The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-02-16

! lessons In physical philosophy, and know of
no cause which will account for the remarka-
bic changes which tho bill underwent after
the 10th of January, other than thas amend
ment, and the determination of Southern SEN
ators to support it, and to vote against any
provision recognising the right OF any Terrific
rial Legislature to prohibit the introduction Of
| Slavery
1t was just seven days, Mr. President after
the Senator from Kentucky had offered his
amendment that fresh amendment was re-
| ported from the Committee on Territories in
the shape OF now bill, enlarged to forty sec
| tons. This new bill cuts of from tho rronosed
Territory half degree Of latitude ON the south
and divides the residue into two Territories
the southern Territory of Kansas, and the
northern Territory of Nebraska II applies To
each all the provisions of the Uiah aud New
Mexico mis-; It REJECTS entirely the twsnty-tirst
cierical-error section, and abrogates the Mis-
souri, prohibition by the very singular prohibi-
ton which will read:
| The Constitution and all laws OF the Uni
ted States which are not locally inapplcabIe.
| shall nave the same force and effect within tho
said Territory Of Nebraska rs elsewhere with
IN the United States, except the e. ghth section
OF the act preparatory to the admission OF Mis-
souri, into the Union, approved March 1890
qchich UaS superseded by The principies of the
| legislation Of 1850, commonly cdiled The Com
| promise Measures and as THEREFORE, declared
| 1nOpeTatfUe"
Doubtless MIR. President this provision ope-
rates as repeal OF the prohibition. The SEN
ator from Kentucky was right when he said it
was in effect tho equivalent of his amendment
Those who are willing to break and DESTROY the
old compact of 1920, can vote for this bill with
full assurance that such will be it's effect. But
appeal to them not to vote for this supersedure
clause. | ask them not to incorporate into the
legislation OF the country O declaration which
every ono knows to be wholly untrue | have
said that this doctrine Of superseduro is new
have now proved that it is q plant of but ten
days growth. Ii was never seen or heard of
until the Odd day Of January, 1854. IL was
upon that day that this tree of Upas was
planted we already sec its poison fruits
The provision | have quoted abrogates the
Missouri prohibition. 1t asserts no light in the
Territorial Legislature to prohibit Slavery. The
Senator from Illinois. in his speech, was very
careful to assert no right Of legislation in q
Territorial Legislature, except subject to the
restrictions and limitations Cf the Constitution
We know well enough what the understanding
or claim OF Southern gentlemen is in respect to
these limitations and restrictions They insist
that by them every Territorial Legislature is
absolutely precluded from all power of legisa-
ton for the prohibition of Slavery. / warn
gentlemen who propose to support this bill, that
their votes for this provision will be regarded
as admitting this claim.
have thus given brief account of the mu
tations which this bill has undergone. have
shown the origin and duration OF the pretence
that the Missouri prohibition is superseded by
the legislation OF 1850. | now appeal to the
Senators who sit around ne and who with me
na rtIcinata,d in tha diso,s,,coo r. toeo
them 10 say whether any ore Of them imagin-
ed then, or believes now, that tho Missouri
prohibition was superseded by The legislation of
basss s Fl SIN a4s f fsS r. iE 2r
heard such a PROPOSITION stated or maintained
anywhere. by anybody? No, sir, lie will not
say It, There il no evidence that the assertion
was ever made before that day, when it made
its appearance in the Senator's bill. Ii ID q re-
markablc circumstance, that 5000 copies of
the committees report have been printed by
the order of the Senate, and know not how
many for individual subscribers, and circulated
through the country, and sustaining the bill
upon the ground that the Missouri prohibition
is neither repealed nor aliirmed-while the bill
itself as now amended expressly abrogates that
prohibition. The report rs circulated condemns
the bill ~ amended. and the hill as amended
oontradicts the report as circulated. All this
must necessarily niislcad and confuse the pub
lie Judgment
have now proved that the doctrine of SUI
pereedure is novelty will proceed to prove
that it is az groundless rs it is novel.
The Senator from Illinois, in his speech the
other day made q general charge Of gross ig-
norance Of the history aud geography of the
country against the signers Of The lad PENDENT
Democratic Appeal, and singled out several
paragraphs of that document for special repre-
hcnsion. Ii was rather adroit in the Senator
to mix the deftn3e Of his own bill with an at
tack upon two Senators whose opinions on Sla-
very questIoEs are at variance with those most
commonly received here But the movement
will not, think, avail him much. | have no
fears that he can refute any statement, or over
turn any proposition, of that address. Sir, he
might well attack Gibraltar True in all
It's statements, and irIefregable, as | believe,
in all its reasonngs, it is imprcgnable to any
assault by him, or any man.
The first specification under his general
charge Of ignorance and misrcpres entatiOn, de-
MICS the truth Of a statement which will now
read
These acts were never supposed to abrO-
gate or touch the existing exclusion Of Slavery
from y hat is now called Nebraska They APP
piled to the Territory acquired from Mexico,
and to that only. They were intended as Il
settlement of the controversy growing out of
that acquisition and % that controversy only.
They must stand or fall by their own merits"
That the first sentence which | have read
is absolutely true, suppose no man now doubts. |
Senators who were here during the discussions
of 1850 must remember that tho Report of tho
Committee of Thirteen distinctly stated that
the Compromise Measures applied to the "new-
ly acquired Territory The honorable and
distinguished Senator from Michigan sits near
me, and can say whether any syllable was ut
tered in the Committee Of Thirteen or else |
where, to his knowledge, which indicated any
purpose to apply them TO any other Territory. |
Ii am in error, | beg the Senator TO correct
me. Mr.. Cas- remained silent am right, |
then.
Blu. the Senator from Illinois says that the |
Territorial Compromise Acts did in fact apply |
to other territory than that acquired from
Mexico. How does he prove that? He says |
that part of the territory was acquired from
Texas Bat this very territory which he says
was acquired from Texas was acquired first |
from Mexico. After Mexico coded it to the Uni
ted States Texas claimed indeed that the ccssiOn
innred TO her benefit. That claim was rclin-
qaishcd to the United States. The case, then,
stands thus We acquired the territory from |
Mexico; Texas claimed it, bat gave up her |
claim This certainly docs not disprOye the |
assertion Of tho Appeal, that the territory was |
acquired from Mexico and as certainly it does |
not sustain the Senator's assertion that il was |
acquii ed from Texas.
The Senator next tells the Senate and the |
country, that by the Utah act there was inclu- |
ded 10 tho Territory Of Utah portion Of the
old Louisiana acquisition, covered by the Mis- |
sonri prohibition, which prohibition was an
nuiled as to that portion by the provisions Of |
that act Every one at all acquainted with our |