Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-09-18
Passage of the Compromise Measures.

Although two years have not claPseu slnce .no
passage of the Compromise measures, we ma 1nat
the Scott party in the South is endeavoring to de-
ceive the people with regard to them. Ihls line
of conduct is called for by the exgencles OF Gen.
SCOTS position and the unwillingness OF the south
ern whigs to sustain him without an express de-
claration of adherence to the fugitve-slaVe law.
The southern friends of Gen. Scott speak OF the
COMPROMISE as system of measures, all OF which
were enacted at the same time, and then, after as
sertine that Gen. Scott sustained that Compromise,
they affirm that he is in favor of the fugltlveslave
law This is Justification of history, and we are
sorry to see that the wing candidate has lent MS
countenance to such proceeding.
The fugitive-sIave law did not constitute a por-
ton of Mr.. Clays "omnibus bill, as the series OF
acts presented by the committee OF thirteen were
called. The report Of that committee was made
on the 9Th of May, 1850, and was accompanied by
the following bills and none other, (Senate Journal
page 327:)
Union to establish territorial governments for Utah
and New Mexico, and making proposals to Texas
for the establishment of her western and northwest
ern boundaries"
"a bill to suppress the slaVe-trade III the LIS
trict of Columbia"
These were the measures which were known as
the adjustment or compromise measures at the tune
General Scott committed himself in favor OF the
Compromise. All the measures embraced in the
first bill mentioned above stricken out by the
Senate, except that which proposed territorial
government for Utah; and the compromise mea-
sures, embracing the fugitive-siave law and the
abolition of the slaverade in the District of Column
bia, passed separately, as follows:
l. The BILL PROVIDING A TERRITORIAL GOVERN
MENr FOR UTAH passed the Senate July 81, 1850,
by a vote of thirty-two to eighteen. Itpassed the
House of Representatives, September 7th, by vote
of ninety -seven to eighty-hve.
fhn Snn
ate August 10, 1850, by vote of thirty to twenty.
1t passed the House of Representatives, with the
New Mexican territorial bill attached to it as an
amendment, September 6th by vote OF one
hundred and eight to ninety
3. THE BILL FOR THE ADMISSION OF CALIFORNIA
passed the Senate August Is, 1850, by vote Of
thirty-four to eighteen. 1t passed the House OF
Representatives on the It'll of September by vote
of one hundred and fifty to ffty-six.
+. TIE BILL PROVIDING A TERRITORIAL GOV
ERNMENr FOR New MEx1co passed the Senate
August Is, 1850, by a vote of twenty-seven to ten
1t passed the House, an amendment to the
Texas boundary BILL the 9th Of Septic nber, by
a vote of one hundred and eight to ninety-seven
i 5. THE FUG1rvE-sLAvE BILL passed the Senate
| August o. 1850, by a vote Of twenty-seven to
twelve. 1t passed the House of Representatives
on the 18th of September, by vote of one hun
dred and nine to seventy-six.
u
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA passed the Senate
September 16, 1850, by vote of thirty-three to
nineteen. 1t passed the House of Representatives
on the 18th of September, by vote of one hun
dred and twenty-four to ffty-nine.
The policy of General Taylors administration
urged the separate admission Of California as a
State, without taking any action with regard to the
other subjects of difficulty mentioned. In the last
days of that administration a serious danger arose
between Texas and the authorities of the United
States in New Mexico, relative to the extent of the
territory and jurisdiction of Texas. That Difficult
ty most frowning aspect when Mr.. Fillmore
came into power, and he imprudently adopted
General Taylor's policy with regard to it. But he
soon saw the danger which menaced his admins
tration, and used all his influence to settle the
Texas boundary before collision should take place
in New Mexico Had it been possible for the wing
party to have admitted California and settled the
Texas boundary question without passing the other
measures involving slavery, it would doubtless have
pursued that policy, which would have been the
Taylor policy, only modified by the difficulty with
Texas. There were indications that such the
desire Of the administration; and, to defeat that
policy, the New Mexican territorial bill affixed
as an amendment to the Texas boundary BILL
thereby forcing the northern friends of Mr.. Fillmore
to aid in excluding the Wimot proviso from the
territorial bill and aid in its passage in order to
relieve him from the blunder he had committed
with regard to Texas. The Wilmot proviso being
thus disposed OF, there was no difficulty the next
day in passing the Utah bill, which was similar to
the New Mexican bill.
After the protracted struggle which terminated
on the sixth of September, 1850, the majority in
the House of Representatives determined to regard
each of the measures relating to slavery consti
tuting part of system of settlement, and to en-
act them. Mr.. Fillmore hesitated when the fugi
tive-save law presented for his signature, and
he submitted it to the Attorney General for al
opinion to its constitutonality. Mr.. Crittenden
considered it in conformity with the constitution
and the President attached his signature to it
Since then it has been regarded by all, except the
abolitionists of the orth and Mr. Stewards higher
law followers, part of the Compromise, and {
portion, it were, of treaty of peace and amitJ
between the different sections of the confederacy
} But the men who nominated General Scott for The
presidency refused to consider it in that light
: They made open war upon it; and IN their Stat
conventions they affirmed that it NOR
sacred than any other isolated act of ordinary leg
islation, and could be modified or repealed withou
breach of good faith. All the State convention
which brought forward Gen. Scott took that ground
and they used the name of General Scott to sus
tain them in their warfare with the administration
5 which was waged because the administration re
garded the fugitive-slave law part of the Com
Mr.. Seward and his followers did not pretend tina
they had any other cause of quarrel with Mr.. Fill
more and Mr.. Webster than that furnished by tn