Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-06-06
EASTERN TIMES.
Bath, Thursday, June 6, 1850.

AUGUSTA, May "a, 1850

This being the day assigned for the consider
alton of Mr.. Chase's Resolves respecting tn,
action of our Senators and representatives il
Congress, Mr.. Chase, having called up the sub
ject, commenced the discussion in an abl,
speech of about an hour and half in length
speaking very nearly as follows Mr.. Prcsi
dent-The Resolves under consideration assert
no new principle, except that slavery does no
now exist in the territories and cannot be in.
troduced but by positive enactment. Tha
they propose to change the policy of forme,
legislatures, l do not deny-indeed l affirm
their object to be to effect change. A great
crisis is at hand. Our former policy has failed
to accomplish its object. 1t was adopted to Sc
cure important rishts--to show that Maine
would not favor the extension of slavery. But
period has arrived when the Union is
threatened with imminent danger. Never be.
fore has one sectional party been fairly arrayed
against another sectional party, with such de-
termined hostility as now. Let the Senate re-
solve itself into deliberative tribunal, and in
qure into the causes Of this state of things
Then our voice may be heard and our action
may do good. Now what is this crisis it is
not crisis of party in this State, it is not a
crisis that involves party feeling-but it is a
crisis made up of higher and more important
subjects--involving the safety of our glorious
Union, of which We are an integral part
When we find the North assuming positions
that she will not depart from, and the South
meeting them and declaring that they will not
submit-when these sections are found to meet
antagonistically, then has the time arrived for
Cancellation. Am told that this is no more a
crisis than that one portion of the community
is called upon to yield to the claims of another.
But hope that there are no members of this
board disposed to require a REIMBURSEMENT of
what is deemed to be right, of any American
citizen. Right is not to be surrendered to OPP
position. We have nothing to hope for u cow
ardly, dastardly spirit to be found in any sec
ton of the Union-the American people are
the same in the South and North, the East and
the West-the same proud spirit is to be found
in them everywhere-the same blood courses
through their veins-the soldier from the North
mingled his blood with the soldier from the
South, at Cerro Gordo-they fought shoulder
to shoulder at Bucna Vista. All history of our
people, Of our country, shows that we have
nothing to expect from Americans who delib-
erately take positions upon such important
questions. Who, then, shall yield: 1t is far
easier-far more compatible for the North to
LII I
upon to yield-simply an abstract proposition.
Ii the position taken in these Resolves be cor
rect, that slavery does not exist in the terrific
ries, what do we yield: in fact nothing at all.
If we believe slavery to be limited to its origin
its local bounds-then we have nothing to
yield. One word in relation to our duties. In
the first place it has been the policy of the
government and of the states not to interfere
with the government of the separate states
this was the doctrine of the confederation. The
policy of the general government has been not
to infringe state rights-to exercise no power
unless granted by the States. How then should
we be governed? There exists law of COM
mon brotherhood-of common feeling-wc
have shared in the dangers-wc, have acted to-
gether against the world-for the maintenance
of principles, when it was hard for us to sus-
tain ourselves even thus confederated. Thus
we came into the confederation. Was slavery
This principle of the power of the master over
the servant was recognized then-then it was
the great north and south came together fol
the crisis. State rights were surrendered for
the general good-and contend that no crisis
has since arisen until the present time-a SINH.
lar crisis is now at hand, when a similar spirit
Of concession is demanded. The time has ar.
rived when states cannot remain shut up by
resolutions-patriotism calls upon us, that, a:
we framed our Constitution in our weakness
we do not abandon it in our strength. If We
have profted by our neighbours strength, is il
right, is it American, to use that strength fol
wrongs What could any state, what coult
any section, have done without the Constitu
ton, and the strength and power resulting from
the Union: Nothing They could have don't
nothing but for the shield of the Constitution
which gave them power. We have grown IL,
to be strong-our pride, ifnothing else, shoulc
keep us from any such aggression. There ar
implied powers growing out of the Constilu
ton as well as expressed powers. We ar
bound to carry out its provisions in the spiri
in which they are framed. If the District o
Columbia was coded, for instance. to the gov
ernment without any provisions. we shout,
look at the reasonable intentions of the cessiou
If Maryland and Virginia in 1890, coded por
ton Of their territory, we should see what in
tentions went with twas it the intention @
either party that this territory should be mad
a rendezvous for runaway slaves No, can
not believe that any one will claim this. Wei
then, how is it with this contracts There is
moral obligation above the written power
Granting, then, that there is no provision fo
the protection of the south in these articles b
which the territory was ceded, there are mora
considerations of sufficient weight attached t
it to prevent any abuse of power. But are W
told that the north is ready to quell any rebel
hon that may arise, 20 preserve the union of tn
states: When the time arises that the mort
shall arise to quell rebelions, these halls ma
not afford US opportunities for compromise.
! Now what are some of The causes of the pres
en' state' Without going farther back tha
California how is it, Having framed Con
| stitution, she seeks admission into the Union
the north demands her admission-the SON,
makes her admission pretext for the settle
ment OF the perplexing territorial questions
Next comes the territoriss-the Resolves asser
that slavery does not exist in them ard this