Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-03-11
COMMUNICATIONS.
y A CALM APPEAL.

NJ EssRs GALES s. SEAros-GEsTLEnES You are no
aai 1nsts and you naturally reluctant lay before
20, readers the evidence which shows too plainly the
ga herng Of the coming storm. In this sympathize
wi tn you It is pleasant open your eyes to the
70 ct that to have another antsavery agitation
rought upon without the least necessity and in de-
lance of every dictate of prudence. But this win
eddy happen if the Southern Wings, who now hold the
peace of the country in their hands, will not spurn the
bait that has been offered to them.
Happening to be here in Washington business wish
to be permitted to say word in your paper Of what
know to be the feeling Of New England the subject Of
Mr. DouaLAs's bill. If any Northern ought to un-
dersand what the feelings Of the conservative portion Of
the North be- if any in the free States ought
to be able to appreciate the consequences of Congress
siona violation of the compromise Of 1920 perhaps
that person At least of those whose testimony
ought to have weight If public men will listen to any
thing at this crisis; and while shall offer it calmly to
those who viii calmly receive it, shall not hesitate to
speak plainly One who has hazarded not merely per-
sona popularity but personal safety, and probably life
ITSELF in the discharge of constitutional duty to the
South, ought to have fears here elsewhere, in tell
ing the truth. I seek to lecture man, but to offer
my evidence upon matters Of fact
In the very focus Of New England feeling, ! Witnessed
the history and operation Of those compromise
4
abrogates and annuls the earlier compromise Of 1920
few men, Of disnteresed characters and enlarged views
carried those at last home to the convictions
acquescence of the people of those States and they
did So and the people yielded that acquiescenoe, be-
being compromises the rested upon the
honor and good faith Of the different sections Of the
Union and because the preservation of the Union be-
eved to be involved in their fulfment And let say
that the great the leading idea upon which the public
feeling of the North finally obtained for the support
Of those measures was that to the whole subject of
slavery they were, the language of President
FILLMORE final settlement" The people Of eNorth,
like the people of the South believed them to be the end
of Congressional action the subject In this light they
acquiesced in at the North because the people saw
them the extent Of what could be demanded of them
by way concession to the institution of slavery This
proclaimed alike by the of the South and by the
Of the North who desired to have those measures
received and kept upon the statute-book.
is, therefore, permit to say, special plead
ing for argue that the Of 1850
based on principle which is inconsistent with the
tnuance Of the Missouri restriction if this
true which wholly deny. But waving the question of
its correctness statesman who has to deal with public
sentiment and with the facts which it is formed is not
at liberty to rest technicalites He must take the
understanding Of the people with whose interests he is
dealing He must look to the in which clear and
wel-defned public opinion received and acted mea
Of legislation before he undertakes to extend its al
legged principle to objects that dreamed of as
being within its scope In this view oil the argument in
the world will convince the North that the
of 1850 afford any precedent for the proposed repeal
the Missouri compromise The people of the free States
but feel that this is trfng with their intelligence
and their interests at the time. They feel
and Tho moro ont iel
pressed the indignant will the public sentiment Of
the free States become what they consider surprise
upon their generosity and forbearance When they
told that the Missouri compromise Of 1920 must be
pealed because in 1850 they forebore to apply the Viii
mot provso to New Mexico, and submitted the enact
Of the fugitive slave law, how they help feeling
that something than contempt is cast upon all
promises between the different sections Of the country?
Among the measures Of 1850 there was one that was
justly regarded at the time the touchstone Of all true
fidelity to the Union and in which the feelings and inter
ess Of the South deeply involved need not say
to you how hard thing is for people, among whom
personal liberty the brthrght Of the meanest of the
human race consent the surrender of who has
escaped from slavery and within the jurisdiction Of
laws which would be absolute protection to him but
for the paramount authority Of the Constitution of the
United States.
This however, done. 1t was done, first of ALL be-
that Constitution secured the South the right
have it DONE secondly, it done in mode Of
der most rcpugnant to the feelings and habits Of the peo
pe because that mode in series of to which
competent majority Of Congress had pledged the public
faith had been made the law of the land Gradually the
public feeling of New England became reconcled to that
which upon any lesser motives than duty to the Con-
stitution and fidelity to the pledges mutually given and
received in the great adjustment of $780, it could
have been brought But let ask your readers to ina
CINE how that people must have felt if in 1851, when
they persuadng themselves that because the laws
of nature had excluded slavery from New Mexico they
ought not in tenderness to the South to have insisted
legislative enactment Of the purport, and when
they bracing themselves by every consideration Of
constitutional duty to put end to agitation against
law which the South declared be necessary the pro-
lection Of their property they had been told that vas
and mitable Nebraska, which in 1920 they had, in
fair and equal adjustment with the South extended the
principles Of freedom must be put into condition
ceive slavery if individuals choose carry it there No
man would have dared in that day to hazard the peace
that great compromise acquesced in for thirty years.
and resting upon mutual and equivalent considerations
must be repealed for the that another compromise
had thirty years afterwards been adjusted upon different
principles, because involving different details.
Let also suggest to your readers another view Of
this natter upon which they may be assured the feeling
and sentiment Of the free States will be unanimous Great
efforts made show from the record that the resric-
ton Of 1920 was part Of technical compromise.
will what think of arUuu,ents