Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-02-18

disposed of: Rar
Bill for the relief Of Hodges and Lansdale, and
the legal representatives Of Rinado Johnson and
Anne z. Johnson; debated and postponed.
A bill for the relief Of Joseph Campan; passed.
A bill for the relief of John Devlin; passed. n
A bill for the relief of John p. McElderry; pass
On motion il was ordered that when the Senate
adjourn it adjourn TO Monday.
MISUNDERSTANDING. 1900
On motion of Mr.. DOUGLAS, the Senate pro-
ceeded to the consideration of the bill TO establish
a territorial government for Nebraska.
The last clause in the 18th section now is in
these words .Hp3
.That the Constitution and all laws Of the United States
which are net locally inapplicabe, shall have the
Of the act to admission Missouri into the
Union approved March 1920 which, being inconsistent
with the principle Of nointerventon by Congress with
slavery in the States and Territories as by the
legislation Of 1850 commonly called the compromise
measures hereby declared imperative and void being
the true intent and meaning OF this act not to egisae
slavery into any Territory State, 10 exclude 1t
thereom but 70 leave the people thereof perfectly free to
form regulate their domestic institutions in their
Way subject only to the Constitution of the United States
The question pending was on the motion of Mr..
CHASE 10 amend the same by adding thereto the
following:
"Under which the people of the Territories, through
their appropriate representatives, may if they fit
hibt slavery therein"
Mr. SEWARD said he had just received from
the governor Of New York the resolutions of the
Legislature of that State, demonstrating against the
repeal of the Missouri compromise, which he
wished TO be read
The resolutions were read and ordered to be
printed.
He said that, at the close of the revolution, the
United States rested southwark on the ST. Mary's,
westward on the Mississippi, and their extensive
domain was circumscribed by those rivers and
the northern lakes The Constitution anticipated
the division of this domain into States, but tnever
anticipated any enlargement Of the national bound
aries. The people for years remained contented
with these ample territorial limits. But the want
of the free navigation of the Mississippi was
foreseen.
He traced the history Of the acquisition of Lou
isana, Oregon, Texas. New Mexico, Utah, and
California. Slavery before the revolution existed
in all the thirteen colonies and in all the European
possessions in America But il had been forced
by British policy on the American people They
had protested against it, and only ceased their
resistance when they submitted all their wrongs
TO the arbitrament Of arms AT the close OF the
revolution all the colonies anticipated an early
removal of the system from the nation, and the
slave trade was then suppressed Though no
disposition existed TO abolish slaveryin the States
by federal power, still there was strong pur
pose to prevent its introduction into new commu
mites. Mr.. Jefferson proposed as early as 17Sl, 10
exclude il from the national domain which would
be contained in cessons to the United States.
New States were admitted without any jealousy
between slave-holdihg and non-slavehoding sec
tons. All the slave States admitted were south
west Of the Ohio, and TO have abolished il there
would have been a sectional act. The case wps
different northwest Of the Ohio. Il was free and
unoccnped. There was none of that great chain
of railroads connecting and binding it. In that
secluded region slavery could be secluded, and
there our forefathers did prevent it, They dis
LII nx~cl
solving" &C., on other occasions. and they
its freedom forever; and they further
ordained that that ordinance should be a compact
not to be set aside except by common consent.
The ordinance was agreed to unanimously. Vir-
ginia afterwards ratified it, as did also the first
Congress under the Constitutions. aal
Under this ordnancethe several territorial gov
ernments established in the northwest territory,
were organized with an exclusion of slavery and
in due time they have all come into the Union as
free States. They are yet young; but where are
their equals There, are gathered the Young
of every State, and ofeyery nation. Thence now
come the productionsto supply the world.
was the policy Of our forefathers TO prevent
the introduction of slavery where it was possible.
The division of States into classes Of free and
slave holding States soon followed; and rivalry
was created between them. The louisiana ter
ritory was divided into two territories which were
afterwards admitted as the States Of Louisiana and
Missouri. What is now Arkansas was detached
The application of Missouri for admission led to
the compromise Of 1890. Under it the south re-
ceived slave-holding States; the north Wilderness
a desert. He regarded compromise not as nc
tually irrepeaable, but as measure not 10 be re-
pealed without violation of honor, Justice, and
good faith. We ysg .
Il was now proposed not to repeal all Of that
compromise, but that part of il which secured
Nebraska as free territory. This was proposed
too, after the measure had been acquiesced in for
thirty years, and the south had received all its
equivalents. The question involved an issue Of
public faith, national morality. and honor. II will
be sad day for the republic when such a ques-
ton shall be deemed unworthy fgrave discussion
and intense interest Even if the prohibition was
unnecessary, the abstraction would involve the
testing of the United States on the expedency,
wisdom, and morality, Of human bondage. Ii
would be melancholy day when that decision
would not command the respect of the oppressed
1t was contest between slavery and freedom,
which were both now more vigorous than ever
before. To adhere to the compromise, was to Sc
to free and free labor this territory in the
centre of the continent capable of sustaining forty
millions fpeople forever To abrogate il was 10
resign il perhaps TO the short-lved sovereignty of
such communities as Mexico and the West In
dies, and to convert that region into the theatre of
wars, OF races, and castles, TO end in desolation.
To adhere is to secure such communities and in
stitutlons prosperity, &c. as is now found at the
HOTtH. 10 dDTOSdte is 10 commit IL 10 uncertainty
and 10 social political, and commercial jealousy.
He knew the Union was safe so long as equality
existed. But he knew, ALSO that ifthe slaveholding
States should multiply, and could without asso-
citation with the north, constitute a commercial
republic, they and their rule would be so hard
that the non-slaveholding States would not SUBJ
init 10 it.
He described the present possessions of the
slave-hodng States, and said if this eastern slope
of tie Rocky mountains and the sources of the
Mississippi were surrendered to them, where can
territory be found for free States? What territory
would the south aid to buy or conquer TO make
free States of?
Ii was no answer to say that but few slaves
would go there. He knew that il took but few
slaves to make many slave States. Delaware had
but 1000 slaves against 81 900 freemen yet Della
ware was here to vote as a slave State on this
question.
He read the report Of the Committee on Terri
tories, and said this report the committee had de-
clared their judgment that the compromise Of 1850
did not by letter or spirit abrogate the Missouri
compromise, and that the Missouri compromise
ought NOT TO be abrogaed; and yet they report two
bills actually abrogatng and repeating that meas
ure. He exposed the inconsistency existing be-
tween the report and the bills OF the committee
If the compromise of 1850, repealed the COM
pact Of 1920 then il was void and ought so to be