The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-03-25
RE-EYACTMENT OF THE COMPROMISE AND
FUGITIVE LAW

The saveholding members of the House are
bent upon re-enacting the Compromise and
Fugitive Law. 1t is their way to make North
ern men do unpalatable things. If there be any
pro-slavcry measure particularly obnoxious to
the people of the free States that is the very
one they insist upon with the utmost pertina-
city: not satisfied with tacit acquiescence, they
demand final and repeated recognitions. They
love to show their mastery, and to triumph
over Northern sentiment.
Last Monday, Mr. Jones of Tennessee in
accordance, as we have reason to believe, with
a preconcerted arrangement, rose in the House,
and remarked, if the House would suspend its
rules and call the States for resolutions every
member perhaps might have an opportunity
through the day Of offering such bills and reso-
lutions as he had ready This seemed quite fair
and innocent, but the design was, to get before
the House resolution in favor of the COmpro-
mise and Fugitive Law, and put it through under
the operation of the previous question. A ma
jority of two-thirds is necessary to suspend
the rules. but a bare majority will suffice for
the passage of resolution, if it can once be
got into the House.
Mr. Fowler of Massachusetts objected to
the insidious proposition of Mr.. Jones, so that
the preconcerted arrangement failed. Subse-
quently another attempt was more successful.
The House having come out of Committee of
the Whole on the state of the Union, and the
attendance being rather thin, MIR. Jackson of
Georgia ii.4G:.9ed 0f the Speaker what was the
nex business ~ ofuerf re repneo gfea,,y 10
the surprise of a large portion of the members,
that the next business in order was the call of
the States. for resolutions, beginning with the
State of South Carolina! There being no
resolutions from that State, Georgia was called,
when Mr. Jackson rose and submitted the fol-
lowing resolution tit shows what was meant
by the motion of Mr. Jones.)
"ResOlred, That we recognise the binding
efficacy of the Compromises of the Constitution,
and believe it to be the intention of the Peo-
pie generally, as we hereby declare it to be
ours individually, to abide such Compromises,
and to sustain the laws necessary to carry them
Out-the provision for the delivery of fugitive
slaves and the act of the last session of Con-
gress for that purpose included-and that we
deprecate all further agitation of questions
growing out of that provision, of the questions
embraced in the acts of the last Congress
known as the Compromise and of questions
generally connected with the institution of sla-
very as unnecessary, useless, and dangerous.
"The question being on the adoption OF the
resolution,
"Mr Jackson demanded the previous ques-
ton
Pending which, the House adjourned"
SO the resolution is now before the House, in
which there is an ascertained majority in its
favor We presume it will come up again
next Monday, and that both parties will emu
late each other in their Jealous support OF
it. The great object seems to be, to show how
little they regard Northern, how profoundly
they respect Slaveholding, Sentiment. They
appear determined to make it impossible for
Free Soil men to continue in their ranks OF
vote for their candidates for the Presidency
Mr.. Jackson, by the way, during the recent
contest in Georgia, was an opponent of the
Constitutional Union party, which took The
Compromise as its platform This only shows
that Shareholders are too sagacious to risk the
loss of their supremacy by keeping up thei
dissensions