The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-02
Maine and the Proviso,

cause the Chief Magistrate Of the Republic 10 also
commander in-chief ofits army and navy"
Maine and the Proviso.
We learn from paragraph in the National
Lnteuigencer yesterday, that certain resolutions
concerning slavery were taken up in tho leg
slature Of Maine on Wednesday, and were
passed upon by yeas and nays. The first was
unanimously adopted.
| "Resolved AS the sense of the people of this
State, that California ought to be promptly and UNI
conditionally admitted into this Union, in accord
ance with her application to Congress for that pur
posc.'
| The second resolution as follows:
"ResolUed, That territorial governments ought
| to be formed for New Mexico aud Utah. prohibiting
slavery therein, and that no territorial government
should be formed without an express prohibition to
| that effect"
Adopted: Yeas 1902, nays 81.
The third resolution was against connecting Cal
ifornia admission with any other slavery question:
and was carried, LOG to &c. The fourth resolution,
instructing and requesting their Senators and Rep
resentatives in Congress to carry the above res
olutions, and not to vote in any emergency for any
territorial admission which does not positively pro-
hibt slavery, was carried, 81 to 35.
This announcement of proceedings in the
Legislature of Maine very naturally suggests
some comments. We have been told repeated
ly that the Wilmot proviso was dead; it was SO
declared in Congress by distinguished Sena-
tor. The Union newspaper, too, has exulted
that the compromise had .sain" the provso-
although OF late II has shown some symptoms of
mlsgiving on that point. The resolutions of the
Legislature of Maine within a week past and
the votes by which they were adopted as given
above, may show that the proviso is still alive
and quite vigorous. The compromise has not
killed it yet nor is it likely to kill it, if we may
believe the declarations of the New York Epen-
ing Post, quoted in our columns some days ago,
which proclams that the passage of the Com
promise bill, if il should occur would be but a
signal for renewed agitation to repeal it. One
of the Senators from New York is in favor of
the Compromise, and his course in that particu-
lar has brought the two sections of his party to
definite issue, to be determined when the
question of his reelection to the Senate shall
come up.
We state these facts, because many state
ments on the subject, not facts. have been stu
dlousiy put forward to .nislead the public mind.
There Is another ''ning which the passage of
the Maine resolutions suggests, viz: the pre-
posterous pertinacity with which the Union
has lahJred to produce the impression that the
Wigs of the North were more deeply commit
led to antislavery doctrines and tendencies than
the Democrats of the North. But, behold, in
the very face of these representations, and at
| this particular crisis, when the advocates of the
| Cotnnromisa ,re nroclainninu that i,s ,do,,,on
will allay agitation and give peace to troubled
land-at this very time Legislature, largely
Democratic, reaffirms the principles of the pro-
vso, with all the emphasis that language can
| give, and without any qualification in any pos
sible emergency! Observe the overwhelming
vote upon the second resolution-yeas, one hun
dred and two; nays, thirty -one.
| 1t will be observed that the establishment Of
territorial governments is recommended in the
resolutions. Yes but wih the prouiso. The
same vote which recommends the one enforces
the other. If territorial governments are es-
tablished, the mass of both parties at the North
stand committed 10 the incorporation Of the
proviso into them That is the point Of the
difficulty; that it is which renders it impossible
Tor any bill establishing such governments TO
allay agitation, which must necessarily spring
up out Of any such enactment attempted or ac-
complished.
The PREsIDEST's line of policy would guard
against this danger by simply emitting to estab-
lish territorial governments. If it should be
asked, will not agitation follow the adoption Of
the PRESIDENTS policy equally as that of the
compromise I'VE answer that in our judg-
ment there is no probability Of it because the
mass Of the people Of the North, certainly of the
Wing portion of them, would be content TO let
the subject drop and await the decision Of the
question by the people of the Territories when
they come 10 form State constitutions They
would be satisfied for Congress to establish no
territorial governments but if Congress ,oiH
take upon itself the legislative guardianship Of
the Territories. the mass Of the Northern men of
all parties are committed to the point that ia
that case Congress shall prohibit slavery. Omit
to establish territorial governments and the diff
| ficulty is avoided; otherwise we do not see how
it can be.