The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-03-04

prohibition .! slavery. The proposition an
,:,.- ,.on .iicr,tion VA. til :rc:orc original III
- ~ .r.r.cr. withor. >ln'tion from any Tor
..rr !,.i.,ation. AL must accordingly be
i..la IL T., IL merits a. IN original measure
y. ,l.nici that the friends Of freedom We're
n,..n +, anv r'ar9' ofayrrr+>ion: they were
s.ar.iin- on :',c defensive. There was nc
.,-nrosvion before the senate to abolish slave
~ iiIt on the contrary. a proposition to abol-
N freedom. Thi- proposition he arragncd
~ t*o distinct grounds First. in the namf
OF public faith. az m in,raction OF The solemn
Obligations "s-umed hv the Sonth on the all
mission Of Missouri into the Union rs a slave
State: secondly. in the name Of freedom, a:
IN uniu.tifiahlc departure from the antislave-
~ rolrv Of our fathers.
After few remarks touching the condition
vt slavery in the United States. followed BY a
.mirast Of the attempts now being made "a
"Ifend the ours" to territory now free. with
~ eondmt Of the B,rharv States in which
b. Institution had been abolished by posi-
tive law. Mr. Sumner proceeded 70 his mail
sr.nrrnt The proposition before the Sen
ate. s,id he, involves not merely the repeal
Of an exciting law. tut the inlrartion Of SOL
."nn obligations originally proposed and as
.amed bv thc South after y rro'rac!ed and
cmbittcrrl contest. as y covcDant Of peace
vii, rr.,,,l 10 certain specific territory there
~ described, namely:
Al! ha. ."rri:C:v rcIrd hv France TO !hr
tai.."l STATE, under :i,c n,m,'of Louisiana.
arcor.ln. to which, in consideration &C the
admission into The Union q Missouri as 4
save State. slavery wa, .rcvcr prohibited in
III the -tmainiu. part o' Ibis territory which
IL. nnr'!, OF 8; .!'.r ." min
This arraa 1r.nrrt between different Sec
lions Of the L MON tn" slave States o! the
iir.t part an! tao re Stat"s Of ~" second
rart t!,or,h usually crown a. the Missouri
o,n,,rorn;s-. was y. The tim" STYLED q compact.
IL it. -iipula:i,ns Tor slavery. It wa| justly
r.vr.ii,nt to the conscience Of he North. 1nd
uu.',t meyer TO have been male. but it has
on tht sd. been p"r.G"mnd. and now nnpcr-
.,,-r,"d obligations 20 freedom originally rro-
..,...l anil ,s:rniH,l ~ '!,c S,'il, ~" resisted
Ia '!,"s~ plan. mvs"i. Y"ar; 'r.vc raS,rd
ING. III. "onocct W. rr,h,lol il III" LEXIS
l.tion Of Congress. all accepted by The coun-
,rv. M.ar.l,i',. n" st::',Sr,rn h. whom i
~. '.,.n,l an,! :indi'a:el havr cnr hv on"
.r,fr"l from a'.;s "a,t'.!v .ph":c: their :v-
-. roi..rs .anlnt row tro-.! - ''ead for
ne 7nhlir cd. - viii. i'rv w,re pledged
b.. this extraordinary larsc of tisno. witt thN
r.sn pl''r fra;-:on ~ one party o::.ll NE lcn-
Fits b"!onei;:c to it ur,!rr Tie compact gives
g., ~, Transaction an added ar! more EAR!
Prescription steps in. ri.h nov
honls ~ 'oHiirn III ori t;nal wart. 10 The
ard thi' men are mortal. co..trovcr,ics are
Immortal. D"athwi lis incxoralle scvthe
'sas moved down the authors Of t's compact
but with his conservative honr-ylass lie has
'o.ntrl ot = surcc ,on Of vear,. which now
u"f'e bc:orc VS. IKE 10 many scEtnc.s 70
gard the sacred lanlmar,, Of freedom.
'!r Sumner then cave = statement of facts.
...npiied from the Journal d! Congress and
contemporancoUs records, shown. the origin
ana nature Of t:,!s compact tie influence by
vhici, it was established. AMI he obligations
which it imposed. "The,a facts" SAIL he.
showed conrlusivcl. tina: lie Missouri com
promise vas em;haticalya Southern meas
~: Tat It ,o6'': Is lie FROM ,c Soa;il: and
hat it vas forced upon III" Eo~ti: - ali al
;..'-t ruaIiimon> Southern >u.c ':ne South.
II t!:c judgment of It's own statesmen at the
'ime, and accortlin- to The rnrrHs;ionablc
.:r'ts. was the con1uer;ng party. It gained
Il. one It's darling object. the admission of
Missouri asa slave STATE, AMI subsequently
=" admission %: Arkansas also rs slave
State. From the clr1,hcI and iumhcd
North it rccci"c more than Ike full consid
Grafton stipulated in is fs"or. On the side
fthe North, TIE contra". has been more tia,
executed, and now the Sonh refuses to per
:orm the part which i: originally propose
,rd as-.,mch With the con ;lrcaion in j.
pocket. it r"Pu'littes the har..in which j
forced nren the country. This comprct. NJ
+. cOntcntled had, under all TIE circumstance
attending It's Passage, as well as by tie cor,
}le:e flIi!Ment Ct its conditions by one pa,
". teccMe rar Of our fundamental law
;rrepealabic BY any common leg siation. an,
he appealed to TIE Senators from The Soutl
not to ,l:etrrb 1t.
MIR sumner then passed to the sccon'
branch OF his argument. conte ndiny at lcnctl
that the bill is fragrant and cxtrayayant dc
.'arture from the sntis!avcrv policy of on
Gathers. .iustityiag his position with numcrc,!
historical facts. an,l proving that that polio
clearly and unr.is. akably wa, non-in.rrvcn
ton hy Congress with slavery in the State:
and its prohibitio: n al the national 10
main.
But our republic. he sad, had fallen :ror
its early moral greatness: it IS not what
vas in the hrgnd;rc al;cnnh'ic merely per
hitting while it regretted slavery. no: tolcr
atinr i, only where !; cou!., not t. removed
and n'cr;irtinc it where !. did rot c:>s.
but mighty proraca:.d;st openly '.vorin:
anil vind;cating it, visiting also with tlierIcas
urs all who onro.o IL.