Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-02-24

Some Senator's have revived the argument
that the Missouri Compromise WIS unconsti-
tutiJnal. Bat it is one Ut the ucculinritirs
oil compromises that cUnsti tutiOnul objections
like all others, are buried under them by .
those who make and ratify them, for the OBJ |
vipus reason that the parties ut once waive
them, and receive equivalents. Certainly the |
slaytholding States, which waived their con |
s:itutional objections against the Compromise
OF 1870, and accepted equivalents therefor,
cannot be allowed to revive and Offer them now
Us reason Tor refusing to the non-slayehoid-
ing states their rights dndcr that CUinprom
Is-, without first restoring the equivalents
which they received on condition OF surrend-
ering their constitutional objections
For arguments sake. however, let this reply
be waived, and let Us look at this constitu-
tional objection. You say that the exclusion
of Slavery by the Missouri COMPROMISE
reaches through and beyond the existence of
the rcgi IN organized rs a Territory, and pro-
hoits Slavery FOREVER, even in the States to
be organized out of such Territory, while. on
the contrary, the States, when admitted will
lie sovereign, and must have exclusive iuris-
dictiOn over Slavery for themselves. Let TINS
too, be granted. But Congress according to
the Constitution, " may admit new States"
IT Congress may admit, then Congress may
also refuse to admit-that is to say, may re
.itct new States. The greater includes the
less; therefore Congress may admit, ON con.
dition that the States shall exclude Slavery.
II such condition should be accepted, would
it not be binding
To come closer to the question What is
this principle of abnegating National author
/ ity on the subject of Slavery, in favor Of the
| peoplel Do you abnegate all authority,
whatever, in the Territories Not at all
, you ahnegate only authority over slavery
/ there. DO you ubnegate even that No;
You do not and You cannot. In the very act
of abnegating You legslate. and enact that
the State to be hereafter organized shall come
/ in whether slave or free, as their inhabitants
shall choose. Is not this lcgislating not only
ON the subject of slavery in the Territories,
but on the subject of slavery even in the fu-
turc States In the very act Of abnegating,
you call into being a Legislature which shall
ASSUME the authority which you are renoun-
cling. You not only exercise authority in
that act, but yUu exercise authority over
slavery, when you confer on the Territorial
Legislature power to act upon that subject.
More than this In the very act of calling
that Territorial Legislature into existence,
You exercise authority in prescribing who
may elect and who may be elected. You even
reserve to yourselves II veto upon every act
that they can pass as Legislative body, not
only on all other subjects, but even on the
subject of slavery itself. Nor can YOU relin-
qush that veto for it il absurd to say that
You can create an agent, and depute to him
the legislative authority of the United States
which agent you cannot at your own pleas.
ure remove, and whose acts you cannot al
your own pleasure disavow and repudiate. -
The Territorial Legislature is your agent. 1t.
acts are your own. Such is the principl,
that is to supplant the ancient policy-a prin
ciple full Of absurdities and contradictions
, Senators from the slaveholding States: Yo,
are politicians az well as statesmen. Let IN
remind you, therefore, that political move
mcnts in this country, AZ in all other, hay
their times of action and reaction The pen
+ dulum moved up by the side Of freedom il
+ lsl0, and swung back again in ls44, on tn
side of Slavery, traversed the dial in lo4S
I and touched even the mark Of the Wilmo
Proviso, and returned again in 1852, reaching
even the height of the Baltimore Platform. -
Judge for yourselves whether it is yet as
y ccnding, and whether it will attain tn
l. height of the abrogation Of the Missouri
Compromise. That is the mark you are fix
B.. ing for it. For myself, may claim to kno'
= something of the North. see in the change
. Of the times only the vibration of the needle
r. trembling on its pivot. | know that in du
/. time it will settle, and when it shall have SCI
Il tlcu IL Will poInl, IL must Ipint loIcNcT,
i the same polar star. that sheds down freedo
st broadly wherever it pours forth its mild, bt
inygoratng light.
z Senators from the non-slaveholding States
/, You want peace. Think we'll, bcscech yQ,
It before you yield the price now demande,
le even for peace and rest from slavery az tatio
Sc France has got peace from Republican agit;
"a ton by "A similar sacrifice. So has Poland
It So has hungary and ~, at last, has lrelan,
l, Is the peace which either OF thos" nations ei
% joys worth the price it cost Is peace, oil
" tanned at such cost, ever IL lasting peace
/, Man proposes and GOD disposes.' lo
N may lrgisate and abrogate and abnegate
y you will but there is II superior power thu
r oycrrucs all Your actions, and all your ref
a sails to act and iondly hope and trust owe
H. rules them to the advancement of the grea
N ness and glory OF our country-that overrulc
l. ! know, not only all your actions, and a
your retusals tOuct, but all human events,
is the distant, but inevitable result of the equ
', and universal liberty of all men.