Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1850-12-05


had lost much of its extent by the retro
cession to Virginia oil that portion Of the
District lying South Of the Potomac, and
by other events, it was reduced, think
was informed, to single prison or depot,
in which slaves were deposited; those
slaves were not bought in the District. but
were brought chiefly from Maryland and
Virginia into the District; it was trade
in which the inhabitants Of the District had
no sort of interest; and on the contrary,
they wished it abolished. Southern gen
tlemen, years ago, had expressed the opin-
ion.hat it ought to be abolished. 1t some
times exhibited the Institution of slavery
in one Of the most painful and unpleasant
forms. have myself seen, not often, nor
lately, gangs Of slayfs chained together
driven through Pennsylvania avenue; and
what humane person can contemplate such
a spectacle without painful feelings? The
existence ofthe trade gave rise to great
clamor and great axaggera,ion at the
North; why should it be continued in the
District? Why not le, the trader, if he
chooses TO continue IL prosecute his busi-
ness, 60 to Alexandria, to Richmond, 10
Annapolis, or TO Baltimore-if the states
of Virginia and Maryland will not allow
him to 60 there tha, Is no reason why he
should be tolerated iuthe District-il was
in the clear and iudis putable power of
Congress to abolish the trade in putting an
end TO it. Congress has done no more than
Kentucky has done ia trading in slaves as
merchandise, than the state of Missis sippi
has done, which inserted it in her cons,i-
tuition; than many other slaveholding states
have done. The law which was passed,
does not touch or effect in the slightest de-
gree the institution of slavery as it exists
within the District. 1t does not prevent
the inhabitants ofthe District from selling
or otherwise alternating their slaves. 1t
does not prevent them even from going
out of the district and purchasing slaves
and bringing them within it for their own
use; the law was a mere regulation called
for by all the considefate ones which cam
not unite in the passage of any law, in
which IN the absen2 OF all passion, ex-
citement, and agitation, all impartial men
would concur. Such, Mr. Speaker, is
brief account of the system of measures
recommended by the committee of thir-
teen.
The committee thoaght it expedisnt to
unite in one bill all those kindred meas.
nres which related TO our recent terrific
rial acquisition. They thought, that con-
side1ing the actual stale of the opinion ex-
isting in Congress, it was best so to unite
them, that when THUS combined each party
would see what it gaioed and what it lost,
and they would be sssss,hat in the pas
sage o. the common r azure i, would find
IFS losses compensateidsy its gains; more
over, there was unhaspy distrust engen-
dered between the parties as TO what might
be The result If the several measures We're
separately proposed. One said TO anoth-
er, if we pass what you want, having got
ii, you will afterwards refuse TO give us
what we want. BY combination of the
measures each party would see and know
the exact extent of what it conceded and
what was conceded to it, and being once
passed, there would be no risk Of bad
faith. The friends Of the compromise
were in favor Of all the measures, either
in the aggregate or in the detail. We'd
ded to no matter ofmere form, actuated by
no pride of opinion, they were animated
by no other desire than the peace and har-
mony of the whole couatry. The oppo-
nen's of the compromise, with some ex-
ceptions, were against the measures in the
aggregate and in detail, and their obiec-
ton, therefore, to their union was not the
true and real objection; but for their in
discreet and bitter opposition the omnibus
would have passed months before the
separate bills passed happily the whole
system Of measures as originally proposed
finally prevailed in both houses of Con-
gress. The propriety Of the union of
some Of them was demonstrated in the
House Of Representatives by the fact that
the Texas boundary question was pre-
sented as separate measure-it was re-
jected by ma jority of more than forty,
and afterwards, when united with the bill
for establishing the territorial government
for New Mexico, without the Wilmot pro-
viso, it was carried by a decisive majority.
And now, Mr. Speaker, let US for mo-
ment pause and consider what are the ac.
tnal losses and gains by the two sections
of the Union in the adoption ofthis system
Of measures. think, that as to Califor-
MIA neither party, SO far as the action of
Congress is concerned. can be truly said
to have gained or lost. What has been
done by a competent and admitted author
ity without the interposi'ion Of Congress?
AS to the territories of New Mexico and
Utah, the wishes of the South have pre-
vailed. and the Wilmot proviso has been
repudia,ed, and although l do not believe
slavery that will be tolerated in them both
are allowed to exclude or admit it accord
ing to their own pleasure. In regard to
the Texas boundary, the South has been
rendered secure in all the territory living
west of the Nueces and extending to the
Rio del Norte and up that river from lis
mouth to the southern line of New Nexi-
co as an area of slavery, which had been
before disputed and controverted. The
South gets an elective provision for the
rest, restoration of fugitive slaves. The
South, think, will be quieted on the
subject Of agitation in the District of Co.
lumbia, by the abolition OF the odious slave
trade in that District, measure equally
demanded in my humble opinion, by the