The Ohio union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1849-1854, 1854-04-26
Mhat did { do for lhe slavery cues.

What did you do Tor the slavery ques-
lionl You said, 10 quote again.
"And whea admitted as a Stale. States,
the said Territory, Territories. or any
portion Of the same, shall be received into
the Union, with or with slavery, as their
constitutions may provide at the time oil
their admission"
There il is, sir; thai is The whole of il.
They were TO be admitted as States. with
or without slavery, as their constitutions
may provide at the lime Uftheir admission.
That, sir, as | understand it, was a pledge
Of faith on the part Of the nation, through
lis representatives, that the slavery test,the
test sought TO be applied 10 Missouri, should
not be applied 10 these Territories. When
they came 10 form a constitution when
they set about the organization Of a funda-
mental law to govern themselves; when the
time came thatlhe supervision Of Congress
was to cease, and the people of The Terri
tories resumed all the rights of a sovereign
peol 10 Of a sovereign Stale. Look al
the language, sir, and tell me il 1t does
not refer 10 Ina, time and none oiher' Aud
this was all, | say, sir, that if any local
territorial law excluding slavery existed
there, The law of 1850 did not repeal il,
that so far as these slavery provisions are
concerned, it is yet gitai, yet living. And
as for The rest, the pretense, of non inter
venlion cannet exist for a moment against
provisions which clearly establish a state
Of territorial dependence upon Congress.
And this, sir, is the legislation which ST.
Perceded The Missouri compromise. This
the Ell Dorado of our political future, is ii!
Sir, 10 my mind there never was a move
ment so transparent, SO baseless, so hollow
as all this. Again, | say, sir, | will have
none oft.
The argument, that because you had
disturbed the boundaries of Texas, aud oil
the Louisiana Territory, and that therefore
you had overlhrown the Missouri compro.
mise, is equally baseless. You saved. Tex.
as expressly by The Mason proviso; and as
to the small portion Of the Louisiana Ter.
ritory incorporated with Ulah-a portion,
compared with the rest, no more than a
" patch upon the earth's surface "-it is
against reason and judicial construction 10
give to The laws of Utah any greater extent
or force than 10 the territory SO taken.
l say again, sir, the legislation of 1850
embodied no principle. II was an expedi
ent. There ii stands, sif-examine it. A
naked pledge that, when the States formed
from the Territory seek admission, thC
slavery test shall not be applied 10 them, il
all there is Of principle; and that, sir, is nj
principle. Ii is a compromise no highe
in its nature, no more sacred, notices. liabl,
in itself 10 repeal, than is the Missouri com
promise.
Gentlemen talk Of non.intervention ;
of "Squatfer sovereignty" You hav,
no Territory-not one, sir-independen
in any one thing Of congressional supervi
sion. Is this a lime TO apply the doctrine
Must you reach that goal by marching owe
: the ruins Of broken adjustments, of pledge
fslsified, and faHh trodden down! AM
why, as a principle, do you seek now I
apply tito Nebraska and Kansas? Woul
there not be as much justice in allackin
Oregon, or Washington, or Minnesota, an
in the repeal Of slavery exclusion provi:
ions there! Must you DO so, 10 give II
( doctrine universal territorial application
And is the prohibition in either Of ,hes
/ Territories of any higher character tina
, that of the Missouri act? No, sir. Ye
who here will raise his voice 10 disturb tn
exclusion in those Territories Or whe
would you effect such a thing, were an
Que here hardy enough 10 attempt il
Never, sir. The effort would be a ruiz
Gus one-ruinoUs TO peace, concord an
fra,ernal union. Ruinous TO the highe'
and dearest interests Of our common cour
try. 1t would drive The wedge Of disunio
home, destroy national legislation, and ez
al, 10 It's stead suspicion, discord and SEE
iionaI strife. Yet consistency points il OF
as a natural consequence of success in thi
projected repeal Of the Missouri comprc
mise.
/, Mr.. Chairman, as ! have thus taken m
ground, | shall moi stop 10 inquire whetht
either of these bills embodies The true spi
il Of non.intervenlion. 1t is unnecessar,
at least for my purpose. care not 10 il
quire. There is a clause in the Seba'
bill. which taking the territorial action
the past as a test, is indefensible. tn
Senate has deemed ii proper 10 make a di
~linclion amongst men, in the application
/, its doctrine Of squatter sovereignty. The
have excluded the emigrant. The jusliC
/, Of this must be gathered from your pa
acts, when Oregon, and Washington, an
I Minnesota, we're organised. And holman
years since, | think, sir, Congress natura
, lied soine thousands of Mexicans, Spa
|, iards, and half.breeds, by treaty stipul
!. tons with a foreign Power. And, 81
/ there is a gentleman on this floor, legitim
f. ted by that action, as Delegate from Ne
. Mexico, who cannot speak a word Of you
. Language. have no qualmish fears
foreigners. represent on this floor, lhr'
r thousand German voters. They are me
r Of industry, peace and order. They a
e sincerely attached 10 your country and i
Constitution. They are men..ol substanc
of enterprise, and many Of them men
d superior education. | should be false
r. them, sir, false TO myself, if | gave a vo
which cast about them any disabilities
N myself am not subject to. | take this O
%easiou, sir, not TO Gllibuster on this subie,
but 10 pay a tribute 10 the foreigners wi
10 have sought your western lands. ha
kown few Of them improyident, sir. but We