Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-02-21

machinery Of civil society. Such measure,
at any time. would deserve the most careful
attention But at the present moment. ~
Justly excites peculiar interest from The enort
made---on pretences unsustained by tacts-in
violation of solemn covenant, and OF the early
principles of our fathers--to open this immense
region to Slavery
According to existing law, this Territory Is
now guarded against Slavery by positive
prohibition embodied in the Act of Congress,
approved March 9th, 1920, preparatory to the
admission Of Missouri into the Union, as a
sister State, and in the following explicit
words:
SEC. g. BE n further en0cfed, That in all that
Territory csd By Fance 10 The United Statss unds,
the Of Louisiana which lies north of thirtysix
degrees and thirty minutes OF north latitude, not in
cluded within the limits Of the State contemplated by
this act, SLAVERY AND INVOLUNTARY sERviTUDE,
otherwise than as the punishment Of crimes, SHALL
BE, AND IS HEREBY, FOREVER PROHIBITEDns
1t lie now proposed to set aside this prohi-
btion but there seems to be singular indie
cision as to the way in which the deed shall be
done. From the time Of its first Introduction
in the report Of the Committee on Territories
the proposition has assumed different shapes ;
and it promises to assume as many rs Pr0teus ,
now, one thing in form, and now, another ;
now, like river and then like q flame; but
in every form and shape, identical in sub
stance; with but one end and aim-its be-all
and end-all--the overthrow Of the Prohibition
Of Slavery.
At first, it proposed simply to declare, that
the States formed out of this Territory should
be admitted into the Union, G with or without
Slavery and did not directly assume to touch
this prohibition. For some reason this was
not satisfactory, and then it was precipitately
proposed to declare, that the prohibition in
the Missouri act was superseded by the prin-
ciples Of the legislation of 1850, commonly
called the Compromise Measures, and is hereby
declared imperative But this would not do;
and it is now proposed to declare, that the
Prohibition, sbeing inconsistent with the prin-
ciples Of intervention, by Congress, with
Slavery in the States and Territories, as recog-
Missed by the legislation of 1850, commonly
called the Compromise Measures, is hereby
declared imperative and void"
All this is to be done on pretences founded
upon the Slavery enactments Of 1850. Now,
sir, am not here to speak in behalf Of those
measures, or to lean in any way upon their
support Relating to different subject-mattera
contained in different acts, which prevailed
excessively, at different times, and by different
votes-some persons voting for one measure,
and some voting for another, and very few
voting for all, they cannot be regarded as q
unit embodying conditions of compact, or COM
promise, if you please, adopted equally by oil
parties, and, therefore, obligatory on oil par
ties But since this broken series Of measures
has been adduced as an apology for the propo-
stion now before US, desire to say, that such
as they are, they cannot by any effort Of in
by any distorting wand Of power,
by any perverse alchemy be transmitted into
a repeal of that original prohibition Of Sla-
very.
On this head there are several points to
which would merely call attention, and then
pass on. First The Slavery enaotments of
1850 did not pretend. in terms, to touch, much
less to change, the condition of the Louisiana
Territory, which was already fixed by Con.
gressional enactment but simply acted upon
newly-acquired Territories the condition of
which was not already fixed by Congressional
enactment The two transactions related to
different subjectmatters. Secondly. The enact
ments do not directly touch the subject Of
Slavery, during the territorial existence OF
Utah and New Mexico: but they provide pros
that, when admitted as States, they
shall be received with or without Slavery
Here certainly can be no overthrow of an act
Of Congress which directly concerns Territory
during it's Territorial eriS,ence. Ihirdls. Dur.
ing all the discussion of these measures in Con-
press, and afterwards before the people and
through the public press, at the North and the
South alike, no person was heard to intimate
that the prohibition Of Slavery in the Missouri
Act was in any way disturbed. And, fourfhly
The acts themselves contain a formal provision,
that nothing herein contained shall be con-
strued to impair or qualify anything" in GER
tain article Of the resolutions anncxing Texas,
wherein it Is expressly declared, that in terri.
tory north Of the Missouri Compromise line,
z Slavery, or Involuntary servitude, except for
crime shall DO prohibited"
But do not dwell on these things. These
pretences have been already amply rcfnted by
Senator's who have preceded me. IL is clear,
beyond all contradiction, that the prohibition
,f Slavery in this territory has not been super
,eded or in any way annulled by the Slavery
Acts Of 1850. The proposition before you ia,
therefore. original in its character, without
sanction from any former legislation and il
must, accordingly, be judged by its merits, as
IN original proposition.
II Freedom are not open to any charge Of ag-
zression. They are now standing on the de.
Tensive, guarding the early intrenchments
thrown up by our fathers No proposition to
abolish Slavery anywhere, is now before you
but on the contrary proposition to abolish
Freedom. The term Abolitionist which is 50
,ften applied in reproach, justly belongs on
his occasion, to him who would overthrow this
we'll established landmark He is, indeed, no
Abolitionist Of Slavery let him be called, sir,
IN Abolitionist Of Freedom For myself,
whether with many or few, my place is taken.
Even if alone, my feeble arm shall not be
wanting as bar against this outrage
On two distinct grounds, q both strong against
he deed,n arraign this proposition; First, in
he name Of Public Faith, as an infraction of the
'olemn obligations assumed beyond recall by
he South on the admission Of Missouri into
he Union as Slave State Secondly ! arraign
{ in the name Of Freedom, as an uniustifable
departure from the original Anti-Slavery pol.
cy Of our fathers. These two heads propose
% consider in their order, glancing under the
after at the objections to the prohibition OF