Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-05-05

Tor you 10 have shown your head-s-to have
arisen in your might-and established your
supremacy forever. II was a case of con-
vention of the sovereigns themselves and
neither this convention nor the Congress
had dread Of their sovereignty. The con-
vention petitioned Congress rs a ward would
its guardian, or children under age would
petition their father, and Congress answered
like good guardian, or a good father, that
II would not give them an evil, although they
begged for it. Benighted times these, and
infinitely behind the present age. The
mares nest had not then been found in
which has been laid the marvellous egg out
Of which has been Matched the nondescript
fowl, yclept "squatter sovereignty. "
(Loughier.) The illustrious principle Of
non-intervention had not then been invent
ed. The ignorsmuses Of that day had new
er heard Of 1t, though now to be learned in
every horn-book and, believe, no where
else but in the horn books. tifeneiced merri-
menf.)
now 1T Is PROPOSED TO DISTURB THE COM
PROMISE.
Five times in the beginning Of this centu-
~ did Congress refuse to impair the slavery
compromise Of 81; and now, in the middle
of the century, and after thirty years Of peace
under the Missouri Comprehensive off
spring and continuation Of that of 'e7--we
are called upon, not merely to impair for a
season, but to destroy for ever, far greater
mpromse-extending TO far more territory,
and growing out of necessities far more
pressing. And how called upon? Not by
the inhabitant not by any one human be-
ing living, or expecting to live on the terri
tory TO be affected-but upon a motion in
Congress- silent, SECRET, Jumping, hating,
creeping, squirting, lmpish motion--con-
ceived in the authenticated in commit
tee room, and sprung upon Congress and the
country in the style IN which Guy Fawkes
intended to blow up the Parliament house,
with his five hundred barrels of guDpowder
hid in the cellar, under the wood, - Taught
cry
My answer to such motion is to be
found in the whole volume of my political
life. ! have stood upon the Missouri Com
promise for above thirty years, and mean to
stand upon il TO the end Of my life and, in
doing 50, shall act, not only according TO my
own cherished convictions Of duty, but ac-
cording TO the often declared convictions of
the General Assembly ofmy state. The in
volatility Of that compromise line has often
=
and, as late as l547, IN these words:
"Resoiued, That the peace, permanency,
and welfare of our national Union depend
upon strict adherence to the letter and
spirit of the eighth section Of the act of
Congress of the United States, entitled, An
act to authorize the people Of the Missouri
territory to form constitution and state
government, and for the admission of such
init ha nj m
with the original states, and to prohibit
slavery in certain territories approved
March 6, I52O.n
with an instruction to the senators, and
request to the representatives in Congress,
to vote accordingly.
"The peace, permanency and welfare of
: the Union depend upon strict adherence to
the Missouri Compromise of 1890" So re-
solved the General Assembly OF Missouri as
late as lei7 believed the Assembly was
right then; believe it now--and so beiev-
ing, shall adhere" to the compromise now,
as then, I" in spirit and in letter.
should oppose any movement to impair
that compromise, made in an open, direct.
manly manner; much more shall oppose
it if made in a covert, indirect, and unmanly
way. The bill or bills before us undertake
to accomplish their object without protesting
,t-upon reasons which are contradictory
and uniounded--in terms which are ambigu-
GUS and inconsistent-and by throwing on
others the responsibility of its own act.
rNsIDIoUs CHARACTER OF THE NEBRASKA
BILL-AN ATTEMPT TO sMUeGLE SLAVE
RY INTO THE TERRiToRY.
Il processes not TO interfere with the SOW
ereign right Of the people to leglslate Tor
themselves and the very first line Of tins
solemn profession throws upon them a
horse load of law, which they have no right
10 refuse, or time to read, or money to pur-
chase, or ability to understand 1t throws
upon them all the laws of the United States
which are not locally inapplicable T; and that
comprehends all that are not specially made
for other places also, 1t gives them the
constitution of the United States, but with
out the privilege of voting at presidential or
congressional elections, or OF making their
own judiciary. This is non-interterence
with a vengeance. community to be
buried under mountain Of strange law, and
covered with a constitution under which
they are not to have one single political
right.
Why this circumlocution this extension
Of mountain of irrelevant law, with the ex-
ception of the only one relevant and applica-
ble? Sir, 1t ia the crooked, insidious and
pusilanimous way Of effecting the repeal OF
the Missouri Compromise line. II includes
all law for the sake of leaving out
one law; and effects repeal by an
omission, and legislates by an exception
1t is a new way Of repeating a law, and
bungling attempt to smugge slavery into
the territory, and all the country out to the
Canada line and up the Rocky mountains. =
The crooked line of this smuggling process
is this I" Abolish the compromise line, and
extend the constitution over the country (:
the constitution recognizes slavery there
fora, slavery is established as soon as the
..ne is abolished, and the constitution ex-
tended : and being put there by the constitu-
ton, Il cannot be legislated out" This is
the English Of this smuggling process and
certainly nothing more unworthy of legsla-
tion-more derogatory to Legislative body,
WAS ever attempted TO be made into law
SIR, the constitution was not made for terri
tories, but for states. Its provisions are all
applicable to states, and cannot be put in
operation IN territories. They cannot vote
for President, or vice-P President, or members
of Congress, nor cleo. their own officers, or
prescribe the qualifications OF voters, or ad
minister their own laws by their own Judges,
sherlffs, and attorneys; and the clause ex-
tending the constitution to them is cheat
and an illusion, and a trick TO smuggle
slavery into the territory. Nor is IT intend
ed thar they shall have any legislative right
under the constitution, even in relation TO
slavery. They may admit il because It Is
to be there by the constitution: they cannot
exclude il, because the constitution puts 1t
there. That is the argument and it is a
juggle worthy of the trick of one egg under
three hats at the same lime--and under
neither at any time. Besides, the consttu
ton is an organic, not an administrative act.
II is a code of principles, not of laws. Not
clause in II can be executed except by viz
tue of law made under it--not even the
clause for recovering fugitive slaves.
NEBRASKA AN ASYLUM FoR RUNAWAY SLAVES