Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1854-07-07

. lhe itee States, though ihey regarded the
annexation, with the probable increase Of
the number ol slave States, with grea, dis
favor, nevertheless acquiesced again.
New territories were acquired by the ,rea.
,y Of peace which closed the war with MeH.
. ico.
The people Of California formed a consii.
tuition iuhibiting slavery, and applied for adj.
mission into the Union. Violen, opposition
was made by the slave states, in out OF Con.
Prcss, threatening dissolution Of the Union II
California should be admitted. Proceeding
on the ground of these alarms, Congress
adopted another compromise, the terms Of
which were, that ten million dollars OF the
I peoples money should be given To Texas, TO
lnducnher to relinluIsh 4 very doubtful claim
hpon an uncomfortable part Of New Mexico,
and Utah should be acquired without inh,bi.
ton OF slavery, and that they should be after.
wards admitted as slave or free states, as the
people. when forming constitutions, should
determine /, that the public slave trade in the
District Of Columbia should be abolished,
without affecting the existence Of slavery IN
the District and that new aud rigorous pro-
visions Tor the reclpture of fugitive slaves, OF
disputed constulonall,y, should be adopted,
and that on these grounds California should
be admitted as a FREQ state.
Rcrugnln, as this compromise VA, to the
people of the free states ,acquc'cncc was prac-
icilly obtained, by means Of solemn assur-
ances made ON behalf OF the slayeholdlng
States, that tho compromise wa arL ;aaald
be forever regarded as a final adjustment OF
the slavery question, aud Of all the issues
which could possibly arise out Of it.
4 new Congress convened In December,
1851. Representatives from the slave States
demanded renewed pledge Of fidelity to
this adjustment, and It was granted by the
House Of Representatives in the following
terms
Rg,lr.d, That We recognize the binding
efficacy of the Compromises Of the Conslltu-
iiun, and believe Il 10 be the intention of the
people generally. as We hereby declare il to
be- ours individuality 10 sbds by such Com
promises. aud sustain the laws necessary 10
carry them out-ihc provisions for delivery
fugitive slaves, and the act of the last Con.
rrcss iur that purpose, included aDd that
wc dcprccalc al further agitation of qucs.
i0ns embraced IN the acts of the llst Con.
grrss. known a. the Compromise, and Ol
questions generally connected with the inslI.
tuition uf Slavery, as unnecessarily usrless
aud dangerous.
4 few months subsequently,, the Demo
cratic Convention met at Baltic more, and as
suming to speak the scn,i menis Of the Demo.
cratic party, Sc, forth in It's platform that the
Democratic party will resist al attempts 4,
renewing. in Congress or on, Of il, the agItA.
iiou Of the slavery question, under whatever
color or shape tho attempt may be made.
Soon afterwards another National Conyen.
lun assembled in tho same city, and asuming
the right tn declare the sentiments of the
Wing party ,said-"we dcPrccaie al further
agitation OF the questions thus settled as dan
ecrou' to our peace, and will discounienance
an efforts to continue or renew such agitation
whenever, wherever, or however made"
Tie prcscn, administration vas elected on
the principle Of adherence to this compromise,
and the President, referring to 1t IN his In-
aurural speech declared lha, the harmony
which had been secured by i, should not be
disturbed during his term of Office. The
President, recurring to the same subject, re-
ncred hi. pledge IN his Message TO Congress
at the beginning Of the present session in the
following words notwithstanding the differ.
ence of opinion and sentiments which then
existed in relation to details of specific pro-
visions, the acpuia:ccnce of distinguished
citizen, whose devotion to the Union can rev.
or be doubted has given renewed yigor to
our institutions and a sense Of rcPose and Sc
eurity to The public mind throughout the con.
fcdcuey
THAT ,lis rcpose is to suller no shock jur.
ing my Official term, If have the power to
avert it, those who placed me here may be
assured"
Under these circumstance tho proposition
to repeal the Missouri Compromise was sud
denly and Unexpectedly made by the same
Committee on Territories which only ten
DAYS before had affirmed the sanciily Of the
Missouri Compromise, and declared tho end
Of agitation in the following explicit and IN.
misakable language:
" Your Committee do no, feel themselves
called upon to enter into discussion on those
controyerted questions. They involve the
same issues which produced the aGitation,ihe
sectional strife, and the fearful struggle of
1850. As Congress deemed !, wise and pru-
den, to refrain from deciding the matters in
controversy, either by affirming or repeating
the Mexican laws, or by an act declaraiory
Of their application To slave property in the
Territories, so your Committee are no, pre-.
pared now to recommend q departure from
the course parsued upon that memorable oe-
casion, either by affirming or repeating the
slh section OF tho Missouri act, or by any
act lecaralory OF the meaning Of the Con-
stituiron in respect to the legal points in dis
Pule."
The abfcgation has been effected III Pur.
suance Of the demands of the Administration
itself, and by means Of its influence in Con-
gre,s. In the House Of Representatives,