in bondage. just and acute
conception Of the true principles OF liberty, ms IL spread
many friend. to their cause, and Legislative
with their views. which, BY the blessing OF Divine Fowl
bondage large number OF their fellow creatures Of the
African They have also the satisfaction TO observe,
In consequence OF that spirit OF philanthropy and
nine liberty which is generally dusng its beneficial in
huence, similar institutions are forming ut home and
THAT mankind are all formed by the same Almighty
Being, alike objects Of his and equally designed foe
the enjoyment Of happiness the Christian religion teaches
us to believe and the political creed Of America fully coin
cides with the position.
'Yodr 1rass pare narly cnga ,el in attending
the distesses arising from slavery, believe to be their
Indispensable duty present this subjec, your notice
They have observed with real satisfaction that many i'm
portant and salutay powers ate vested in you for promo
ling the welfare and securing the bIesngsof liberty TO the
people OF the United Sates and, they that
hess blessings ought rghly to be administered without
distinction OF color u all descriptions Of people 50 they in
duge themselves ia The pleasing expectation that nothing
which be done for the relief the UNHAPPY objects
their will be either omitted or delayed.
From that equal liberty originally the
portion and IL still the biftrgnt OF all and influenced
by the strong Of humanity and the principles OF their
meInofiaiss bound
and promote general enjoyment OF the blessings Of
freedom.
'sUndsr these impressions, they earnestly enreat yonr
serious the subject oil slavery that you viii be
pleased the restoration of liberty TO those
unhappy men, who alone IA this land of freedom de-
graded into perpetual bondage, and who amidst the
cra joy of surrounding Geemen, groaning ia seryc
subecton that yos will devise Tor removing this
you will promote mercy and justice towards this dis
tressed aud that will step the very the
power vested in You for dIscouagng every species OF
traffic in The persons OF our fellowlnen.
"BENJ FRANKLIN, President.
"PnftADELPHIA, Fcb 3, 1850"
MIR DAWSON n the senator will permit meyI will
read the argument OF the then member from the State OF
New Jersey Mr. Boudinotl at the time this petition was
presented, and who was member OF the convention
which framed the constitution:
"Mr Boudinot agreed with general doctrines Of Mr.
81 but could that the clause in tile constitutions
relating the Of power In Congress prohibit the
operations of such persons any OF the States