The daily union., 1852-09-16
the Union.
Il. w. thompson, OF indiana, and the slavery

El Question.
In the Republic OF yesterday. headed Great Whig
Celebration al Baltimore" r. w. Thompson. OF Indiana
member OF the Thirteh Congress from that Slale il
reported thus IN a speech
" The Hon. X. W Thompson next addressed the meet
ing in speech truly agnmenaive and eloquent He stated
mar ia the outset he would say that man who
abolonist could obtain bis for the presidency aad
went to prove that bu the cou pursued in the North
~ .he aemo9tate s psL ny Opposing he election Of Gen
the fair escucheon OF Indiana by proposing 10
into ha, State the foul blot of slavery we would neve,
have heard OF an objection candidate for The presi
deney on the ground that he tncured with aboli-
tionism."
The reader unaequainted with the previous history OF
Mr.. Thompson would suppose from this extract that he
was against everything like agitation of the slavery
questions and yet, strange 10 say. r. w. Thompson
sponsble for the whole of the agitation Immediately
prior and subsequent to the passage Of the compromise
measures But for the abolition propensites and par
tiales OF X. w. Thompson the slavery question would
have been settled during the second session OF the Thr-
eth Congress, before General Taylors administration
came INTO power The democratic party indicated every
disposition 10 settle the question on that OCCASION and
would have done so but for the undivided opposition OF
the northern wings This very man, r. w. Thompson
under The hypocrltical guse OF friendship to the South
(havng, we believe, been born in Vrgna) defeated the
only proposition for a settlement that would have been
acceptable to the whole South.
The proposition known Walkers amendment to the
as TO receive the opposition Of only 1--WE southern sens.
tors and not one solitary southern representative The
southern senators who voted against it were--Badger OF
North Carolna Johnson and Pcarce, of MARYLAND;
Spruance and Wales, OF Delaware. (See pages 263 and
264 OF Senate journal, I'd session 3Oth Congress) The
amendment passed the Senate by vote OF yeas 30,
nays 81, Let the country bear in mind that the PROPOSE
ton came from northern democrat, and that not one
northern whig voted for it, and but for the northern de-
mocracy il could not and would not have passed
Let us examine what was lis reception in the House,
and see the part Il. w. Thompson, who hypocri,icay
tells southern auditory "that man who was an abo-
ltonls could obtain his vote for the presidency took
in the execution and defeat OF the only peaceful PROPOSE
ton that received the undivided approval of the
South since the agitation of the slavery question
The first action in the House will be found at pages
600 and 6Ol House Journal I'd session 30,h Congress
sand the question being put, Will the House agree TO
said amendment? it decided in the negatiye--yeas
lOl nays u.s." Not southern voting against it, and
not northern whig voting for it, This rejection by the
House resulted in committee of conferences and page
636, OF the same volume, we find the following:
"Mr. Vinton, (whig) from the managers appointed To
conduct the conference on the part Of the House the dis
agreeing votes of the two houses the bill (H r. 69,
Of tie for the wear eadInp ,ba @ ea
June, 1900 and Tor other purposes, reported that the
erees o the two houses having been unable agree asked
be discharged from the further consideration Of the SUBJ
their disagreement to the amendments of the Senate
Mr. McCernand (democraD moved that the House re.
Senate (Which was Walkers amendment1 '0ie'' Oh ne
"Mr Wentworth tdemocra,) that there be call of
the House which motion was not agreed to.
'Mr McCiernand moved the previous question, which
was seconded and The main question ordered, viz will
amendment OF the Senate to the said bill, No 692g"
And being put. it was decided in the afirmave-yea.
Ill. nays 1o6; not southern voting in the negative
or a northern whig in the affirmative.
Mr. Morehead then moved to amend The 53d amend
ment by striking out the words, west of the Rim
Grande" and add to the end OF the amendment the fol-
lowing proviso:
Provided Nothing in this act shall affrct in .n
the question of the boundary of the State Of Texas
Mr. Moreheads amendment was agreed 10 almost with
out opposition, the vote bengyeas ls7 nays O. imme
dia'ely upon the announcement Of which, MIR Winthrop
gave the floor TO r. w. Thompson, who moved that ,be
House concur in the SD amendment of The Senate with
the following amendment, viz strike out all after the
word" enacted in said amendment, and insert
Here follows long amendment, which Incorporates 10
all inents and purposes the Wmo provso-in this that
the existing laws OF Mexico shall be retained and OBJ
served"I BY the law of Mexico slavery had been abol
ished, and r. w. Thompson, by his amendment while
he extended the constitution OF the United States as far
the same is applicable, said Territories re enacted
the Mexican law aboshng slavery, thereby excluding
the South from an equal participation in the Territories
Not southern man voted for Thompson's amendment
or northern whg against it. The only opposition TO il
from the North from democrats Tbompson's
amendment was carried by vote OF yeas H. nays 1906
We have thus given plain, unvarnshed statement of
facts taken from the record, from which we deduce
the following reflections:
The only proposition for the settlement OF the slavery
question that has yet met with and received the un
divided approval OF the South from, and was adyo
Gated by northern democrats, without the assistance of
a solitary northern whig. This proposition was made
too when the wings had succeeded in presidential eec
ton, and would have relieved them from the embarrass
ment that overhrew Gen. Tayors administration Had il
succeeded, the country would have been saved the
necessity OF the compromise measures and spared the
-burnngs and irIitaons which have grown out Of
and will continue 10 grow out Of tie passage of these
measures, unless the democratic party is restored TO
power and the executive department, placed under the
control OF The great conservative peaceful policy ha, has
characterized the party on this vital question There
never was such opportunity for Cancellation as when
X. w. Thompson defeated MIR. Walkers amendment
Under all the circumstances, party acted more
nobly Than the democratic and basely than the
wbig party. In the democratic party disposition was
manifest TO give quiet to the country. though they had
been defeated in the presidential election In the whg
party the ruling spirit TO do injustice TO the South
trampe upon her rights, and Danish her from all pari
cpaon in the territories which she had helped to ac-
qure.
We not surprised that Mr. Thompson should
preface his speech with the remark that he would vote
for aboonst for the presidency, especially when his
ala ahnlt al.