Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-03-11

iiuuSt VI representatives nave agreed to
yom OF these amendments, in opposition TO their
former votes, and this affair is settled. TO NOR
row wo shall (of course) rccedo from our amend
ments as to Maine, tour object being effected and
both States will be admitted THIS happy result
has been accomplished by lie Conference, Of ,chich
'eds member on The part Of tie Senate, and Of
'ch'ch proposed Tie report uhich has been made"
Thus again the Compromise takes its life from
the South. Proposed in the committee by MIR.
PiNRNEY, II was urged on the House of Represent
atiycs, with great earnestness by Mr.. Lowndes,
I of South Carolina and Mr.. Mercer, of Virginia ;
and here again is the most persuasive voice Of the
South When passed by Congress, it next came
before tho President, James Monroe, of Virginia,
for his approval, who did not sign il till after the
unanimous opinion Of his Cabinet, in writing,
composed of John Quincy Adams, William ii.
Crawford, Smith Thompson, John G.. Calhoun
and William Wirt-a majority of whom were
southern men-that the prohibition of slavery in
the Territories was constitutional Thus vet aoain
the Compromise takes its life from the South.
As the Compromise took its life from the South
so the South, in the judgment of Its own states
men at the time, and according to unquostionable
incts was The conquoriug party. II gained forth
with its darling desire the first and essential stage
in the admission Of Missouri as q slave State sue
lcesstuy consumatcd at the next session and sub
sequently the admission of Arkansas, also MS a
slave State. From tho crushed and humbled North
II received more than the full consideration stipu-
lated in its favor. On the side of the North the
contract has been more than executed And now
the South refuses TO perform the part which it
originally proposed and assun ed in this transnc-
ton With the consideration in its pocket, it re-
pudiates the bargain which It forced upon the
country. This, sir, is a simple statement Of the
present question.
a subtle German has declared, that he could
find heresies in the Lords Prayer-and ! believe
il is only in this spirit that any flaw can be found
in the existing obligations Of this compact As
late as SIS, in the discussions of this body, the
Senator from Virginia, who sits behind me, Mr.
MAsoN, while condcmning it in many aspects,
says
yet as it was agreed to as Compromise by
the South for the snko Of the Union, I icould bc
Me last to disturb a. Con. Globe, Arpcndir, 1a
sess 30M Cong. Vol 10, p. SS7.
Even this distinguished Senator recognized il
rs an obligation which he would not disturb
And, though disbelievng the original constitu-
uOnnlity OF the arrangement, he was clearly right.
know, sir, that it is in form simply legislative
act; but as TIE Act Of Settlement in England de-
claring the rights and liberties of the subject and
settling the succession Of the Crown, has become
a permanent part Of the British Constitution,
irrcpcalabio by any common legislation, so this
act, under all the circumstances attending its pas
s1sc, also by long acquicscence and the complete
performance Of its conditions by one party, has
become part Of our fundamental law, rrepea-
| able by any common legislation. As well might
Congress at this moment undertake TO overhaul
the original purchase of Louisiana, as unconsti
tutional, and now, on this account thrust away
that magnificent heritage, with all its cities, States
and territories, toeming with civilization. The
Missouri Compact, in its unperlormed obligations
20 Freedom, stands at this day as impregnable as
the Louisiana purchase. t... . .f t.
/ appeal to Senator's about me- not to disturb IT,
appeal to the Senators from Virginia to keen in
Vif lata tho noaIo fbor I,boIr l I
BARBOUR and CHARLES FENToN MERCER. / appeal
to the Senators from South Carolina, to guard the
work Of JoHN GAILLARD and WILLIAM LowNDFs.
appeal to the Senators from Maryland, to uphold
the Compromise which elected the constant sup
port of Samuel Smith, and was first triumphantiy
pressed by the unsurpassed eoquencc of Pinkney.
appeal to the Senators from Delaware, to main
tain the landmark of Freedom in the Territory Of
Louisiana, early espoused by Louis McLane ]
appeal TO the Senators from Kentucky, not to re-
pudate the pledges of Henry Clay. | appeal to
the Senators from Alabama not to break the agree
ment sanctioned by the earliest votes in the SEN
ate Of their late most cherished fellow-citzen,
William Rufus King. Sir, | have heard of an
honor that felt n stain like wound. If there be
any such in this Chamber-as surely there is--t
will hesitate to take upon itself the stain Of this
repudiation
Sir, Congress may now set aside this obligation
repudiate this plghed faith, annul this compact (;
dealing, in order to support Slavery, may consider
it advantageous to use this power, To all such let
me commend familiar story: An eminent leader
in antiquity, Thomistoclcs, once announced to the
Athenan Assembly, that he had scheme to pro-
pose highly beneficial to the State, but which
could not be expounded to the many Aristides,
surnamed the just, was appointed to receive the
secret, and to report upon il. His brief and mem
orable Judgment was, that, while nothing could
be more advantageous to Athens nothing could
1 be more unjust; and the Athenian multitude, re-
spending Mt once, rejected the proposition. 1t
appears that it was proposed to burn the COM
bined Greek fleet, which then rested in the security
I of peace in neighboring sea, and thus confirm
the naval supremacy Of Athens. similar prop
osition is now brought before the American SEN
ate. You are asked to destroy a safeguard OF
Freedom consecrated by solemn compact under
which the country is now reposing in the security
of peace and thus confirm the supremacy Of Sla
very. To this institution and its partisaLs the
u proposition may seem TO be advantageous but
nothing can be more unjust. Let the judgment Of
the Athenian multitude be yours.
This is what have to say upon this head.
now pass to the second branch of the argument
ii. Mr.. President it is not only as an infractior
of solemn compact, embodied in ancient law, tha
| arraign this bill. / arraign it also a hagran
and extrayagant departure from the original pole,
of our fathers, consecracd by their lives, opinions
} and acts. si
And here, sir, bear with me in brief recital o
unquestionabe facts At the period Of the Decla
ration Of Independence, there was upwards of hal
a million colored persons in Slavery Throughout
the United Colonies. These unhappy people wer
originally stolen from Africa, were the childrei
of those who had been stolen, and though dis
} tributod throughout the whole country were to b
! found in largest numbers in the Southern States
} But tho spirit of Freedom then prevailed in tn
I land. The fathers of the Republic leaders in tn
: war Of Independence, were struck with the incon
ssteney of an appeal for their own liberties, Will
) holding in bondage their felow-men, only guilt
! OF skin not colored like their own" The sam
: whether at tho North or South In town meet
ing, at Danbury, Connecticnt held on the 18th O
> Dccember, l77S, the following declaration wa