Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-08-08

E'7'-- ~ 4 \ = - q -.
Darlington. of Virginia. Mr.. Dane. Of Msssa.
chuset,s. Mr. r. n. Lee, Of Virginia, Mr. Nc:
! Kesn, Of South Carolina, aud Mr.. Smith of New
q York.
The committee reported the ordinance with
}the following article: se, y as M Ok
There shall be neither slavery nor involun.
tary servitude in the said Territory, otherwise
than in the punishment Of crimes whereof the
party sksli have been duly convicted: Provided
oltcays, That any person escaping into the same
from whom labor or service is lawfully claimed
/, in any one Of the original States. such fugitive
may be lawfully reclaimed and conveyed to the
peIson Ginning his or her labor or service as
Aforesaid"
This article. thus framed, passed unanimously,
every State voting for Il .aaa
The Adoption OF the ordinance was regarded
as a settlement Of the qnestion Of q avery extern
sion for all ii re to come. lfhxed upon a line,
with the consent Of the South, never to be oblit-
Grated, beyond which slavery shouid not pass. :
The stave States set up elasssa, 10 carry slaves
into the territory. tina. was the common property
Of The Union, an ! the free States consented TO
allow the reclamation Of fugitive slaves By any
one Of The original Staies, within the territory
This was The bargain consu'nmatcd between the
parties under The confederation, and it was in no
way annulled OF impaired by the constitution
The proviso 10 The ordinance was, in substance,
though sonewhst enlarged, introduced into the
Constitution. The m.tri,n upon slavery was
omitted because all the Territory belonging TO
the Union lad been secured 10 reedom by the
ordinance. Ii is quite clear 10 my mlni that the
creation of snotner slave ) ate was n,t expected
by the Congress oil 1857, 10 the right to recain
tfthe ex en- ,ion Of slavery into new States lad
been expected, he right Of reclamation would
not have b zen ,nfned t. the States then eristing.
Bat, sir, II is line to pass 10 another branch Of
the subject.
The next act in the series Of which The South
Complains is the system ofrevenue and disburse-
menls adop ed by the government Now, sir,
if our revenue system has proved injurious 10
the people OF tine South. thcy I'VE No cause of CON-
plain, against the North. The earliest
and most ardent supporters Of the system
were from the south; its most determined
opponents from the North.
. II there be any truth in history, the sys-
tenn was forced upon the country by the
South, against the almost unanimous vote
of New England. The revenue bill of
1916, the first containing the minimum
principle Of valuation, and designed to pro-
tect the COTTON interest, was reported by
Nj. Lowndes, Of South Carolina, and sup
ported, in speech of great ability. by MIR.
Calhoun, then member of the House Of
Representatives. The revenue bill Of 1924
increasing the duties on imports, was also
carried by the South against the votes Of
New England. Protection TO domestic
manufactures, then, having become the set
led policy Of The Government, by Southern
votes, and the people of the North, relying
on the faith of the legislation TO which l
have referred, having invested $500, 900. 600
in manufacturing capital, have a right to
ipsist on the continuance of the policy.
Yes, sir, without word of complaint, or a
murmur Of discomfort, on the part of the
South. the people Of the North have RICH,
to put forth all their energies to uphold and
sustain the system.
pass, Mr.. President, to the Missouri
compromise, the third act in the series COM
planned of by the South. For that meas
ure the North are not responsible. II was
carried by Southern votes, and it should not
now be conjured up as cause Of discon-
tent on the part of the South. The distin-
guished Senator from Kentucky, (Mr. Clay,)
IN his very able and eloquent speech, deliv-
cred on the 5,h Of February last, says:
t. l take this occasion TO say. that among those
who agreed t. that line 1.-THE Missouri comproln-
Use line) we're a majority of Southern members.
Ny freud in the Senate. (ur. King-) from Ala
baa,a, Mr.. Pink"ev, from Mary land, and a ma
jorliy OF the Soutbern Senator'S ia ihis body, 70
ted in favor Of the line oi sc BON. and ma
jor.ty of the S,,uthern members IN the other
House, at the head of whom was MIR. Lswrence
himself, voted also for that line. have no doubt
tina, did also; bat as was Speaker of the
iiuuse and as the Journal does mt show what
was tie Speakers vote, except in ise of iie
] am not aole to tell with certainly, how acIu-
ally did Vote; but l have no earthly doubt that
voted IN committee with many o'her Southern
friends for The adoption ofihe line of36 , 30m."
This, ! suppose. sir, is evidence enough
TO show thai the Missouri compromise line
was southern and not northern measure.
There were in the House OF Representa-
tives but seventeen votes from the free states
for it.
The fourth and last act in the series,
causing discomfort on the part ofthe south,
is the exclusion Of slavery from the Oregon
Territory This measure, | admit, was car
ried by northern votes; but it could not be-
come alaw without the approval ola sonlh-
ern President Il was in the power of Nj.
Polk TO hare defeated the measure BY his
Executive veto, If be had been disposed sol
to do. The Inhibition Of slavery in the Or
egon Territorial bill was the FIRST victory
ever won by freedom over slavery in the halls
of Congress. sAad. in my humble opinion,
if that bill had been defeated, we should
have heard Of no widespread discomfort ia
the South, Of no " belief Of the people |
in the southern states that they cannot
remain, as things now are. consistently
with honor and safety, in the Union"
The south opposed the bill with great zeal
and vehemence, and for great length Of
time, but it commanded a majority Of votes
in both branches Of Congress, and, accord i
ing to the forms Of the constitution, became
the law Of the land. ao.s .s
l have, believe, Mr.. President, briefly
noticed al the causes of discomfort men,
toned in the speech Of the honorable SEN
alor from South Carolina !; and, in my hum
Gle Judgment. they do not furnish the Sigh
test grounds for disunion. The people of