Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1854-09-06
Address Of The State Central Committee, No. 3,

huuIt& Vi llC NluIC JCnlldl lUuIhillUt, NJ. D.
FELLow.Cul2ENs: Tho manner ofor.
ganizing the territories of Nebraska and
Kansas, you will agree with US is not ne.
cessoriIy an issue in this contcst-it is not
subject connected with the duties Of
State Executive. It is scarcely possible
that the election Of Governor, whoever
may succeed, to.have any practical bear
ing upoathe future policy Of those terri
tories-dhd surely no man will be so un.
reasonable as to hold the Governor of
PENNSYLVANIA accountable in an official
sense for what Congress has already done
on this subject.-ltis subject with which
that officer has had, and can have official.
ly, nothing whatever 10 do. AS a member
Of the Democratic party it must be pre-
sumed that he takos an interest in public
affairs, and has not been an inat,entive OBJ
server that there has existed a diversity Of
opinion in relation to certain features Of
this measure.
Since the origin Of our government, with
occasional intervals, the question ofsIayeEy
in some Of its phases, has been a subject
Of violent and at times dangerous contro.
yersy in Congress, menacing The peace Of
the people and the existence OF the nation.
al conlederacy. lis adjustment within the
territories has led to The most threatening
struggles. These were invariably renewed
( by every new acquisition oftcrritory. In
1920, the act c. Congress fixing the Mis-.
souri, line was adopted interdjcting the eX.
tension of slavery north of 80 deg. 30
min, as a means Of settling the conlro.
versy growing out Of the acquisition Of
Louisiana from France inlS03. In ls45,
this line was extended over Texas, which
has Just been annexed TO the United States
and seemed 10 answer the purpose Of an
adjustment. In l64S, however, when it
was proposed TO extend this parallel Of
3j deg. 30 min. from the Rio Del Norte
10 the Pacific, it was defeated in the House
Of Representatives, alter having passed
the Senate by majority OF ten votes.-
The agitation in the country soon became
general, and by 1850, it had assumed an
alarming aspect. The good and great
men Of all parties, forgetting former DIFF
(erences and constrained by nobIer spir.
it Of patriotism, united in a common effort
to allay the mighty surging Of an excited
public sentiment. Foremost in this great
work was the eloquent and patriotic CLAY
sustained by 'CAss, WEBSTER, KING, and
others. A series of acts were passed, ia.
military known as The Compromise meas.
uros, which were acceptable 10 the peo.
pie and were ardenty maintained.
One ofthose acts organized the terrific
ries of New Mexico and Utah, and on the
principl sof non.interventicn--on the plan
Of allowing the people TO decide for them.
selves whether they would have the insti.
tuition Of slavery or not The whole
country seemed satisfied with the doctrine
Of non.intervention by Congress, in the
regulation Of the domestic institutions of
the territories, including that of slavery.
Without stopping to inquire into the con.
stitutional power of Congress to Iegislate
on the subject, or 10 what extent that
power might be exercised, the people re.
garded it as wise and polite to remove this
topic of angry and dangerous controversy
out Of Congress, and confde it TO those.
who may occupy the territories. We may
however remark that the question of auth.
ority in the passage of the ordinance of
l7S7 under the old confederation. is very
different one from the passage of the Mis-.
souri, Compromise or any slavery restric-
tons whatever. under our present corstilu.
ton. Under the confederation the inslitu.
lion Of slavery was not recoenised-under
the constitution it is, in three several par
tculars:
Isl. In fixing the basis Of representation
and direct taxation.
I'd. In toIera,ng the Coreipn slave trade
until 1905.
Sd. In proyIdinr lorthe rendition ortu.
nitiycs from labor.
Irit oven ba clo,r ,b,, Co,r,os, :. mos
soseod or annie nou,or 70 I,n;slo,a On ,ho
snbiect rond ,b;s Is s,oo,I, Joa;oJLucon 'G o' ,'