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

Senator Stewards Speech.
Mr.. President ;-ltappears that it was the |
policy of our fathers, in regard to the origi- .
nal domain Of the United States, to prevent
the introduction OF slavery, wherever it was
practicable. This policy encountered greater
difficulties when it came under consideration
with u view to its establishment in region not
included within our original domain. While
slavery had actually been abolished already
by some Of the emancipating States, several OF
them, owing to Il great change in the relative
value of the productions of slave labor, had
fallen off into the class of non-emancipating
States and now the whole family of States
was divided and classified as slayehoding OF
slave States, and non-slaveholding or free
States. A rival or political ascendency was
soon developed and, besides the motives of
interest and philanthropy which had before
existed, there was now on each side a desire
to increase, from among the candidates Of adj
mission into the Union, the number of Ntuto'
in their respective classes and so their r"la-
tive weight and influence in the Federal
Councils
The country which had been acquired from
France was, in 1904, organized in two Terri
tories, one of which, including New Orleans
as its capital! was called Orleans, and the
other, having St. Louis for its chief town, was
called Louisiana In 1912, the Territory Of
Orleans was admitted as new State, under
the name Of Louisiana. 1t had been an old
slaveholding colony Of France, and the PIE
vention of slavery within it would have been
Il simple act OF abolition. At the same time.
the Territory of Louisiana, 10y authority of
Congress, took the name Of Missouri and,
in 1918, the portion thereof which now con-
stitutes the State of Arkansas was detached,
and became II Territory under that name In
1910, Missouri which was then but thinly
pcupled and had an uncomfortable number of
slaves, applied for admission into the Union.
and her application brought the question Of
extending the policy Of the Ordinance of l7o1,
to that State, and to other new States in the
region acquired from louisiana to direct
issue The House of Representatives insisted
on prohibition against the further introduce
ton Of Slavery in the State, as a condition OF
her admission. The Senate disagreed with
the House in that demand. The non-slayc-
holding States sustained the House, and the
South sustained the Senate. The difference
was radical. and tended towards revolution.
One party maintained that the condition
demanded was constitutional, the other that
it was unconstitutional The public mind
became intensely excited, and painful allrc-
| tensions of disunion and civil war began to
prevail in the country.
In this crisis, majority of both Houses
agreed upon plan for the adjustment OF the
controversy, BY this plan, Maine a non
slaveholding State, was to be admitted Mis-
souri, was to he admitted without submitting
to the condition before mentioned and i'll all
that part of the Territory acquired from
| France, which was north of the line of 80 deg
40 min of north atiside, Slavery was to l'r
forever prohibited. Louisiana, which was Il
- Il, u
a slave State eight years before; and now
not onlv was Missouri to be admitted az
Slave State, but Arkansas. which was soutl
of that line, by strong implication, was ais,
to be admitted Us II -laveholding State.
need not Indicate what were the "quNa
Tents which the respective parties were to r.
cciye in this arrangement, further than to ~ !
that the slayeholding States practically, were
to receive slaveholdng States. the free State
to receive desert. a solitude, in which they
might. if they could. plant the germs of tu
ture free States This measure was adopted
1t was great national transaction-thc frs
of class of transactions which have since
come to be thoroughly defined and well un
derstood, under the name of compromises
My own openions concerning them are wei
known, and are not in question here. Ne
cording to the general understanding, thcyar
. marked by peculiar circumstances and irL
lures. viz
First, there is division of opinion upon
some vital national question between the tw'
Houses of Congress, which division is irrcr N
cilable, except by mutual concessions of in
terest and opinions, which the Houses deem
constitutional and just
Secondly, they are rendered necessary h
impending caamitcs, to result from the fail
, ure Of legislation, and to he no oth"rwis
averted than by such mutual concessions. q
; sacrifices.
: Thirdly, such concessions are mutual an
equal, or are accepted as such. and 50 bcconl
conditions of mutual arrangement.
fourthly, hy this mutual exchange of con
ditions, the transaction takes on the nutur
and condition of a contract, compact, or trei
ty, between the parties represented, and n,
according to well-scttled principles of moral
ity and public law, the statute which cmhod
; les it is understood, by those who uphol
r this system of legislation, TO be rrevncahl
and rrepealable, except by mutual consent C.
both, or of all the parties concerned Mt
indeed, that it il absolutely irrcpcalahic, lll
that it cannot be repealed without Violate
, of honor, justice- aud good faith which IL
presumed will not be committed.
Such WAS the Compromise of $50. Mis
!. souri, came into the Onion Immediately aS
! IL slaveholding State, without objection, ii 81
!, years aterward. Nebraska the pare of t.
Territory reserved exclusively for free T"rr
tories and free States, has remained II wilder
, ness ever since. And now it il proposed her
to abrogate, not, indeed, the whole Compron
. Use, but only that part of it which saved NJ
y braS ska as free territory, to Ice aitcrwar
u divided into non-sln,nhulding States, whic
q should be admitted into the Mon. And hi
:, is proposed, notwithstanding AN universal a'
; quiescence III the Compromise, by both rti
ties for thirty years, and its confirmation
/ over and over again, by many acts of sncce'
sive Congresses, and notwithstanding that I'll
slayeholding States have pcuceuhly cnjoyc,
ever since it WAS made all their equivalent
while, owing to circumstances which wi
-, hereafter appear, the non slayeholdins Stat,
y have not practically enjoyed any OF thos
. guaranteed to them.
, This Is the question now before the Scnat
a Of the United States nf America.
1t is u question OF trAns"endent importance
r The question Dt adhcring u or abrogatin
q this lumpramlse IL 10 umucaning issue, an
no contest Of mere blind passion now.
To adhere, is to secure the occupation i
= freemen, with free labor. Of region in II
! very center Of the continent, capable OF su
n taliing. and IN that event destined, thou2h
-. may only DO after i far-dis.unt prriU |, u SUI
;. tain ten, twenty, thirty, forty millions of pc.
: pie, and their successive 'ntrdtlons forever
o To ahrogatu il TO r'slgn al that vast r"go
e to chances which lnurtal rl-iGn Dunnpi tai
II fore eo; ptIiaps To The sovereignty 81 sug
q stntcd and siort-ved co UJuunlcs as those
e which Mexico and South Amcjicn, and lh
d Yves, India Isl ,nds present Us with examples
;. perhaps 10 convert that region into the seen
a. lt,,Y- hat,