The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-02-24

In view the cd and unnatural boundary. For !,
that reason, in making the new Territories,
we formed natural boundaries irrespective of I
The source whence our title was derived. In +
writing these bills paid no attention to the
fact whether the title was acquired from
Louisiana, from France, or from Mexico; for |
what difference did it make, The principle |
which we had established in the bill would
apply equally well to either.
In fixing those boundaries I paid no utten-
tion to the fact whether they included old
territory or not-whether the country was
covered by the Missouri compromise or not.
Why! Because the principles established in
the bills superseded the Missouri compromise.
For what reason we disregarded the old toun-
daries--disregarded the territory to W hch it
applied, and disregarded the source from
whence the title was derived. say, there
fore, that close examination of this act
clearly establishes the fact that it was the in
tent as well as the legal effect of the com
promise measures of 1850 to supercede the
Missouri compromise, and all geographical
and territorial lines.
Sir, in order to avoid any misconstruction,
] will state more distinctly what my precise
idea is upon this point So far as the Utah
and New Mexico bills included the territory
which had been subject TO the Missouri
compromise provision, to that extent they alb
solutely annulled the Missouri compromise.
As to the unorg anized territory not covered
by those bills, it was superseded by the prin-
ciples of the compromise o. 1850. We all
know that the object of the compromise mea-
sures of 1850 was to establish certain great
principles, which would avoid the slavery
agitation In all time to cume. Was it our
object simply to provide for temporary evil'
Was it our object just to heal over an old
sore, and leave it to break out again! Was
it our object TO adopt mere miserable ex-
pcdient to apply to that territory, and that
alone, and leave ourselves entirely at sea
without compass when new territory was ac-
quired, or new territorial organizations were
TO be madei
Was that the object for which the eminent
and venerable Senator from Kentucky Mr.
Clay came here and sacrificed even his last
energies upon the altar of his country! Was
that the object for which WEBSTER, CLAY
CAss, and all the patriots of that day, strug-
gled SO long and so strenuously! Was il
merely the application of temporary expe.
dent in agreeing to and by past and dead
legislation that the Baltimore platform Piled
ged us to sustain the compromise of 1850
Was it The understanding of the Wing party
when they adopted the compromise measures
OF 1850 as an article of political faith, tha
they were only agreeing to that which was
past, and had no reference to the futurel
thnt was their meaning-if that was thei
object--they palmed off an a,rocious fraut
: upon the American people. Was il the mea
ming of the Democratic party, when we pied
ged ourselves to stand by the compromise o
1850, that we spoke only of the past and hat
no reference to the luturel II SO, it was ther
u fraud. When we pledged our President t,
stand by the compromise measures, did we
not understand that we pledged him as to hi:
future action! Was it as to his past conduct
Ii 1t had been in relation to past condnct onlv
the pledge would have been untr1e as to {
very large portion OF the Democratic r,r,v
Menwent iG@;o that conventicnn who bo i hoo,
opposed to the iicCGnpromise measures-mer
VINO aoEJrred those measures whenth wer,
pend ng-men who never would have vote,
tutiirmatvely on them. But inasmuch as host
measures had been passed, and the countr,
had acquiesced in them, and it was importan
to preserve the principle in order to avoid agi
tatlon in the future, these men said, we waiy,
our past objections, and we will stand by yo,
and with you in carrying out these principle.
in the future.
Such understood to be the meaning of tn,
two great parties at Baltimore. Such un
derstand to have been the effect of their pied
ges. II they did not mean this, they mean
merely to adopt resolutions which were never
to be carried out, and which were designed to
mislead and deceive the people for the mere
purpose OF carrying an election.
hold, then, that as to the territory covered
by the Utah and New Mexico bills, there wa.
an express annument OF the Missouri com
promise; anda as to all the other unorganizec
territories, it was superseded by the principle
of that legislation, and we bound to apply
those principles in the organization of all new
Territories, to all which we now own, or
which we may hereafter acquire. If this con.
struction be given, it makes that compromise
a final adjustment No other construction
can possibly impart finaty to it. BY any
other construction the question is to re-
opened the moment you ratify new treaty
acquiring an inch Of country from Mexico.
by any other construction you reopen the
issue every time you make new territorial
government But, sir, L you II eat the com
promise measure OF 1850 in the light of great
principles, sufficient TO remedy temporary
evils, at the same time that they prescribe
rules of action applicable everywhere in all
time to come, then you avoid the agitation
forever, if you observe good faith to the
provisions of these enactmrnts, and the
principles established by them.
Mr.. President, repeat, that SO far as the
question of slavery is concerned, there is
nothing in the bill under consideration
which does not carry out the principle of
the compromise measures Of 1850 by leav-
ing the people to do as they please. subject
only to the provisions ofthe Constitution of
the United States. If that principle is
wrong, the bill is wrong. If that principle
i,Tht m 10 p;, IA :,