The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-20

was released from all claims of jurisdiction by
Texas, her laws. and constitution. and remained
part of New Mexico. Standing. of course,
like the rest Of tbs territory coded by Mexico,
it was incorporated with that part Of New
Mexico west of the Rio Grsnde, and forms q
part Of the territory organized under terrific
rial government as New Mexico. These nre
all the late laws relating to slavery in the terri
tories and with the laws abolishing the slave
trade in the District of Columbis, and the fug-
tive slave law, are all laws which-though not
so called at the time they were passed. BECAUSE
the VOID compromise was then in bad od0r--
have since coae to be known the c0mpro-
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-
sistent with the Constitution, are valid as the
law of the land, until they shall be modified or
repealed by the appropriate constitutional au
thoriiy Congress possesses the perfect consti
tutiona! power to modify or repeal any one or
all of them except that in relation to the boun
dairy line of States the admission of States
into the Union; the stipula'ions of treaties or
compacts, where more than one party is inter
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-
ton for a popular verdict in Presidential elec-
ton, to determine whether they are settled or
not. What has produced this changes?
In December last, when Congress assembled,
and the representatives had come fresh from,
and imbued with the public sentiment in their
respective districts, it 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 it
as often as once aquarter, 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
doLe, or the Union was in danger. We'll, the
Democratic caucus met, and the first thing after
it was organized, the compromise resolution
was proposed. twas 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-
were both laid on the table, and the Democratic
caucus nominated its 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 well 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 teats have sent two Wing
United States Senators into the Senate.
But are the States of Georgia and Mississippi
prepared to declare their acquiescence in the
Wilmot proviso, in the act of Congress organ
izing the Territory of Oregon--and in the pro-
hibition of slavery in the constitution of Cali
fornia, and to express Themselves satisf 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 be
no equivocation in the proposition they present
| to indorse or acquesce in the compromise
measures. If there is to be iinality and end
to efforts for the extension of slavery, it will do
much to reconcile the country to almost any
form Of words expressing acquiescence in meas
ures having such conclusion. But the fugi.
| tive slave law seems with these gentlemen to
be the beginning and end of the compromise
This IqW u OHioue 81 md fOr fhio
would seem the COALITION politicians of Georgia
and Mississippi, demand that this law shall be
the issue in the next Presidential election-they
have pushed this issue upon the Wing Congress
sional caucuses and broken that party into frag-
ments. They demand that the Democratic party
shall make the same issue. It's openly insisted
that the old party divisions are unsatisfactory,
ard that the country must be divided again upon
ia slavery issue. The Democratic party can
make the issue, and it is for the Democratic Ma
tional convention, at Baltimore, to determine if
the proposition shall be presented -whesher
they will make it, or adhere to the established
Democratic platform,
/ In lS4S the Democratic convention at Balti-
more refused to change its platform; but on
outside slavery issue was made by tho Nichol
son letter, and the Democratic party was divided
and defeated. The compromise measures were
not passed as party measure. They are not
an issue between the two parties organized as
Democrats and Wings. But few of either party
supported them ALL If part Of them are par.
ticmlarly presented, controversy will be revived
If the fugitive slave law alone shall be presented
and it is to be decided whether that law shall be
continued, mod fed, or repealed, shall vote to
modify it, or to repeal it. And if the electors
Of New York are challenged by the issue pre-
scented 10 them TO 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, as | 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 and must be, in the present condi-
ton of the different States of the Union, sec
tiona issue. The effort of political partizans