Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-04-25


and all three stand before me as founded in
the same circumstance, induced by the same
considerations and directed by the SALINE poll
! cy--that Of the peace, harmony, and perpetu-
ity Of this Union. In point OF moral ob',ga-
ton consider them equal, and resulting from
conditions which render them indispensable
Two Of them have all the qualities OF Com
promise--those OF the Ordinance and OF the
Constitution They are founded in agree
ment--n consent---in compact-and are as
sacred and involable as human agreements
can be. The third one--that OF the Missouri
ansi-slayery line--was not made upon agree
ment 1t was imposed by votes-by the South
\ upon the North--resistcd by the North ut the
time--acouiesced in afterwards: and by that
4 acouiescence became binding covenant be-
tween both parties and the more 30 Oh the
South, because she imposed It,
This brings us to the question OF repeal, or
abrogation OF these Compromises. The one in
the Constitution cannot be got rid of without
an amendment to that instrument and IL,
therefore beyond the reach of Congress. The
! other two, being in the form Of statutes, are
subjects Of legislation, and legally repealable
4 by Congress Efforts were made to impair
one that Of 1887, some fifty years ago. An
effort is now made to repeal the other; and the
history and fate of the first attempt may be ad-
/ vantageous in the consideration Of the second.
1t was in the year 1903. The then Territory
Of Indiana had been slave territory under the
French Government and continued SO under
the American until 1887. 1t extended to the
Mississippi, and contained many slaves Vim
cennes, Cahokia, Prairie dc Rocher, Kaskas-
kio, were all slaveholding towns The inhab-
itants were attached to that property, and
/ wished to retain it, at least temporarily; and
also to invite slaveholding emigration, until
an increase of population should afford an
adequate supply OF free labor; and they pc
titioned Congress accordingly. The petition
came from convention of the people, presided
over by Governor Harrison and only asked for
the suspension Of the anti-slavery part of the
1 Ordinance for ten years, and limited in its APP
plication to their own territory. The petition
was referred to select committee Of the House;
Mr.. Randolph was chairman and received its
answer in report, in these words:
"That the rapid population Of the State of
/ Ohio sufficiently evinces in the opinion of your
! committee, that the labor Of slaves is not ne
cessary to promote the growth and settlement
Of colonies in that region. That this labor,
demonstrably the dearest Of any, can only DO
employed to advantage in the cultivation Of
products more valuable than any known in
| that quarter Of the United States; that the
committee deem it highly dangerous and mex
pedent to impair a provision wisely calculated
! to promote the happiness and prosperity Of the
Northwestern country, and to give strength
and security to that extensive frontier. In the
salutary operation Of this sagac0us and beDev-
olent restraint it is believed that the inhabt-
ants of Indiana will, at no very distant day,
find ample remuneration for temporary pri-
walton Of labor and emigration"
This was the answer of the select committee
l \ Il 4 = ~ - n
this House Just fifty years ago--when the South
was about as ably represented here Us it ever
has been since, and when its relative strength
was greater than it has ever been since The
answer is peremptory refusal to yield to the
petition of the people of Indiana even for ten
years local suspension of this anti-slavery
| clause Highly dangerous and inexpedient
to impair that provision Yes to impair
that ia the word and it is q refusal to weaken
or lessen, in the smallest degree an act which
the committee calls benevolent and saga
cous act - and which they recommend to
maintain unimpared because it is calculated
to increase the happiness and prosperity of the
North west and to give strength and security
to it's frontier That Congress, and that with
cut division between North and South, would
| not impair an act of 80 much future good to
posterity not even upon the mistaken applica-
/ IlOn oil n low prebent luuhplIhnG
| But this was not the end Of the petitions. The
people of Indiana were not satisfied with one
repulse They returned to the charge; and
four times more, in the course Of as many years
renewed their application for the ten years
suspension of the Ordinance Ii was rejected
each time, and once in the Senate, where the
North Carolina Senator Mr.. Jesse Franklin
was chairman of the committee which made
the report against it. Five times in as many
years, rejected by Congress; and the rejection
the more emphatic in some instances because it
was the reversal by the. House of a favorable
| report from committee. And now what in
habitant of Indiana does not rejoice at the de-
liverance which the firmness Of Congress then
| gave them in spite Of the request of its inhab-
itants fifty years agoi
Thus five times in the beginning of this GEN.
tury-ive different times, and without any dis
tinction between Northern and Southern men,
bers--did Congress refuse to impairo the
slavery Compromise Of 1887, notwithstanding
| five times asked for by tho people Of the Terri
tory. Oh, squatter sovereignty where were
you then? IL was case for You to have shown
| your head-to have arisen in your might, and
established your supremacy forever. lt was a
case Of convention of the sovercigns them
selves; and neither this convention nor the
| Congress had dream of their sovereignty.
The convention petitioned Congress as ward
would it's guardian, or children under age would
petition their father; and Congress answered
| like good guardian, or good father, that it
would not give them an evil although they
begged for It. Benighted times these, and inf
nitely behind the present age. The mares
nest had not then been found in which has
been laid the marvellous egg out Of which hos
been Matched the nondescript fowl, yc' n
"eauatter sovereignty The illustrious fp
oiple of on-intervcntion had not tb, aaen
invented. The ignoramuses Of tho Gay hs0
never heard Of it, though now to - i.Afnod ia
every horn book and | bclicvo aashere elsc
but in the horn-books.
Five times in the beginning q ttis eeriay
did Congress refuse to impair the slavery Lon.
promise Of 1887 and now, in the middle Of