The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-12-27


domestic IN their way and authorized them
10 do uninhueGced by executive dctaon. or by the
apprehension that unless they decided the slavery CUES
uon ~ particular way, their application ioi SUBMISSION
would be rejected by Congress do not endorse, and
did sanction the charge against the late admins
taon n having used improper means or any means
10 influence the decision of The people of California upon
this question; but do say that had ths Dill become ihe
law Of the land such charge would ever have been
that large portion of the South really believe that i'm
proper Influences used to produce the result in Cali
orna They do not deny the right OF the people OF CAL
lorna 10 make that decision but they insist that the
right should have been exercised freely. aud unnuenced
by any act oil the agents OF the administration. OF the
apprehension OF adverse decision by Congress in the
event that they had decided the slavery question otherwise
Bul, Mr. President, the Judiciary COMMITTEES reported
against and the Senate refused to pass my bill to admit
California State leaving The question OF slavery open
TO be decided afterwards by the people, and thus cut of
all hope Of adjustment IN that mode. According TO my
recollection, the next important measure which prom
sed the slightest hope OF giving peace to the country
the proposition Of the senator from Wisconsin, which is
usually known as the "Wake amendment" All other
plans having failed, as last hope came warmly into
the support OF that pr position, and struggled Tor It's adop
ton through that terrible night session, many senators
This brief history brings us down 10 the commence
men OF that memorable long session when The late com
promise measures were adopted Mr.. President, may
be permitted here to pause and remark that duriDg the
period OF five years that laborng for the adoption
Of the Missouri Compromise, my votes on the Oregon
question. and upon all incidental questions touching sa
very, given with reference TO settlement that
consistent win II. III, therefore, gentle
man has the curiosity wish to understand the meaning
Of any all the votes had occasion TO give during that
period this question, he has only TO bear in mind the
Missouri Compromise and then observe the perfect har
mony between each vote and that measure.
Now, sir, l approach the history of the compromise
measures. My account will be brief and easily under
stood Having again been placed by the Senate at the
head of the Territorial Committee, it became my duty TO
prepare and submit some plan OF adjustment Early in
December, within the first two three weeks OF the
session. wrote and laid before my committee for their
nd w I'm
OF California into the Union, and the other contain
ing three distinct first for the establishment OF
llshment of territorial government for New Mexico;
and, third, for the settlement OF the Texas boundary
These bills remained before the Committee on Terrific
RES from the month of December until the 25th Of March
before could obtain the consent of the committee to
port them On that day reported those bills, each
Der OF the committee reservng the right TO oppose
any portion OF them his judgment should disapprove
Of, and being the only member who was responsible
for all the provisions OF those two bills Those bills
we're my motion ordered to be printed and laid the
table Of each member Of both houses of Congress
These printed bills having laid your table about four
weeks the Senate, on motion Of Mr.. sFoorE, appointed
committee Of thirteen. with the distinguished senator
from Kentucky Mr.. CLArl at its head That committee
took my two printed bills. joined them together with
wafer and reported them to the Senate as one b-whch
is well known TO the country the " omnibus biz" II
any gentleman has the curiosity to investigate this mat
Ter he walk to the Secretarys table aud inspect the
original omnibus bill He will find that il consists OF
two printed bills with wafer between Them and black
line drawn through the words Mr.. DOUGLAS, from the
Committee Territories" and in lieu OF them insert
ed these other words MIR CLAY, from the Committee
Of Thirteen" reported the following bill The committee
had also made some slight and comparatively unimpor
lan amendments nearly all of which disagreed TO
by the Senate. The Committee OF Thirteen therefore,
did not originate write any contained in
The omnibus They awaited themselves of the labors of
the Committee Territories and their distinguished
chairman did US the Justice so to state at the time he
reported the bill. The Committee OF Thirteen put wafer
between our bills, and the Senate took the wafer aud
passed them separately supported the omnibus as
pint measure also supported each measure separately
had pride OF opinion that the bulls should be passed
in the precise form had reported them desired to see
the controversy terminated, and was willing TO take the
measures jointly or separately, OF IN any form in which
they could pass both houses oil Congress. reported
them separately because had ascerained the fac, FROM
actual count that they could pass separately and cood
pass jointly
Mr. President claim no credit for having orig inated
and proposed the measures contained in the omn bus
There was no peculiar or remarkable feature in them.
They were merely ordinary measures OF legislation, well
adapted 10 the circumstances and their sole merit
sisted in the fact that separately they could both
houses OF Congress Being responsible for these bills, as
they came from the hands OF the Committee on Terrific
mes wish to call the attention OF the Senate and OF the
country to the fact that they contained no prohibition OF
sayery-no provision upos the subject And now come
to the main point which explains the object OF the de-
tailed statement which have Just made. The leglsla
lure OF illinois, by combination OF every wing in each
house with few free soil democrats, had passed
Of the territory acquired from Mexico which should con-
tain express prohibition OF slavery in said ter
moty The instruction did not go TO the sxen, OF the
Wlmot proviso, by attempting to prohibit slavery in
the States well the Territories, but the OF
uconentcl themselves with the provision that slavery
should be prohibited in the Territories while they re
NAMED such, leaving the people to do as they pleased
when they became a State. Yet the instruction de-
agned and deemed sufficient to compel me 10 resign my
seat and give place free soer, for there could have
been expectation oil their eleciing wing. They
knew my nflexibe opposition to the principle asserted
m the instruction, at the same time that they knew that
The right Of instruction the settled doctrine OF both
parties in my State, which no man could repudaie with
safety Knowing that this animation OF wings and Tree
soles battered themselves that they had succeeded in
party trick which would drive me from The Senate and give
place TO free. soer who would come here and carry
succeeded in their plot had been certain that all the
measures Of the Compromise could have passed without
my vote and in opposition to the vote OF abolnonlst
10 my place. Notwithstanding these instructions, wrote
The bills and reported them from the Committee on Ter
oties without the prohibitions IN order that the record
night show what my opinions were; but, lest the trick
night fail, free soil senator offered amendment in
The precise language OF my instructions knew that the
amendment could not prevail even my colleague and
myself recorded the vote OF State IN its favor But
resigned my place 10 abotonlst, almos;
tain that the bills would fail their passage. After
consulting with my colleague and with many senator's
reBdly the BILLS came 10 the conclusion that duty
CURED that should retain my seat was prepared 10
hight and defy abolitionism in all its form, but was
no, willing repudiae the settled doctrine OF Stale
N regard 10 the right OF instruction. Before the vote
was taken, | made speech reviewing my course on
NE slavery question and defining my position. / de.
bounced the doctrine OF the amendment declared my
alierabe opposition to IT, and gave notice that any vote
Which might be recorded in my seemingly in it's
lavOs would be the vote OF those who gave the
IONS. and not my Under this protest, recorded
vote for, this and one or two other amendments en-