Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-07-06

would be DRIED up, Vhen thdt iouhtslln SnouId Oo
ctosed In adopting the Constitution. it was so
anticipated hatthe fefign slave trade
would beprompt y prohibited. that all parties ac-
quiesced ii stipulation postpohlng that me ,snre
ill 1908 The foreign Save trade was prohibit
thus the source of slavery was understood to
be dried up. while the introduction of slavery into
the territories was prohibited The slavery ques
ton so far as it W $ a national one, was under
stood to be finally settled and at the same time
the States had already taken up and were carry
ing forward a syslem of gradual emancipation,
In 1893 bouisani was acquired by purchase
from Franc, and included what is now known
as the States of Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas
and Iowa, and the Territories known as Kansas
and Nebraska. Slavery existed al the time in
New Or cans and at st Louis, and so this pur
chase resulted in bringing the slavery question
again before Consress In 1912 the region i'm
medateiy surrounding New Orleans applied tor
admission into the Union under the name of the
State of Louisiana, with constitution toleratlng
slavery and the free States acquiesced
Eight Y, ars afterwards, the region connected
with It Louis demanded admission under the
name of the State of Missouri, with a constitution
,oerating slavery The fro States reverted to
the principle of 1887, AID opposed the adniss on
of Nilsson i, unless she uld incorporate into
her constitution an inhibition Of The further intro
duction of slavery into the State The avehod
ing States insisted upon her unqualified admls-
sion a controversy arose which was sectional
and embitteIed, and which, we are assured by
contempcraneous history, seriously impered the
Union he statesmen Of that day in Congress
se,t ed the contr versy by compromise. By the
t rms Of the compromise, the free States assent
ed to the admission of Nlssoari with her save
holding consltu ion. while the slayeholdng States
on their part vie ded the exclusion of ~lnvery IN
all the residue of the territory which lay north of
SO degrees 80 minutes. constituting the present
territories of Kansas and Nebraska. The slave
holding States accepted the compromise as tri-
umph and the free States have evrr since left il
II disturbed am, unquesoned. Arban as, Il part
Of the territory of Louisiana, which lay south of
81 degrees 30 minutes, in compliance with an
Implication which was contained in this COM
promise, was ailerward admitted as a slavehold-
in State, and the ire States acqulesced In
1919, + orla II slaveholding province Of Spain,
was acquir d This province was aticrward. ad-
United as a saveholding State / he free States
again acquesced. In 1916, Texas, an iulppend
cnt slaycho ding Sllte, was anne ted with pro-
vision in The article of annexation for the subdi-
vision Of her territory into five States. The free
states although they regarded the ann xaton
with he probable increase Of tn number of slave
States with very greet dsiavor, nevertl. cess ac-
qnesccd again. Ne" teritor es were acquir d
b. the treaty peac3 which closed the war with
Mexico. The people OF afornia formed con-
stituion nhbing slavery aud applied for d
mission ntn til, Uhiol fioI Mt opposition was
made by the slave States and out Oft angr IS
threatening the disso u,lon Of the Union if Cali
70 MIA should be admitted Proceeding on the
ground of these 4 ANS ongr IS adopted another
compromise, the terms of which were, that Ten
mi lion dollars of the PEOPLE money shou be
given to Texas, to induce her To relinqush very
doubtful claim rpoa an iacon<iderabe part of
New Mexico. tina, New Mexico aud Utah should
b. organized without an inhibition of slavery.
and tina, they shou be afterwards admitted as
slave Or free States rs the people when forming
constitutions shauld determine that the public
slave t'ade in the Dist ic of Columbia should
b. abo ishcd without affecting the cylstenc Of
slavery in the District. and that hew aud rlcor
Gus provisions for tho recapItlrt / fugitive slaves,
of disputed constitutional tv, shou be adopt d,
, and that on these Co diiuns California should he
. admitted as fir State Repngnant as this
, compromise was TO the people Of free States,
acluIescence was, verthelpss partially OBJ
tanHd by means of solem, assurance made OH be
. hafof The s'aveholding ) aics that The compro-
mis-. was. and should be, forever regarded as I
hna adjustment # the slavery question, and ol
all tn issues which could possibly aris out Of it.
A new Congress convened in December 1851
Repreres Natives from the slave States demanded
r newed pledge of iae ity 10 this adjustment
and it was granted by The House Of Representa-
lives in the following terms
" Rcsoleea, That We recognize the binding
$ efficacy of the compromises of the tonsttu ion
Q and believe i, to be the intention of the Poop e
genera ly as we hereby declare it To BIZ ours in
dIvdually, TO abide by such compromises and
sustain the laws nece ssary To carry them out the
provisions for the delivery Of fugt We slaves and
/ the act of the last Congicss for that pu p"s" III
cuded and that W. deprccate all further agta
ton of questions embraced in thu acts of the las,
ong'ess known as the compromise, and Of ques.
tlons generally connected with the institutions Of
slavery, as unnecessary useless and dangerous
few months bsequently the democratic ma
tiona convention met at Baltimore. and assum-
ing to speak the sentiments Of the democratic
: party sci forth in its platform" that the demo
cratic party will resis, all attempts at renewing
in Congress ont of it. the agitation of The slave
ry question, under whatever shape or color the
attempt may be made" Soon aft lwards another
national convention assembled in the same city
and assuming the RICH, 10 declare the senimen,
of thu wing party, said =" We deprecate all
further agitation of the question thus settled, as
dangerous to the peace, and will discounlenance
+ all efforts to continue or renew such ag taion
n Whenever, wherever, or however made The
DIPSpnt 1dfrjnist r,i plcct, 81 tho n
pie of adherence TO this compromise and the
President, r,frring to i, in his iahgnral speech,
a declar that the harmony which had been sccur-
ed by it sholld not he disturbed during his term
of office The Presd. mt recurring TO the same
subject, renewed his pledge in his message to
congress at the beginning of the present session,
| in following language
> " But notwithstanding the differences of opin-
ions ard sentiments which then existed in rela.
ton to details and specific provisions the &C
quescenae OF Distinguished riliz MS, who dcvo
ton 10 the Union can never be doubted, has Civ
| en- renewed vigor TO our inituions and rcstored
a sense of rrpose and security to the public mind
throughout the contederscy That this repose is
to suffer no shock during my official term, if !
have the power to avert it, those who placed Inc
+ here may be assured"
Under these circumstances the proposition 10
, repeal The Missouri compromise was suddenly and
unexpectedly made by the same committee on u T.
rltories which only ten days b fore had affmf
the sanctity of the missouri compromise, and de
clared the rnd of agitation, in the following ex
plcit and unmstakahIe language
d" Your committee do not feel called up n TO
enter into discussion of ,los. centr verted
questions-they involve the same great issues
which produced the agitation the sectional strife,
and The fearful struggle Of 1850 AS tnngress
deemed il wise and prudent to refrain from deci
ding The matters in controversy then, either by
affirming or repeating the Mexican laws or BY an
act declaratory by il to slave property in the ter
rito y, so your commi tee are not prepared now
to recommend a departure from the course pur
sued upon that memorable occasion, either BY af
e.. Il. Il L IL .