Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-06-27

80 'I' = Y tiHkg'.s ? ~ es
dy says. No. But why notY For tile
plain and simple reason that the indi.
vi'luals Of the people have inalianable
rights, and these rights the Declaration
OF Independence en- umeratcs as the
rights 10 life, to liberty, and the pursuit
OF happiness. 4. as, taes sAa,f s+0s2 b.
The very first step toward solf:gov-
ernment is the inviolable security Of
these rights. The highest duty Of Cen.
gyess to tho people Of the territories is to
furnish this security. The Senator from
Michigan, trust t, will find few converts
10 the doctrine that it is necessaryto sell.
government that this security shall be
broken up and destroyed. ss t
For thirty. four years the Missouri pro.
hibition has stood at the gateway Of the
vast Northwest as guardian angel,
proclaiming TO all its future inhabitants
absolute security in the enjoyment Of
these rights. 1t is for the sake Of that
security that this prohibition is SO dear
to the people Of the country.
l have heretofore expresssd the opin-
ioI, Mr.. President, that the exclusion Of
slavery from the territory northwest Of
the Mississippi was parcel Of a compact
between two great sections Of the coun.
try. But when have insisted upon the
fulfilment Of this great stipulation, |
have been told that have no right to
claim it because was no friend TO the
original compromise Of which it formed
part. Why, sir, when that compton,
ise was made, | was a little boy, at
school. Ofcourse, l was neither art nor
part ofit. But as grew up TO mans
estate. and became acquainted with the
great public questions Of our history, |
certainly saw no reason for approving
the compromise. If the making of it
wero now an original question, would
never consent 10 il. am no friend Of
compromises. But, sir, the compromise
was made. 1t was male by our fathers.
The representatives Of the free States
and the Representatives Of the slave
States united in it, 1t was acquiesccd
in by the people Of both sections Of the
country. For more thar third Of a
century it has stood untouched. These
are the great facts. disregard all mere
lechnicaIities and petty bubbles about
what was done in 1920 anil in 1921. |
take the PLAIN. general result Of the
whole, aud SEQ in this compromise
what the men Of the time saw in it, and
what the people Of the whole country
have ever since seen in it, A coMpAcT,
bidding upon honor and good faith. al.
though embodied in legislative ct,and
therefore repealable.
Sr, if this compact yet remained un.
executed, il might be abrogatel by the
parties who made it, without reproach
10 either. But it does not remain unex.
ecu,eI. 1t has been completely fulfilled
on tho part Of the free States. Their
Senators in this chamber, and their re.
presentatives in the other hall Of Con.
gress, consented to the admission of Mis-.
souri, and Arkansas as slave States.sole.
ly upon the ground Of this cenpact. Nor
can it be doubted that the admission OF
all the slave States which have come
into the Union since Missouri, was Sc.
cured through its influence upon public
sentiment and the legislation Of the
country. Aud now, sir, after the slave
States have gained all that could be
gained under this compact, after Mis-
souri, and Arkansas had been admitted,
anil the remnant Of the territory cover
ell by ii, south Of 36 deg. 80 min, has
been filed up by slavoholling Indian
tribes. we are coolly told tn at this com.
pact is nothing but an ordinary act OF
legislation. which may be repealed with.
out any violation of faith! -.
|, is to be repcale to night. The Sem
ato, from Florida (Mr. Mallory has
told US that the news Of its repeal will
send thrill Of pleasure through tho
hearts Of thousands. 1t may be so. But,
sir, there are other thousands, and tens
of thousands, and hundreds Of thousands
who will receive that intelligence with
deep indignation. They will see in tho
transactions of this night, the. breach
and dishonor Of all ancient and sacred
obligation. They will see in it the DIES.
truciion OF a security and guarantee Of
freedom which, for thirty -four years,and
by universal acquiescence has been re-
-parded as inviolable. -,
And. sir, for what? What does this
bill give us in lieu Of the prohibition OF
slavery in the tertitories? Why, sir, we
are told that it gives the principle OF
Congressional non.intervcntion. That
is the great merit ofthe bill, in the eyes
Of the distinguished Senator from Mich.
igan. But he tells US, also. that in 9th.
or respects this bill is in advance Of
former territorial acts. Now, sir, it SO
happens that all the more liberal pro.
visions of this bill which he approves,
originated will, the opponents ofthe re-.
peal. As tho bill came from the Com.
mittee on Territories. it was an exact
transcript of, former acts. / believe
was, myself, the first Senator who di-
rscted attention TO the fact that the go
veynofs ofthese territories were invested
with sn absolute veto power; that I'LL
the acts Of tho territorial Legislature
were subjected to the revision Of Con.
gress; and that, therefore, the bill which
professed to establish popular sovereign.
", subjected every act Of the people,
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