The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-12-04
SPEECH OF
Henry w. Miller, ESQ.,,

IN ALfAt ~ tt~-s' - -
FrlIow CrrrzESss / offer as an apol-
ogy for asking your attention IN reply
40 the gentleman who has addressed
you. the call which you have just made
upon me. l disavow all desire to in
terfere with the relations which exist
between him and his constituents. and
trust | am not violating any rules Of
propriety, in answering. at your re-
quest, as far as my humble ability will
permit, arguments which l regard as
iallacious, and doctrines that appear to
me dangerous to the peace and union
of these States. l do not appear before
you to crafty any spirit OF party. l
shall not address you IN any suchspirit,
except 50 far as it may be necessary to
defend some of the patriotic men who
belong to the Whig party from what !
conceive to be. the unjust assaultswhlch
have been made upon them.
The subject to which ! shall ask
your attention. more particularly, is
above party ties and should be discon-
nected from party influences. IL Is
subject in which the whole country has
deep,-a vital interest. | refer to
the Acts Of Compromise and adjust
ment passed at the last Session OF
Congress. Some Of these acts the gen
tleman opposed. and he now seeks, not
only to Justify his own course, but as
sails those who differed from him, and
thought it their duty to sustain those
measures. lfthe reasons given for his
course be vailed, then has the South
been greatly wronged, by the passage
of that Compromise, and those who
supported it are no longer entitled to
her confidence. On the contrary, il
those measures were just and proper,
and upon being faithfully carried out,
will secure the rights Of all sections
and restore peace to the Country, then
his course was unwise, and his efforts
now, to excite hostility to those who
sustained them, deserve, and shouldre-
ceiye, the rebuke of all who love the
Union, who reverence the laws, and
who regard the further agitation of the
slavery question dangerous to our peace
and prosperity.
maintain that the Acts of Compro'
mise secured the honor Of the SOUTH
encroached upon the rights of no Sec
tion,--were wise and conciliatory IN
their character, and should be sustained
by all men, of all parties, in every Sec
tion Of the Union,-thatif so sustained,
our National peace, prosperity and
Union will be secured, but If violated,
resisted, nullifed or repealed, neither
of those great interests and blessings
will be advanced, but all Of them haz-
arded, jeopardized, pcrhapslost. These
positions shall endeavour to establish,
and in SO doing | ask the attention Of
all present, however widely they may
differ from me on matters of mere par
ty politics.
The Acts Of Compromise were, /
The admission of California as State
9. The establishment Of Territorial
Government for Utah. 5. The Texan
boundary and New Mexican Territorial
Bill. 4. The Act abolishing the slave
trade in the District of Columbia. 5
The fugitive slave law; against al
which the gentleman voted, except thu
last named, and the Utah Act. Vi
the final passage of the latter he did no
vote at all.
| understand him to contend that tn,
admission of California was unconstl
tutional-unjust to the South and vir
tual enactment Of the Wilmot Proviso
in as much as the Constitution presen
ted by that people contained claus
prohibiting slavery, and | understan'
him further to contend, that Congress
should have adopted the Missouri Com
promise line in reference to that Ter
rltory.
Now, to enable us, Fellow Citizens
to understand his subject fully, it
necessary to refer to the Federal Con
stitution itself, and to portions of tn
rast political history of the country o
the subject of slavery. The Sd Sectio
of the Attn Art. of the Constitution say
New States may be admitted by Con
gress into this Union" The 4th Sc,
of the same Article declares that /" tn
United States shall guarantee to ever
State in this Union, a republican forl
OF Government"
1t will be remembered that the pow
er of Congress over the provisions of
Constitution, presented by a peopl
asking admission into the Union, wa
discussed with great ability and muc
bitterness during the Missouri ContrC
versy. That State was formed out {
territory acquired from France unde
the treaty of 1908. In July 1920, sh
presented herself for admission int
the Cnon, with a Constitution whic
was silent on the subject of Slavery
Those who were hostile to that institu
tion sought to incorporate provisio
IN her Constitution prohibiting it.
was contended by those who Opposes