Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-05-12

tion hare no foundation in the act, nor any
phere else. Not one of them belongs to the
Compromise-not one Of them can be found
in any action Of the time. They are made up
by the Sentini out of whole stuff.
All the argument therefore about the votes
ofNorthern men on the admission of Arkan-
sas, Florida and Texas, being a violation of the
principle of the Compromise is absurd No
softer epithet can he applied to it.
Absurd too without the least qualification,
is all the Senijneis talk about " the violation
Of the Compromise by the Vermont General
Assembly in 1920, because it asserted " the
right of Congress to prohibit the further in
PRODUCTION or extension of Slavery as one Of
the conditions upon which any new State
shall be admitted into the Union,' and its
opposition and that of its representatives in
Congress, to the admission of Missouri with
its constitution such as it was,
The act of 9th March 1920, did not put
Missouri INTO the Union. 1t only gave her
leave to form constitution under certain
conditions, just as had been done in other
instances. Of that constitution Congress
was to Judge when it should he presented
Congress never left it with the people of a
territory or State to set their own terms of
coming into the Union, and 1t never ought to-
In giving leave to territories to form a State
constitution, it has often imposed very posi-
tive limitations before hand, some of them to
last forever; and it always took care to see
that the constitution of the proposed State
was a proper one, before it was admitted
into the Union.
Missouri came forward with a constitution
containing provision directly repugnant to
the Constitution of the United States. By
act of March ., 1921, Congress required Mis-
souri, to dlsclaim by a solemn public act, the
dangerous import of the language of her con-
stitution. That she did by her act of June
&c, 1921, and Aug. 10th, 1921 she became a
State in the Union, and not before. To call
that a " new compromise" made because the
first was violated by the North, is an abuse
Of language, which the Statesmen of that day
would have laughed at
The charge of violation of the Missouri
compromise against those who opposed the
passage Of the fugitive slave law of 1850, or
who denounce its provisions, reminds us Of
Mr. Douglass doctrine that the said compro-
mise was virtually made void by the acts of
1850. The two positions are somewhat con-
Trajectory, but their logic smells of the same
shop.
1.-The North" does not doubt the binding
force of the constitutional provision as it is
expressed IN the Constitution. Like it or not
we have to submit to it, as, in all human sys-
tens of government, some things have to be
submitted to which in particular cases innict
grievous wrong on individuals. But there is
a very wide field for argument, as to the par
ticular way in which that provision of the
Constitution should be carried out No point
in the Constitution has led to more dispute
To say, or to imply that the way of all ways,
and nothing else, is to be found in the fugl-
tive slave law of 1850 and that all who as
sert that act to be unconstitutional and some
of its provisions an outrage on the principles
OF freedom, are to be set down as contemners
oil constitutional Obligations and violaters Of
the Missouri compromise. is to talk like an
insane man rather than like one in his senses.
The Free Press considers that law. such as
it is, detestabe, and the way it has been ac-
ted on, an abuse of law and an outrage on HUI
manitv. If the Sentinel thinks the law oil
right 1t Is welcome to say So and to have
all the credlt OF It's OPINION
,'S ,'' y
y,
,'.'
'' r'' =, '''' )
WY 'Nl '''' Wv 'S
O., -,
VIZ
p",I ,','
Po'''0' '','.'' '.''''
:, 49, .:.,' ,5N
r;,,b+ 20 ,,.s .rob l,,r Tho Law s.,nd.
yet ~, bor .totrto bool ,rdis l;loI,, 70 stord
thoro iii tho Srnro,oc CAN'T or tho roitod
States shall docla # unconstitutional y,
an .l,, ,,..,.;,, G.. i, o,;..or,o .hou Lo,.,
nossed AWAY
Tboro oro somo otbor th;rrs ,,h;ob N,
Scn,;n,J saws :. tbo Nortb~ has dore W.
s,,,oso tho,, aro =, ho ooosidorod ;. r;oIo.ion,
.e.t. Co,o,ro,,;so,, Too A. anrro.o ,,o,
,ot 80 .ho o.hor NH; 10y
is'' Inc Nof'" mas never 'e'S'u " cas-
ooioquy anu repfoaoil upo'i ''S ie" iieihoei'
Oh congress VINO Vo'eu Jo' 'na' compromise
luz ->oi'n uiu oasU iePioaon upon 'ios'
lie" heniocfs' "ho' a' Tue very Poiht'
where '"ey ''ad '"o po"'i - secure 'ne ''oi'