The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-04-23

turb the equilibrium Of The constitution The South as
every retieeng in this House knows must always be
the principal sufferer from any disturbance OF the just bal
Of system. This proposition is selfeyident and
requires explanation. She feels and has felt that
the constitution administered in the spirit in which it came
from the hands of its usous authors is the parent Of
peace OF tranquility and Of perpetual union As SUCH she
has steadily and faithfully clung TO it. So administered,
has not upon this whole continent body of more loyal
and enthusiastic supporters But to every attempt to
large its powers beyond the fair intent Of the instrument TO
nerpoate grants by constructions TO peryert It's
spirit she has BEEN and must be stern and unyeld
ing opponent Her patriotism and her safety alike impe
her to that position For in every such act she cannot but
the gradual and siealhy approaches OF vast central
desposm Of absolute and unlimited powers under whose
balcl shadow the sovereignty and independence of the
States must dwinde into insignfcance and with them
certainly perish the liberties and institutions OF the people
which they ordained to protect II such has been her
uniform course when temporary advantage may have
invited her opposite opinion may well be imagined
what her must be upon question like that now
der consderation-when powers in themselves doubtful
powers derived from implication in the third or fourth de-
scent from the parent stock denied by of the most
iusrous authors of that instrument have been brought
into active exercise for the purpose OF making unjust and
injurious determinations between the two great sections OF
the conederacy and of holding her cherished social in
situons subject of congressional nterdict and of ma
tonal reproach - st.arI tt UH
quences Of all such legislation must be excitement heart
burning, dscord, strife and ultimate separation. Since
1920 the fires OF agitation have been almost annually kim
died by the measures proposed and by the discussions
which have occurred in this hall and in the adjacent cham
Der of the Capitol upon the subject of slavery Sectional
animosites have been engendered Important schemes Of
national policy have been embarrassed, stimulated hasten
ed modified and frustrated by this absorbing element Of
agitation The ordinary business of Congress has been
elected and the Union at times brought to The verge OF
overthrow and dissolution II has been, indeed the box Of
Pandora which has been opened without diflusing
its multiplied evils the land Sir submit it. has not
every patriot felt that e1pen indispensable TO
avert this fearful agitation and to relieve the country from
this seemingly never-endng experiment upon the strength
and durability Of our system2 And can any man account
for the extraordinary favor with which the adjustment Of
1850 was hailed by all parties and by all sections Of
this coDfederacy except in the belief that the true sou
ton Of all these national difficulties to be found in
those sound and principles Of congressional
non-ntervenon which marked the legislation Of the carly
fathers of the republic and which embraced in those
In that is to be found mainly the secret Of
caused il to triumph in the North against all the preu
dices growing out of the provisions OF the ugitiveslaye
law and which has caused it to triumph in the South in
defiance Of the feeling engendered by the circumstances
der which California organized into State and pre-
ciptated upon the confederacy. u5.
During all the agitation 10 which this question has given
rise it has been the painful but patriotic duty Of the South
aided by firm and intrepid Of the North TO strpg
gAwith courage and orbearance against the Of fa
naticsm which have been necessarily dashng against the
foundations Of constitutional edifce III the struggle
has been painful and proraced il has not been without
important aeyatng circumstances II has by the spread
of more correct information upon the subject Of slavery,
removed from the popular mind OF the North weight Of
prejudice which had been aruy and zeaously awakened
against II has opened the eyes of thousands to the base
hypocrisy which has been seeking for years make po
cal capital from the honest and uniniomed prejudces Of
the Of that section il has satisfied the most nced
uous that there will always be found in every portion Of
our common country amount OF courage and resistance
sufficient protect itself from injustice and 10 defeat every
effort at sectional domination and oppression it has de-
veoped everywhere the true and tried friends OF the cons
tuition and Of the States and above ALL sir il has engh
ened the public mind in most extraordinary degree
the true character and just limitations Of federal
system These some OF the lights which minge with
the shadows OF this painful controversy And now, after
struggle longer In duration than the celebrated gous
of Europe find ourselves in the progress Of The
political cycle at the very point at which this unwse and
unwarantable agitation commenced and when the first
original departure made in 1920 from the pTinc-
plies of our constitutional compaet--the labor Of thirty
years Of anxious and restless agitation lost 10 the abol-
uonishis schemes Of misdirecied philanthropy frustrated
his wand broken; his opinions derided; his occupation
gone, and the country in condition TO look calmly and
approyingy upon the oblteraton Of the last remaining
trophy of the disastrous power and influence which he
once welded in the nation II.
The restriction incorporated into the law admitting The
State Of Missouri into the Union and which nterdiced s-
very forever north Of the parallel Of SO deg 80 mn the
first occasion In constitutional history when Congress
assumed BY virtue OF any power claimed to exist in itself
to forbid the extension Of slavery into Territory belong
ing TO the United States From the 4th OF March, 1880,
down To The period Of that resctiOn-upwards of thirty
yearsno such power had been exercised
by Congress lis policy in those earlier and better days
OF the republic non-ineryenton. Ifan instance be
found 10 the contrary should be pleased be referred
looked upon slavery as institution TO be determined
alone by the people who to he affected by IL
thing not within its constitutional competency 10 nerdct
establish and such, assert its uniform course OF
legislation from the formation Of the government down
the act Of the 9th Of March, 1920 do not TO review
the circumstances under which that extraordinary
meni was passed They have been often presented
to be familiar to all who take interest In the subject
It's well known that whatever agency southern votes had
in contributing to that resultand must admit that they
had somet with them but choice Of eysau alter
native TO prevent deeper and irrcparable wrong
upon the rights Of the States, and the constitution OF
The country say II the FIRST occasion upon which
Congress assumed TO exercise act Of original ursdc-
on in controlling the expansion Of slavery within the
rory Of the United States and prescribing limit be-
yond which the planter of the South should emil
CRATE with property, recognised such by the federal
constitution The ordinance of 1891 often referred TO-
the act Of Che Congress OF the old
cd into being in the closing Of that expiring
government and its motives and purposes greatly mis-
conceived and misunderstood IL has over and over
again been declared ia the other branch Of the legislature
that the ordinance Of 1884, recognised II by the first
Congress which assembled under the present coustu-
ton IL TO bc regarded the annunciaton of fixed
TO restrict the institution Of slavery within the limits Of
tho States in which il OF that time held This his
orcaly untrue for ts only recognition by the first Com
gress Is compact existing prior to the adoption Of the
constitution and such not proper TO be disturbed and
the idea further fscd by the fact that the Con-
gress organized the territory southwest OF the Ohio with
provisions expressly dscaming any interference with the
subject of slavery. The OF that day practical
satesmen-no theorists fanatics; they egisatod with
an eye 20 the actual condition and circumstances Of te
country before them and they did with The rampant
and reckless zeal Of modern agiaors seek to mould every
institution IN the country 20 the standard Of false and
anatoal conception Of human rights Whatever may have
been their personal and individual opinions on the
subject OF slayeryand free 10 confess they did not
look upon II with much iavothey saw that n