The southern press., 1852-05-20


was released from all claims Of jurisdiction by
i Texas, her laws, aud constitution, and remained
part of New Mexico Standing, of course,
like the rest of the territory ceded by Mexico,
il was incorporated with that part OF New
Mexico vest of the Rio Grande, and forms a
part Of the territory organized under terrific.
trial government as New Mexico. These are
all the late laws relating TO slavery in the terri
tories and, with the laws ab0lisbing the slave
trade in the District of Columbia, and the fugi-
tive slave law, are all laws which-though not
so called at the time they were passed, because
the word compromise was then in bad odor--
have since eo.ie to be known as the compro.
mise measures These, or any other laws
which should be found to be inconsistent with
! the Constitution of the United States, are null
and void. Any, or all of them which are con
sistcnt with the Constitution, are valid as the
law Of the land, until they shall be modified or
repealed by the appropriate constitutional au.
thority. Congress possesses the perfect consti
tutional power to modify or repeal any one or
all Of them except that in relation TO the boun.
dary line of States; the admission Of States
into the Union; the stipulai ions of treaties or
compacts, where more than one party is inter.
ested, or where political or pecuniary rights have
been once defined and vested, Congress, or the
law making power Of one party alone, cannot
change them
1t is now not quite two years since the last of
these laws were passed, and the cry then raised
against further agitation has ceased and some
of those who were most forward in raising the
cry against agitation are now proposing to sub
NIT these compromise measures, and especially
the fugitive slave law, to discussion and agita-
tion for popular verdict in Presidential elec.
81, 10 Into LotI 4
not What has produced this change!
In December last, when Congress assembled,
and the representatives had come fresh from,
and imbued with the public sentiment in their
respective districts, il was found that the panic
makers, who desire to save the Union as often
as once in six months, and to get their pay for il
rs often as once quarter had got together and
decided that the Congressional caucuses of both
political parties must pass resolutions acquiesc-
ing in the compromise measures; this must be
dore, or the Union was in danger. Well, the
! Democratic caucus met, and the first thing after
it was organized, the compromise resolution
was proposed. II was not we'll received by the
majority of the caucus and it was then pro-
posed to refer the resolution to the Baltimore
convention but the resolution and the propo-
sition to refer it to the Baltimore convention
were both laid on the table, and the Democratic
caucus nominated ts candidates and elected
them. In the Wing caucus, the compromise
resolution was adopted; but they made no nom.
nations, and came into the House on Monday,
as all recollect, with sad exhibition of their
| party and their compromise resolution From
what quarter does the advice come to the Dem.
ocratic party to change its PLATFORM and make
these compromise laws part of the Democratic
creed, and party test Chiefly from the Wings
of Georgia and Mississippi and such of the
! Democrats Of these two States as united with
the Wings in the last election, aided by few
Wings and Democrats all over the Union, who
do not seem to be we'll satisfied with their posi-
ton, and desire in some way to be indorsed In
my judgment, these gentlemen are not safe ad-
visers for the Democratic party.
In Georgia and Mississippi, these new comb-
nations and new tests hive sent two Wing
United States Senators into the Senate.
But are the States Of Georgia and Mississippi
prepared to declare their aequiescence in the
Wilmot proviso, in the act Of Congress organ.
izing the Territory Of Oregon-and in the pro.
hibtion Of slavery in the constitution Of Cali.
fornia, and TO express Themselves satisfi ID with
the present condition OF the territories acquired
from Mexico, and the abolition of the slave trade
in the District of COlumbia! If so, let there b,
no eguvocation in the proposition they present
TO indorse or acqnieSce in the compromise
measures. III thre is TO be finality and end
to efforts for the extension Of slavery, il will do
much TO reconcile the country TO almost any
| form OF words expressing acqniesce,cc in meas
ures having such conclnsion But the fugi
tive slave law seems with these gentlemen 10
| be the beginning and end Of the COMPROMISE
| This law is odious, and for this very reason II
would seem the COALITION politicians Of Georgia
and Mississippi, demand that this law shall be
the issue in the next Pre- esi1ential rlection-hcv
have pushed this issue upon the Wing Congress
sional caucuscs and broken that party into Trlr
ments. They demand that the Democratic party
shall make the same issue. is openly insisted
that the cid party divisions are unsatisfactory,
ard that the couutrymust b. divided again upon
u slavery issue. The Democratic party can
make the issue and il is for the Democratic Ma
tional convention, at Baltimore. to determine IL
the proposition shah be prcsentcd-whc her
tbey will make II, or adhere % the established
Democratic platform.
/ In 1913 the Democratic convention at Bllli-
more refused TO change its platform but an
outside slavery is@u9 was made by the Nichol.
son letter, and the Democratic party was divided
and defeated. The compromise measures were
not passed as a party measure. They are not
an Issue between the two parties organized as
Democrats and Wings. But few Of either party
supported them all. lf part Of them are par
ticularly presented, controversy will be revived.
If the fugitive slave law alone shall be presented
) and il is 10 be decided whether that law shall be
continued, mod fled, or repealed shall vote 90
modify il, or TO repeal il. And if the electors
Of New York are challenged by the Issue pre-.
sented 10 them 10 decide at the election whether
they are satisfied with or approve that law, in
my opinion, they will reject the candidate for
; President who is presented to them because he
: makes the fugitive slave law the platform Of his
party politics, have no doubt Georgia and
Mississippi would reject the candidate who
should be presented TO them because he was
opposed to that law. An issue upon the subject
Of slavery is.ani must be, in the present condi.
ton Of the different States Of the Union, a acc
tiona issue. The effort Of political pariizans
: TO make IL out that either party is more friendly
} to slavery than the other has tendency 10
! make parties sectional. The Democratic party,
/ "a = a.