Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-05-16
THE SLAVE QUESTION.
HOW SHALL IT BE SETTLED :

months. aud lh-t rod Of time has been almost
oAclusIgely occupied IN the discussion Of Slave
~. Al the opening Of the session the Presi-
dent gave his aaricc on his matter, as he was
band TO DO: De g re IL frankly. III the sprlt OF
,le cliy Pres q us sad IN the true SPIN Of the
Constitution, l,a-a,d he has further followed
The ancient and exec ,ent example Of leaving
Congress to lie free exercise Of lis discretion,
tceouu.able to mob dy bui the people, therein
re5ceiang oaa IF the most important Of his
pledges MADE qrs.iou- u bis election. There
Is and has been 40 Presidents porly on tbs
estion. In joh houses we have sen the
Piesiicn,'s friends expressing the most d.ssIml-
larH4eas-cach class, Northern and Southern,
adverse to the other, and nearly all Of both class
es thus far, adtsrse 20 The President This fact has
been most cle-rlg saoAn in the sena'e; the op-
p7aeats Of the administration hive not been more
ayerse TO the pole. Of the President than have
blen many Of bis personal and political friends,
and particularly tao Of the most eminent and
able statesmen tie country has ever produced,
we mean, TO be sure. Henry Clay and Doniei
NebSltr. We etate the fact simply-noi by way
Of complaint. Senators, whether friends or foes,
have acted independently of the Executive; he
mas recognized their right to do SO, and doust-
less will rejoice sincerely if they, or any body
else can find a better plan of action tnan his
own. This is our estimate of the Presidents
temper. Well. Iben-how does The matter stand
low: The1Senlte appointed a committee, rep
resenunT every section OF country and both of
the leading parties in Congress, and embracing
Senators most ds.nguished as siatesmen-as
constitutional lavyeFs-as Legislators : that COM
nitiee has had the advantage of five months dis
cussion in both Houses-lt has delibera,ed-it
has reported:
/. For the admission of California as q free
state.
2. For the establishment OF territorial govern
ments in New Mexico and Utah, ,rithom the
H'tniOt ProrsO, bu: also prohibiting The terrific
rial governments from ANY ACTION on Slavery,
either for or against it.
3. For Mason's bill sometimes called But.
lei's.) relative to fugitive slaves, with amend
ments, requiring the master frs. to prove. in
courts at home, that slave has run away. and TO
prove description OF the slave. If then he
can find his slave, he may take hi home, and
there the slave is 10 be entitled to trial by Jury
TO give which trial, with fair chance for les
'inony, &c. the master has to give bond to the
L. S. in the sum of $1,000.
4. To abolish the slave trade in the District
Of Columbia.
5. To fix the present boundary of Texas, pay
ing her literally ior very doubtful claim be-
yond.
The frat, second and fth are in one bill;
the third is an amendment to Mr. Mason's bill .
and the fourth an Independent bill. However,
we infer that Congress has 10 take "ihe whole
or none" by way of compromise" If that is
the condition, there can be no doubt Of what
ought to be done, and what ,ciA be done. The
whole batch will fail-as a compromise 1t is
doubtful whether even the Senate will agree to
this plan: the House certainly will not. No
plan can succeed in the House that ieares The
mailer Of siarey in doubt. Neither Northern nor
Southern members will dare to go home to their
constituents with any doubt upon the matter
The main difficulty will be in the establishment
of territorial governments icithout the Proriso !:
and there, We think, is an insuperable obstacle
to the success OF the plan. The committee tell
Us 1.-THE Proviso is mere abstraction, so far as it
is applicable to this teritory"-and will the
North insist upon "a mere abstraction ?" Let US
see. Dir. Clay and MIR. Benton say that the Pro
viso is an abstraction, because siarery is already
excluded IN The ne,O territory. True, very true,
so far: hut will they PUT THAT GREAT FACT IN
THEIR BILL? VIII they do even less than this,
10 wit, insert prov,so that his bill shall not be
construed so as TO change in any degree the condition
Of The territory os 10 Slarery from rhat Il ,cas
srhen annered BY The treaty ,cith .Merico7 The
committee of thirteen has not done it I; the Senate
will not, we are afraid Why not? 1t would be-
eguipalent 10 the Proriso,-the South would rebel
we of the South never could face our constit-
uenis with our votes for such bill" Oh, no +!
then The chivalric Senators of the South cannot
face "mere abstraction |" That is the uoshot
ofshe matter. Now, how can they ask Northern
men 10 be more valiant? Let Northern men
consent to territorial governments ,cithout the
Proviso, or r'ihoM special recognition of the
exclusion Of slavery, in fact and in law.-aud
they will at once be charged with treachery tc
their constituents and to Freedom; they will b,
crushed by the force of public opinion. w.
have not doubt about this: and therefore il il
that we consider the rejection Of the compro
mise BY the House to be thing certain.
Is nothing to be done, then !? Is California 3
be kept out Of the Union-perhaps forced to de
clare nsreelf indspendenf, Is Vermont did of old
Inere certainly is no sort of necessity for ,bi
we're Inc Senate 10 be q courageous for fire.,
oon az Il 10 for slavery. Were all the measurv
proposed BY the committee of thirteen put I'M
'ndsPssdtn biis, ard The notion Of 4 scornprou
NE" repudiated, the first end (eurtk lin the ord
before stately would be sure Of success in Il
House-the third would 60 with more amen