Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-12-05
The Peace Measures.

The Peace Measures,
This is the designation by which the friends of |
the Websterized Fillmore administration, now prefer
distinguish those acts of subservlent concession
TO the Slave power, which they last year caused to
be placed upon the Statute Book. They are some
times called "Compromise Measures - but, as time
unfods the decisions and fictous which have been
imposed upon the public, under the name Of &c Com
promise,'' the friends Of those measures seem clad
TO abandon that name. Texas had 10000 square
miles of territory conceded to her, to which she had
right whatever; and she had Ten millions Of dol
bars voted to her from the public treasury, for which
she had not the shadow Of claim. Utah and New
Mexico were left open to the nroads Of Slavery
Propagandists. The Slave Trade was not abolished
in the District of Columbia but was, the contrary
modified to conform to the policy of the Slave
States, and to increase Its profits to those resident in
The District South Carolina was still allowed to
maintain her statute-book, laws violating the
Constitution of the United States and the personal
liberty Of free American Citizens. And, finally, the
Fugitive Slave Law, giving up the whole Unon to
Slavehnnting, and destroying the independents of
every Northern State, and Northern Citizen, was
enacted as the crownng measure Of this long series
Of concessions to the South. As an set for these
acts of Northern subservency there is not recorded
single instance Of concession to Northern senti-
nents and principles, upon the part Of the South,
which can, in the fantest manner justify the appli-
cation of the word "Compromise'' to them They
were mean concessions to Slavery, all through,
made without any apology of necessity, and made,
too, without any attempt for compensatory acts from
the Southerners
The friends of these measures conscious of the
incorporating nature Of them, now prefer to call
them " Peace Measures Mr.. Fillmore, in his
Message to Congress, calls them Measures of
Peace title which, it seems TO ms, is even more
ridicuous if that possible, than Compromise
We need not allude to the "peace," which reigned
in Boston during the affairs of Shadrach William
and Helen Crafts, and Thomas Sims. That "peace''
was the issue OF one of these measures. We need
not refer to the Chrstiana and Syracuse riots;
these are noted examples of the pacific spirit of
those Compromises. But, a reference to the pro.
ceedngs of The first meeting of the members of Con.
gress, at Washington, shows that even the men
who pretend to call them "peace measures do not
believe them to be SO, but take the earlesIopportu.
Rity, before the House is organized, to intro.
duce the discussion of them. Even the Washington
editorial correspondent of the bunker Atlas is forced
to acknowledge that the hunkers have introduced
those "Compromises' subjects of strife He SAYS
81 have Just returned from the capitol, where
have been listening for hour and haf,to discus
sion npon the everlasting Compromise measures
which orig inay passed for the purpose Of put
ting down agitation and preserving the peace and
quiet ofthe country. 1t struck me as a singular and
significant fact,th even before the choice Of Speak
er, and consequently before the organization of the
House, there should arise discussion upon the Com.
promises, and that it should have been precpiated
and continued, by men who proclaim themselves the
exclusive friends Of the Compromises, and the bitter
enemies of agitation. Yet such was the fact.'
The upshot Of the matter'is, thoseImeasures never
possessed one element or attribute of peace They
are provocative of disgust and Indignation, ia the
highest degree. No man, with humane feelings or
with their perfect injustice and meanness is there
fore, wonder that the men who sustain them rush
headiong into defence Of them and precpitate a
discussion of them. They are conscious that those
are not what they profess to be. They
know that they are not peace measures, but on the
are measures of strife, that will continue
to provoke agitation SO long as they remain on the
statute book, and long the spirit which dicta-
ted them shall reign in Congress.
The first day of Congress has served to demon
strate that Mr.. Webster's adherens do not be-
lieve that these measures Of northern doughfacism
are measures Of peace, but measures of perpetual
warfare.