Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1854-07-13
WHOLE NUMBER lB


/ California should be admitted as 4 free state
Repuguaut as dis conpfomiss WAS 70 ths peo-
pie Of The frss states, aeqaiesence was never
tbsless prusIieaiiy obtained. By means Of to-
smn assurances mAds.on behalf Of Ihese slave .
holding states, that lhs sonpromise vas and
be forever regarded IS snal sdiuameAtof Of TIE
slavery quss1sn, and 81 sll Re Issues which
eould possibly ariss out Of Il. A new Congfess
convened in December, 1851. Representa-
lives from the slaxe states demanded renew
cd pledged fidelity % this adiustmsnt TWAS
granted BY the House Of Representatives on ne
1 following terms. fklt "a 81 "a a-lf
Resolved, That We recognise the biudias 3
efficacy Of the compromise Of the Consultation
and believe it 70 be The intention Of tbe people
generally, as We hereby declare il 20 be ours
Individually, to abide BY such compromise and
sustain the lava Necessary 10 carry them out
the provisions for the delivery Of fugitive slaFss
and the act Of the last Congress for that pur-
pose included, and that we eprecato all fur
ther agitation ofqueslions embraced in the aets
Of the last Congress known as the compromise
and Of questions generally connected with the
institutions Of slavery as unnecessary, useless
and dangerous"
A few months subsequently the Democrat
ic National Convention met e Baltimore, and
assuming to speak the sentiments Of the Dem
ocfatie party set forth IN ls PLATFORM That
the Democratic party WiIIr esistall at
tempts at reneNng, in Congress or out Of il.
the agitation of the slavery question, under
whatever shape or color the attempt may be
made. l1 a AA
Soon afterward smother National Convention
assembled in The same city and assuming the
right 70 declare Che sentiments Of the Whigpar
| ~ said, We depreeats all further agitation Of
the question thus settled. as dangerous to our
peace and win discountena
. e oTts to continue or renew
\ such agitation, whenever, Rhefeyerer however
made" The present administration was elect
ed on the principle Of adheranee to this com
promise and the President referring to it in his
inaugural speech declared that the harmony
which had been secured BY Il should not distur
bed during bis term Of Office The President
recurring TO the same subject renewed his
pledge IN his message to Congress at the begin
ming Of the present session in the following
language. '-s
@Baf notwithstanding differences Of opin-
ion and sentiments which there eIisted in re-
latiOn to details and specific provisions, the
acquiescence Of distinguished citizens whose
deYotions to the Union can never be doubted,
has given renewed vigor 10 our institution and
restored. sense of repose and security to TIE
public mind throughout the Confederacy---
That this repose is to suffer no shock during
nv official term, If have the power to avert il
those who placed me here may be assured"
Under these circumstances, the proposition
to repeal the Missouri Compromise was sud
denly and unexpectedly made hY the same
COMMITTEES onterritories, which only ten days be-
fore had affirmed the sanctity of the Missouri
compromise and declared the end Of agitation
in the following explicitsnd unmistakeabe I'm
guage:
"Your committee do not feel themselves call
ed upon to enter into discus sion of those con
troveited questions. They Involve the same
grave issues which produced the agitation the
sectional strife and the fearful struggle of 1850.
AS Congress deemed it wise and prudent to re-
fran from deciding the matter in controversy
then, either by affirming or repeating the Mexi-
can laws, or by an act declaratory of the true
intent of the Constitution, and the extent of
the protection afforded by tito slave property
in the Territories, so your Committee are not
prepared now to recommend a departure from
the course pursued upon that memorable occa-
sion, either by affirming or repeating the eighth
section of the Missouri act, or by any act de-
claratcry OF the meaning of the Constitution in
respect to the legal points in dispute"
The abrogatiOn has been effected in pursu-
ance of the demand Of the administration its
elf and by means Of its influence in Congress.
In the House of Representatives, that body
which Is more Immediately responsible to the
people, the contest was more equal than in the
Senate, though it is due to justice and candor
that It should be stated, that it could not have
been,s carried in either hopse without the votes
of Representatives from the free states. The
minority resisted the attempts to arrest discus
sion upon this grave question, through strug-
gle of longer duration than. any other known to
congressional history, Some attempt was made
to stigmatize the minority as 'factionists'; yet
we fearlessly declare that throughout the con-
test, they resorted solely to the powers secured
to them by the law and the rules of the House,
and the passage of the measure through the
House, was effected Though sub-veTsion Of
its rules by the majority, and the exercise ofa
power unprecedented in the annals Of Con-
gressional Legislation. The deed is done. Its
done with clear proclamation by the admin
istration and by Congress, that the principle
which it contains extends not only to Kansas &
Nebraska. but to all other Territories now be-
longing to the United States, and to all which
may hereafter be acquired 1t has been done
unnecessarily and wantOnly, because there was
no pressure for the organization on Govern
ments in Kansas and Nebraska, neither Of
which Territories contained one Ia wful inhab-
liant who was a citizen Of the Unite d States,
and because there was n OF only no danger of
disunion spprehended, but by this reckless
measure the free States have lost all the guar
antee of freedom in the Territories contained
in. former compromises, while Iall the States,
both slave and free, have lost the guarantees
ofharmoHy and union which those compromises
afforded, It seems plain to US that, fatal as