Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-03-04


the Constitution ITSELF and it was rejected
overwhelming majority in this House-reected sir b.
the North The South was again unanimousfor it, From
the North at this time think, there but four
for it-Birdsall from New York Charles Brown Chas
Ingerso and Brodhead, from Pennsylvania Here is thu
journal This proposition in the Senate was moved ty
Mr., Douglas II received every Southern vote in thai
body and was opposed by every Northern VOTE except
Douglas, Dickinson, Bright, Cameron, HanIegan, Stu-
geon, and Fitzgerald The vote the adoption of it
that body was 80 to 81. Mr.. Calhoun, who was will
known to be opposed to the principle on which it WIS
founded yet gave il his support. e.
4 But upon the rejection of this amendment by ne
House. and disagreement between the two Houses Jpn
it, the amendment lost, and the Oregon bill passed
and received the sanction Of the President without
recognition of the Missouri compromise but in the factof
its open reputation and abrogaton by the North U.s.
sir Is the truth OF history and let it be written nd
with what sort of face gentlemen with these factse
them rise up here and sny that this compromise
been undisturDed and acquiesced in for thirty years. hut
sir, there is still another chapter in this history
At the close of the with Mexico extensive
res as expected extad-
ing south as well north of the line of 36o 30i-cos
ung public domain OF hundreds of thousands of sqare
miles, purchased by the common blood and common tea
sure of the people ofthe South well as the North The
policy of the advocates of the ''Wilmot proyson rom
the beginning had been appropriate the whole ofhis
immense region exclusively to the North Hence heir
uniform hostility to the Missouri compromise, beduse
that was founded upon the principle of division heir
determination was to have ALL The South was stilIil-
the policy which Ehayer
advocated was to leave all the Territories open
occupancy and colonization Of the people Of the wole
country from whatever section they might eigrae With
the hoerty OF forming such institutions, upon repbi-
can OASIS as they might deem conducive to heir
happiness interest and prosperity without any ton
sressionai restriction dication whatever. This
always the doctrine maintained at the South Shewas
wiling divide, only alternative between that
greater evil To entire exclusion, by net of CDn-
gress, she had made up her mind to submit let
consequences be what they might This the state
things upon the assembling Of the Thirty First Congress-
The events OF that Congress recent vivid
the recollection Of all to need rehearsal The majority of
the North still proclaimed their determination to appro-
pirate the whole of the public domain to themselves.
Botn sections stood in hostile array against each other
The strife became so eIsbtered and fierce that eoisa-
ton was parayzed and every thing seemed threaten
confusion and anarchy The South again repeatedly
posed settlement upon the Missouri line The PROPOSE
ton was made in this House. the part of the South
for the last time, the 18th day of June 1850 1t
in these words: III.
iord hower That shall be objection the admission
lying south Of the n @a Of s st Gq1 o. @
aon OF said State may authorize establish African slavery
This proposition rejected in Committee Of the
Whole upon count by tellers-ayes 7S noes So 1t was
the last time, sir it offered. When the North
had again and again. for three years. refused to abide by
II, the South driven 20 the wall upon it, was thrown back
upon her original rights under DE Constitution Her next
position was that territorial restriction by Congress should
be totally abandoned not only south of 500 3O north
VI 'ut Hue too pom this ground she planted herself
on the 10th day OF June The debates in this House
that day exciting perhaps than ever upon any
day since the beginning of the Government 1t upon
that day put the question directly to distinguished
gentleman then here from Ohio, (AIr VINToN whether
he would vote for the admission Of any slave State into
the Union, and ne refused say that he would The
determination manifested by the votes of the majority
OF the North was to apply legislative restriction
the whole OF the common territory in open and shame
less disregard Of the principle of the socaei Missouri
compromise notwithstanding the gentleman from Yer
mont says that it has been adhered and held nvioate
Tor thirty years was on that day, sir that distn
gulshed colleague of mine, Mr TooMrs) then on this
noor now IN the other wing of the Capitol, made
that Speech which has become somewhat famous in our
state IN which he said, with eloquenee seldom heard
within these walls
in her ere constitution II was her right and prepared
stand UPON the great nrnci thnt Inc snh S % pm
equal part!cpation in Territories Of the United States
yourselves u is then Goyenmont mine
altar liberty, Sd Tf any Fs ~o Sna WY sG%
and are ee hre TO Stand b. u our ns Fa
part OF it, and its every interest refuse it, and for Twill strike
1t was then when the North had refused all compro-
mise, and went into the contest for the whole none
that the South took the gauge planted herself upon
er ofaaal ground armed as she conceived in the pa
nopy OF truth and her representatives, boldly meeting
those arayed not only against her rights but great
principle of free Government, face to face, said
" And damnd be linn that first cries, Hold enough
The grounds she then took were that there should be
no settlement of this Territorial controversy but upon
the recognition of her original principles which were
that all Congressional restrictions upon this subject
wrong and should be totally abandoned This was the
basis OF her Mt'naa, then proclaimed 1t was offer
Ell in this House the 18th day of June 1850 No de-
csion was had on it. 1t offered two days after in
the senate to the then pending compromise bill in the
| senate. This proposition was in these words:
And when the said Territory portion the same shall e
ah,el Us state shall be received into the Union with with
out slavery as their constitution may prescribe
The whole question Of slavery or no slavery was to be
lett TO the determination Of the people of the Territories
whether north south Of 800 30I or any other line
Inc question was to be taken Of Congress, where it
had been improperly thrust from the beginning, and to
De lett TO the people concerned in the matter decide
Tor themselves This, say the position originally
held by the South when the Missouri restriction was at
rst proposed The principle upon which that position
rests lies ct the very foundation Of all republican
sttuons it is that the citizens of every distinct and
parate community State should have the right gov
ern themselves in their domestic matters as they please
and that they should be free from the ntereddng
strctions and arbitrary dictaton such matters from
any other Power or Government in which they have
voice Ii was out Of violation of this very principle
to great extent that the of the Revolution sprung
Inc south vas always the republican side of this ques
ton, while the Northno, at least viii not say the
entire North for there have always been of them
with the South on this questions but viii say while 6
'sgo OF the North under the Freeso lead Of that
ton up to the settlement Of the contest in 1850 were
| the opposite side.
The doctrine of the Rstri.toa. or Free-Soilers 0,
those who held that Congress ought to impose their arb
trary mandates upon the people of the Territories this
particular whether the people be willing unwilling, is
the doctrine Of Lord North and his adherens in the Br
fish Parliament