Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-03-29

inhammatory character. The peace of our
society, and the security of our lives and
property endangered by fanatical emissaries {;
our deuded slaves enticcd away under the
cover of night, and their owners murdered
in the broad light of day, in endeavoring to
secure them; our people insulted, through
their Representatives on this floor, by petit
tons crammed with falsehood and slander,
and the bond itself cancelled by an attempt
to fix the Wilmot provso upon Arkansas
and Texas.
But, sir worse than all, as if to mortify
seDsibililies made acute by grief, to grind
insults into hearts made tender by sorrow
aud to rob the widowed southern mother OF
her only consolalion-the consolation that
her husband or child had died in the cause
of his whole country while the gore Of the
heroes Of Tennessee, of Mississippi, and
Carolina was wet upon the plains of Mexi-
co-a bill was introduced, in the hot haste
of avaficious cupidity, and passed this
House, which excluded their kindred Of the
South from the very territory which had
been purchased with their blood.
Nor, sir, is this all for, in violation of the
spirit and letter Of the compromise which
authorised the admission OF Missouri as a
State, within one year from lis date this
House refused her admission, because her
people had, by their State constitution, ex.
cluded free negroes from her borders The
Free.Soilers have presumed to legislate upon
slavery within this District; have endeavored
fix their doctrines upon forts and public
grounds in every quarter Of the country, and
have dared to let the pollution of their
thoughts rest upon the grave of Washington,
shielded though it be by the sovereignty OF
Virginia.
submit, sir, that have shown an entire
failure of consideration. All this, and much
more besides, which will be made appear
from the record of the country by others
who will follow me, and the bond unimpcach.
ed by the South.
But, sir, we are told that this is no viola.
ton of the contract; for although the act OF
1920 prohibits slavery north Of the line,
vet it leaves the question open south of the
line. Sir, | will not argue proposition SO
peridiously monstrous. tits enough, if any
thing be wanting, to satisfy any honest man
OF the utter folly of compromise; and ad.
monishes Us to blot out that which is u
falsehood upon our statutes.
The authority of Mr. Monroe, and the
the southern members of his Cabinet, Mr..
I Calhoun, Mr.. Writ, and Mr.. Crawford,] is
given for the constitulionality Of the Missouri
Compromise. Mr. Calhoun always denied
that the compromise had the authority Of
his sanction. In bis speech in the Senate
of 9th June 1913, he said expressly that it
was carried by northern votes, and opposed
almost unanm ously by the South, but yet
acquesced in by us from love for the Union. >
1t may be that the President, as well as Mr..
Writ and Mr.. Crawford, acquiesced from the
same motive.
But again we are told that the South has
had the full enjoyment OF the benefits OF the
compromise, for that under it four slave
States have been admitted into the Union,
willie the free States have but Iowa. TO
this it is sufficient to reply, that out OF the
Northwest Territory (once the property of IA
slave State,) four free States had been pre-
viously carved out, and their admission into
the Union secured preponderance Of poti.
cal power to the non-slavehoding States in
this House. Wisconsin has since been ad.
ded and in violation Of the ordinance OF
1857, which restricted the number Of States
to be create out of the Northwest Territory
to five, an 10 more, part OF this territory
has been thrown with Minnesota, which will
result in securing to the free States the
political power of six States; one more than
was stipulated in the ordinance.
Mr.. Chairman, the end of the whole mat
ter is, the question admits of no compromise
The men of the North regard slavery as q
moral, social, and political evil. We re-
gard it moral, social, and political good
, If both are sincere, land believe that thou
sands are, who, ignorant of the character oI
the negro and the workings Of the system
Judge of the institution by false standards
and prejndiced sympatb;es,) then no com
promise should be tolerated.
{ There is no middle ground betweed righ
aud wrong; and those Of US who desire tt
perpetuate this Government, whether from
the North or South, have no alternative bu
S to take this question Of slavery buck to wher
!, it was left by the Constitution.
Here we will find authority to sustain u
] against assaults from every quarter. Her
: we find authority for the equal rights to tn
j, States, and here authority for the citizen
: any State removing with his property of an
: description into the territory OF the unlte'
n States.
J. We are not asked to legislate slavery int
Z Nebraska and Kansas, but to carry out
!, good old republican principle, that the peopl
5 shall decide for themselves the character Q
their municipal Government, and be left in
n free condition to elect for themselves, whe
r. they multiply into States, slavery or n
y slavery.
If The bill is in entire consonance with ou
3 republican theory, and a recurrence to tn
true doctrines of the Constitution. 1t pur
e sues the same line of pulley which obtaine
:. in regard to Utah, which lies north OF 36
r. 80, and in reference to New Mexico, nearl
II all of which lies south of that line, and i
d reference to both of which the question q
:, issue was left exclusively to the judgement
y their own people.
!. 1t is policy utterly irreconcilable wit
y the provisions of the Missouri compromis'
n inconsistent with its spirit and letter, and
o its effect, nullifes and oblterates it.
4. next approached the argument urged
r. opposition to the bill-that the admission
8. slaves will operate to the exclusion OF iorelg
A T foyf ba Ia