Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-02-12

not exist in any Territory, except in virtue
of positive act of Congress; no such act al
lows slavery there; there Is no danger, there
fore, that any slaves will be- taken into the
Territory. Southern supporters of the meas
ures sustained them upon quite opposite
grounds, Under the provisions of the federal
Constitution, they said, the stakeholder can
hold his slaves in any territory in spite of any
prohibition Of a territorial legislature, or even
of an act of Congress; the Mexican law for
bidding slavery was abrogated at the moment
OF acquisition, by the operation of the Constr
tuition; Congress has not undertaken to inn
pose any prohibitions We can, therefore, take
our slaves there, if we please.
The committee tell us that this question was
left i'm doubt by the territorial bills.
What, then, was the principle, if any, upon
which this controversy was adjusted? Clearly
this: that when free territory is acquired, that
part of it which is ready to come in as free
State shall be admitted into the Union, and
that part which is not ready shall be organized
into territorial governments, and its condition
in respect to slavery or freedom shall be left
in doubt during the whole period Of its terrific
rial existence.
1t is quite obvious, Mr.. President, how very
ment and improvement Of the territory. But
must not pause upon this.
The truth is, that the compromise acts Of
1850 were not irtended to introduce any princi-
pie of territorial organization applicable to any
other territory except that covered by them.
The protested object of the friends of the COM
promise acts was to compose the whole slavery
agitation. There were various matters of COM
plant. The non-surender Of fugitves from
service was one. The existence of slavery
and the slave trade here in this District and
elsewhere, under the exclusive jurisdiction OF
Congress, was another. The apprehended in
PRODUCTION or prohibition of slavery in the Ter
rtories furnished other grounds of controversy.
The slave States complained of the free States,
and the free States complained Of the slave
States. 1t was supposed BY some that this
whole agitation might be stayed, and finally
put at rest by skilfully adjusted legislation.
So, sir, we had the omnibus bill, and its APP
pendages the fugitive slave BILL and the District
slave trade suppression bill. To please the
north--to please the free States-California
was to be admitted, and the slave depots here
in the District were to be broken up. To please
the slave States, a stringent fugitive slave act
was to be passed, and slavery was to have
chance to get into the new Territories. The
support OF the senators and representatives
from Texas was to be gained by liberal adj
justment of boundary, and by the assumption Of
large portion of their State debt. The gen
eral result contemplated was complete and
final adjustment Of all questions relating to
slavery. The acts passed. A number of the
friends Of the acts signed q compact, pledging
themselves to support no man for any office who
would in any way renew the agitation. The
country was required to acquiesce iii the settle
ment as an absolute fnality. No man con-
cerned in carrying those measures through
Congress, and least of all The distinguished man
whose efforts mainly contributed TO their sue
cess ever imagined that in the territorial acts
which formed part of the series they were
planting the germs Of a new agitation. Indeed,
have proved that one of these acts contains
an express stipulation which precludes the re-
viyal Of the agitation, in the form in which it
is now thrust upon the country, without mani
fest disregard Of the provisions of those acts
themselves.
the averment of the bill which my amendment
to strike out is untrue. Senators,
win you unite in a statement which YOU know
to De. contradicted by the history of the coun-
try? Will you incorporate into public statute
an affirmation which is contradicted by every
event which attended or followed the adoption
Of the compromise acts? Will you here, acting
under your high responsibility as senator's OF
the States, assert as fact by q solemn vote, that
which the personal recollection of every sena.
tor who was here during the discussion Of those
compromise acts disproves? | will not believe
it until see it. you wish to break up the
time-honored compact embodied in the Missouri
compromise, transferred into the Joint resolu.
ton for the annexation Texas, preserved and
affirmed BY these compromise acts themselves,
do it openly, do it boldly. Repeal the Mis-
souri, prohibition. Repeal it by direct vote
Do not repeal it BY indirecton. Do not de-
clare" it imperative Y" because superseded
by the principles Of the legislation Of 1852
Mr.. President three great eras have marked
the history of this country, in respect to slavery
The first may be characterized as the era Of
ENrRANcHIsEMEST. 1t commenced with the
earliest struggles for national Independence
The spiritwhich inspired it animated the hearts
and prompted the efforts of Washington of
Jefferson, of Patrick Henry, Of Withe, of Adams,
of Jay, of Hamilton, Of Morris-in short, of all
the great men of our early history. All these
hoped, all these labored for, all these believed
in the final deliverance of the country from the
curse Of slavery That spirit burned in the
Declaration OF Independence, and inspired the
provisions ofthe Constitution and the ordinance
of 1887. Under its influence, when in full
vigor. State after State provided for the eman.
cipation of the slaves within their limits prior
to the adoption Of the Constitution. Under
its feebler influence, at a later period, and dur
ing the administration of Mr.. Jefferson. the
importation Of slaves was prohibited into Mis-
sissippi and Louisiana, in the faint hope that
thoseterritories might finally become free States.
Gradually that spirit ceased to influence our
public councils, and lost its control over the
American heart and the American policy.
Another era succeeded, but by such impercepti.
BILE gradations that the lines which separate the
two cannot be traced with absolute precision.
The facts Of the two eras meet and mingle as
the currents OF continent streams mix, so i'm
perceptibly that the observer cannot fix the
spot where the meeting waters blend.
This second era was the cru of CONSERVATISM
Its great maxim was to preserve the existing
condition. Men said let things remain as they
are let slavery stay whore it is; exclude it
where it is not; refrain from disturbing the
public quiet by agitation; adjust all differences