Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1850-03-29
Mu. SEWARDS SPEECH ON TIE
SLAVERY QUESTION.


But sir, if | could overcome my ropupn u ce
to Compromise in general, should object tc
this one, on tn ground of the inequality aad in
con yruity of the interests to be co promised.
Why, sir, according to the views have sub nit
ted, California ugh to come in, and must come
in whether 81 We y stands or falls the Dis
! trio of Co u bin, whether slavery stands OF
falls in New Mexico ana Eastern Califom "a
an even heth slave "a ds r f. lis in the
slave States. Caliorni on ht cone a., and
must come in at all events. 1t is an indepen-
dent ques ion. Whl then are these questions
ri ing ont of slavery thus in.erposed b COL
lat raj qu stons? They are Unnecessary and
incongruous, and therefore false iss'ies, if no,
introduced design dly indeed to d ,fea' tn
great policy, yet uElvoi ably tending o that
end
But consent on my par to the conprom Sc
would be di ingenious and fraudulent. 1t is
now avowcd by the honorable S nltor from
Sou,h Carolinl. Mr. "A houn1 th,t no hin! will
satisfy the slave States but a CO npro Use that
will convince them that they cln ron in in the
Union consistently with their honor md their
safety. And whit are cone s>jons that
will ave that effect; Here the, are in the
words Of that 5 nHto.
South an eq1t right in the acquired territory and do
hcr duty by causing the stipulation relative to tugi-
tive slaves TO be faithfully iu.ldcI ctasc he agita-
ton OF the slave question aul nrov tor he inser-
tiOn OF provision in the Cuus itutlon by AT amend
inent that will restore to tie 50 tn, Substance,
the power sh pIss ssel Of protecting herse before
the rq; ;l5rum between the sections d,stroyed
by the action oI the Government"
These terms amount to ,hi'-thlt the Free
s ates, having already or although tacv may
h,y, ,f
both Horses Of Congress, sh Ill concaL to the
Slave Stltes, being in minority IN bosh, the
unn1ull advantage Of an c1u'ltv-tnlt is that
we shal alter the Constitution so IS 20 convert
the Government from I Nat!onI / cmocracy,
controlled by constitutional majority Of yoices,
into Federal Alliance in which the minority
hall have veto against the majority. and,
thus to return to the ori inal rticles o.! CO led
Grafton!
| will not stop to protest against the injustice
and lncXpediency Of an innovation which, if it
were practicable, would be so entirely subver-
sive Of the rnCplo of Democratic institutions.
it is enough to say that is totally inpractcabe
The free states, Northern and Western have
acquesccd in the long and nearly unbroken
ascendancy of slave states, because the re-
suit happened underthc constitution. But thev
have honor and interests to preserve and there
is nothing in mt re or in the character of
the people to inluco an expectation tn t they
loyal as they arc are inscnslblc to the duty of
defending them.
But the scheme would still be inpra ticable,
if ven this dill ultv were vercone What
is proposed as IL political equlbriu Every
political equilibrium requires physical uill-
brum to rest upon, and is valueles5 wit ont it.
TO constitute physical c ,uibr un between
the slave States and free Statcs-an equili-
brium between the free States and the slave
States requires f~'t el"olity- % to.4itul, 3, "a
eoroo neor approximation, and this is already
lost. But it requires much more than this: it
equires an equality or proximatae equality in
he number of slaves and treemen, and this mus.
be perpetual.
But the census Of 1910 gives a slave basis Of
only two millions and half; and free basis
of fourteen millions and half. The popula
ton on the slave basis increases in the ratio of
20 per cent. for ten years; while that on the
free basis advances at the rate of 3S per cent
This acceleratng movement of the free popula-
ton now complained of, will occupy the new
territories with pioneers, and every day increase
the difficulty cf forcing or insnuating slavery
into regions which freemen have pre- occupied
And if this were possible, the African slave
trade is prohibited, and the domestic increase is
not sufficient to supply the new slave States
which are expected to maintain this equilibrium.
The theory of a new political equilibrium
claims that it once existed and has been lost -
When lost and how II BEGAN 10 he Iost in
1887, when preliminary arranpemarts were
made to admit five new States in the North.
west Territory, two wears before the coYs;Ifu-
ton was fnally aGopted-that is. il bepan to he
lost two years before it began to exist
Sir, the equilibrium if restored Ynuid be lost
more rapidly ;han it was before. The propr,ss
Of the free population is to be accelera,rd bv
emigration from Europa and Asia. wIilethar of
the slaves is to be checked and retarded hv in.
pyitable partial emanrinaiion Nolhinr. saws
Montesoic. reduces A mqn 50 low As alyuys tn
see freemen and vet no, be free. Persons in
that condition are natural enemies of the Sla,e
and their numbers yonM b, Ginunr,u. if in
creased too hiuh Sir the ruriiiva l,vn coro.
nies. and emancipated ,,Iavc colonies in the free
States. i'm Canada and IN l,,b,,l,. are. ,l,a II 81
guarantees South Carolina can have f,r the
oernetui,v Of slavery.
Nor v0uld succ &C attopJ apy or tho Jo,a;, n
compromise. And FIRST | advart IA ,he amend.
neni ,fthe law conrornin Curit;,e, (r,,n .,r
vie. or I.hnr The con.t,Iu,in, c,,,,,,,.,,,I,,o
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