Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-03-28
CONGRESS-.
MoNpAr, March E.

|
SENATE. After The transaction Of routine hu-
stress of no general interest. the Senate resun-
ed the consideration of Mr.. Clay.s resolution of
! COMPROMISE.
Mr. BADGER Of N. c. having the floor, address,
ed he Senate. Tie was not surprised that
subject of us much interest a. that involved in
the resolutions should have given rise 10 warm
aud animated Discus ion. aud much excitement
he did not design to add u tlat excitement
lie designed 10 consider tue ulJect IN thai spir-
It Of conciiaiion and good feeling, in which The
Union was formed. The subject was one OF
erea, il poriancc--as great as that OF the preser
walton Of the Union itself, which seemed involy-
Cd and should be considered with moderatlon
grave celebration, justice, care and concilla-
ton. He conceded fully with those " ho had
said that there could be no peaceful. separation
of the Union. Such was Ioipos>i5le from the
nature OF the case-the character of our Insilu
tons and couniry-irom tie nature OF cur form
Of government itself. But even # there could
DE such peaceful dissolution, the state Of peace
IN which the States might separate, Sonid speed
lily aud inevitably be ended, ana war must inInw
which would have 10 termination IN settled
peace, until the superiority Of ore section or
the olher had compel ed a Suspension of hes
tilIiies, and tie vanqulshed should have had op-
pertunIiy to recnperste their energies and pre-
pare for a renewal OF the conflict Mr.. Badger
proceeded at some length 10 consider the value
OF the Union, and the evils of separation. be-
fore considering the question VI ether there
was a possibility of any action by Congress
which should lead 10 dlsunion. There was such
possibility. Was there probability of such a
state of things? He was no aarnst: but look
ed to the Union as good TO be guarded, against
every thing which threatened its perDetui,y /; he
must say that no one looked upon proceedings
here, and the commissions throughout the coun-
try, could doubt the probability that separation
might follow certain course Of legislation
This beng the case, there was Just as much
reason for careful consideration, Cancellation
and care in action here. ms though the certainty
OF dissolution OF this Union the result Of such
action, IN certain Contingencies, was presented
and then, in reply to MIR. Seward, he went into
an argument, deduced from the Scriptures, to
show that slavery, though 1t might be an evil,
is no SIM lie defended North Carolina fioin the
charge of having passed laws unjustly discrimi-
mating between whites and blacks IN cases of
iusurrection. Proceeding to the consideration
OF the merits of the question under consideration.
he said that the South had a right, in The first
place, 10 ask adequate measure for the arrest |
and recovery of their fugitive siaves-that mas,
lie at the basis of any ratification. Without It. |
any settlement would be like a house without
any Foundation. This was matter of right, guar /
anteed by the constitution. If there was any /
one thing clear and undoubied in the cunstitI- |
tioa, II was tins right of the slavehoding Stotes
to have their fugitive slaves restored. This pro-
vision was as binding as that which provided for
the arrest of fugitives from Justice. An inno-
cent man f1eeing from IN unjust prosecution. was
not morally fugitive from Justice, aud vet
under the Constitution, If charged with crime,
M Aft ar hxu IL Z.
must be delivered up, 10 be returned 10 the place
where the charge Is made, there to vlndlcate
himself. So with the fugitive from labor
Though he may deny the assertion that he is a
Slave, he must, under the constitutional provs-
ION, be delivered up and returned to the place /
from which he has fled, there to submit TO an IN
vestigaton OF The question, whether he is slave
or free. He reviewed at length the views ex-
pressed by MIR. Seward and said If the sentl-
ments expressed by him were those OF the North
ern people generally, the Union was scarcely
worthy of preservation. He did not, however.
believe that the Senator represented the views
OF the North generally, nor OF any State in that
quarter. The position assumed by Mr. Seward,
would render the execution OF any and all law,
uncertain According 10 1t The Judge upon the
bench might refuse to pass the sentence, under
any law, because he did not believe the penalty
70 be Just. MIR. Badger was about to discuss
he WilDot proviso, when he gave way to mo- /
Ion that the Senate postpone the further consid-
'rallon of the subject 10 Tomorrow, which was t
greed to. u
Mr.. KING rose TO an explanation in relation to a
remark in the Senate last week, by Mr.. Hale, $
0 the effect that James Buchanan said the De- D
,ocracy of the North was the natural ally of O
lavery. He called upon Mr.. Hale TO say when \
nd where be used such language. d