The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-04
SPEECH OF Mr.. HALE, OF NEW AMPSHIRE,
THE TERRITORIAL aURSuoN.
Is SENATE, TUESDAY, MAHcJ9, 1850.

lS SENATE, TUESDAY, MAHcB9, 1851.
The Senate having under constellation the COM
promise resolutions submitted ome,,m since by
Mr.. CLAY
Mr.. HALE. Mr.. President II 'eenf to have been
admitted by almost every one wh, hat addressed the
Senate on the subject which hasfor some time past
engaged the attention Of this bof, hat the Senate
and the country at large divideinto two classes
will not say two great classes, but one large and
one very small one that the greatbody OF the Senate
and OF the country are patriotic thai they earnest
y and anxiously desire that the dsriing questions
which divide and harass the counrymay be settled
upon some just and patriotic grouad.; while on the
other hand, there few, designated extremists
or ulfrdisfs who do no, desire SCI any such end
effected; who desire, in other words 70 promote agi
tation; who are anxious for nothing Vat trouble and
disturbance; whose sole purpose Is b increase the
irritation that already exists In the c,mmunity-to
Keep the public mind sore, the public pulse throbbng
irreguary with feverish heat Nothirt it is said is
so strange as the physical and moral dganizaon of
these Few gentlemen; agitation is thekmcnt upon
".:.ss .scy iced acd byS bib sts., ~ ,,-ls sssy
that and their life, their occupation u which fur
nishes them with motive for living, Is gone.
Now have not word 10 say personally against
this am glad, sir, that these uraisi, il they do
nothing more, at leas, accomplish this much good
that they afford this wholesome safety yalveo these
extra exhibitions Of patriotism the part of those
who are in the habit Of addressing the Senate Hard
y any one seems TO suppose that he has discharged
the duty Whlct ne owes 10 country, done what
he ought 10 do TO satisfy his constituents, unless he
minges with the suggestions which he makes whole
sale denuncations against those turaits agi
tators and even the calm and Judicial mind of the
Senator from North Carolina, who has jus concluded
his remarks is so infected with the prevailing MANIA
that even he educated as he has been upon the
bench where he learned 10 sanction line of safe
precedenis could not sit down satisfied that he had
discharged his duty, until he had relieved his con-
science of due proportion OF vituperation against
these miserable fanatics and agiiators.
| think, them il must be granted that the agitalors
do some good at least by ailordIng safe and whole
SOME channel through which this extra exhibition of
patriotic indignation may find vent l do hope that
il IL be not conceded that they do any other good at
least credit will be accorded 10 them for this much
l hsye.aot word to say isryI .L-c2
taste or the truth and candor which prompts such
course. l make no appeal TO gentlemen, who feel a
consciousness in their own breasts that they are
governed by high, pure and elevated motives, TO
consider how far II is consistent with proper self
respect to be continually employed in dep:ecialing
and attacking the motives of others
When | obtained the floor, sir some time since
after the address that was delivered by the distin-
guisIied Senator from South Carolina who is not
now in his seat suggested that, according TO my
reading OF history the account which he hal under
taken TO give of these agitaiions sounded my mind
more like the romance Than the truth of history and
that designed, upon some occasion, when II suit,
the convenience of the Senate to act history right in
some particulars alluded TO by him. And that is one
of the objects | propose 10 myself to-day. | shall
sir be compelled to call the attention of the Senate
10 the speech of the Senator from South Carolina
somewh hat in detail and, in devoting some few mo-
nents to a preparation upon This subject, endeae
ored TO make something of an analysis Of il. Before
| had proceeded very far in my examination, found
ii assumed the form of regular catechsm question:
and answers being given. In the first place il com
menced with concession Of the fact that the Unior
| was in great danger then IL asks
~ How the Union be preserved
"inspsr.-To give satisfactory 10 this mighty
question, is indispensable ,e have accurate and tho
rough knowledge OF the aud character OF the
| by which the Union Is endangered.
SO What has endangered the Union
"AasnerTo this question there can be but cue answer
that the immediate is the almost
which pervades all the States composing the Southern
ton Of the Union,
80 What is the cause OF this discomfort
"AnsrerIt will be found in the belief Of the people o
the southern States as prevalent the discomfort itself
that they cannot remain as things are consistent,
with honor aud safety In the Union.
"a. What has caused this beleff
oat Of he Nsrse 4 ,ns s.sns rrsse,s,s which The
have made on the rights Of the south d,ing the time
will enumerate them al present will be done her,
after its proper place There another lying back Of
with which this is intimately connected that may be
Ia The fact thai The equilibrium between The two sections
the Government, II stood when the Constitution
ratified and the Government put In action has been de
stroyed."
| series of these events which has broken up hi
equilibrium and caused this universal discomfort th
honorable Senator says, is the Ordinance OF 1877.
shall not undertake to go particularly into he hisor
of that Ordinance because II Is familiar TO the Senat
and the country, and has been frequently referred 4
by gentlemen who have already addressed the Senat
on this subject. This, mark you, is the first in tn
series of Northern aggressions by whichthe equlib
rum which once existed has been destroyed.
Mr. BUTLER. The word aggression " docs no
I t,xt hata tta. all
Mr. HALE. do not know exactly whether tn
Senator used the word aggression" or not per
haps he did not.
Mr.. BUTLER, lin his seat) know he did not.
Mr.. HALE Al any rate, II Is one OF the act
which has destroyed the equilibrium. That Is IL
The equilibrium is spoken of by the Senator severn
times, and the Ordinance Of 1887 was one of thu
first Of this series Of events which, he claims, de
stroyed this equilibrium. And, sir 1t is curious tina
this first act Of Northern aggresson-the Ordinance
Of l7S7-was adopted in the Convention OF 1857
with but a single dissenting vote, and that was
Northern vote. Yes, sir the only vote in the Con
veniion of 1887 against this Ordinance which is said
to have broken up the equilibrium Of the States that
originally existed, and which was 10 be pcrpeuated
between the Northern and Southern States, was a
vote from a Northern State--the State Of New ork
for the delegates from every other State voted unan-
imously for 1.-THE delegates from South Carolina
among the number.
Well, sir, what followed propose to show now,
III
famous Ordinance of 1877, which has now go, to be
the Wilmot Proviso, and which is deemed TO be 80
insulting TO the Southern States of the Confederacy
fit is retained in our Federal legislation that this
Ordinance Of 1857, older than the Constitution, was
re-enacted by the first Congress which assembled
under that Constitution, and In the preamble TO the
act which recognized the Ordnance II Is expressly
recited that il is done In order that It's provisions
shall be made conformable TO the Constitution of the
United States. The act was approved the 9Th Au
l. lf ...xA L. h..t. Of shA
laws of the United States The preamble will
road. Ii is as follows;
"whereas, in order that the Ordinance Of the United
States Ia Congress assrmbie lor .e government OF the
Territory northwest of the river Ohio. may continue 10
have full effect IL Is requisite thai certain provisions should
be made 10 adapt the same TO the present Consi
ton Of the United States"
That, sir, was the posiiion Of the first Congress
that assembled under the Federal Constitution; II
re-enacted and re-eslabished the provisions Of that
Ordinance. Now sir, we have becp told to-day as
well previous occasions, ~, " this principle
is insisted on II Is al insult and such grievous
wrorg that the Southern States, II they remain In
the CoDfederncy will remain not from any principle
Of attachment TO the Union, but from iear OF the Bit
ter onsequences which might follow secession Now,
undertake to say that 1 will prove, TO the saisiac
ton of every reasonable man who can read the sta
iutes Of the country, that the principle embodied In
that Ordinance OF 1871, and rc-ennced by the first
Congress under the Federal CoDslution-who de-
clared that they did II 10 adapt s provisions 10 those
of the Federal ConsIituiion-has been continued TO
be re-enactcd, in substance, from the time OF Gen
Washington who signed the first act, down TO James
X. Polk who signed the same provision In the Ore
gon bill and that the talk which Is raised by gen.
temcn about making an unequa and unjust discrmi-
nation about properly, has no foundation which may
Of the acts Of the Federal Government organizing
Territories, which mark our history from the adop-
ton Of the Constitution down to the present time
ask the attention of the Senate TO the subject IL
will be found that, earlyas 1874 on the 22d March
by an act of Congress- General Washington then be-
ing Prcsiden-whilst the foreign slave trade not
prohibited and could not be by the provisions OF the
Federal Constitution until 1903; while the trade In
foreign slaves was the subject ofleginmate commerce
under the Constitution; while every citizen OF The
Col,ed States had a right under The laws and The
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