The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-06-03
MIR. FLOYD ON THE COMPROMISE AND FUGI
TIVE Law.
Extract Of Speech delivered BY MIR. FLOYD Of
New York, IN The House of Representatives,
Mav 18th. 1852

May 18th, 1852
But, sir in this truck and dicker of princi
Piles between Northern and Southern politicians
what Of practical benefit has been secured OF
yielded either by the North or South is TO mt
past finding out
The act purchasing land of Texas and erect
ing it into the Territory of New Mexico, mel
Their allows nor prohibits slavery there: anC
that question is to be determined by the Con
gress which shall be in existence when an
portion Of that Territory shall apply for admis
sion AZ State. The question is deferred, nc
disposed of, and the South and North bot
gain nothing The act admitting California
she having already prohibited slavery--is recl
oned in the bargain as something yielde
by the South to the North Why, sir, she wa
admitted upon strict Southern principles. tn
Southern doctrine, as contained in resolution
| of late distinguished Senator from Soutl
Carolina Mr.. Calhoun, who possessed tn
| confidence of that section of the Union TO I
greater extent than any other man ever did
and whose loss to the whole country, and es
pecially to the South, cannot be too deeply de
plored, is, "That State, when forming for
herself Constitution, and proposing to come
into the Union, had the exclusive power to de-
eide for herself, whether she would or would
not have the institution Of slavery"
Upon this precise ground California acted
declaring by her Constitution that slavery
should not exist within her bounds-and yet
the admission of California, upon the very prin-
oipes prescribed by the South itself, is TO be re-
ceived with Thanksgiving at tho North, as q
liberal Southern concession to Northern anti
slavery notions The act establishing the Ter
ritory of Utah il similar to that relating to
New Mexico--slavery is neither established
nor prohibited in the Territory--and the ques-
ton whether any portion Of that Territory shall
be admitted as slave State is left for that
Congress TO which application for admission
shall be made. The act abolishing the slave
trade in this District Is put down also as con-
cession by the South to the North but why it
il 30 put down is not easy to say. The laws OF
MARYLAND which authorized slavery in this
part of the District prohibited the slave trade
Both were laws of Maryland, a slave State /;
and the recent act was but reviving this very
law. Upon the discussion of this part of the
Compromise in the Senate the distinguished
Senator from Kentucky iMr. CLAy said:
aft slave trade is abolished, it will sat
isfy, to great extent Northern feeling, and,
add with pleasure, Southern feeling too, for i
hare shared in the horror at this slaue trade an
this District, and uiewed ii nth as much dstesfa-
tion as any Of those Of the North who complain
of ~
And Senator from Mississippi, mr.. Foote,
who is perhaps more than any other identified
with the Compromise, declaredin equally strong
terms:
THE construction OF this clause will be such
az must bring about Immediately the removal
Of these depots, which, confess | detest as
heartily as any man can do They bring dis
credit on the system Of domestic labor at the
South, and are profitable to none except those
concerned in the traffic. ! am not willing that
the whole South should suffer under that dis
credit, for the benefit merely Of o few persons
engaged in specializing in slave property
Aud 80 il is, that measure IN accordance
with Southern law, required by Southern
feeling topreyent traffic which is discred-
it 10 the whole South, and q subject Of South
ern "detestation' is in the Compromise con-
sdered great concession by the South to the
North, for which some reciprocal concession is
required
The fourth act Of the series constituting the
and known as the Fugitive Slave
Law, has perhaps caused more excitement than
any other in the public mind The constitu.
tional provision on this subject IL found In the
second section Of the fourth article Of the Con-
stitution OF the United States and in these
wsrds:
"No person held TO service or labor in one
State under the laws thereof escaping into
another, shall in consequence Of any law or
regulation therein be discharged from such SER
vice or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim
Of the party TO whom such service or labor may
be due
This is to Northern people one Of the most
offensive features in the Consultation bat il Is
clear aud unequivocsl in in terms, and m oh.
ligatory as any other clause Of that instrument
The clause Immediately preceding in terms
almost similar requires that fdgtives from JUS
lice who shall !" be found in another State shall
be delivered up" and this has been carried
into effect for the most part satisfactorily 10