Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-03-22

Ised TO concur in these amendm ents, and the Sem
ate asked for committee of conference, TO which
the House agreed. During the progress Of these
events the House, after passing the Maine bill, |
had also passed bill for the admission Of Nilsson
RI, embodying the restrictions upon slavery in the
State. The Senate amended the bill by striking |
out the restriction, and by inserting the section
prohibiting slavery north Of SO deg. 80 min. s'
This section came from the south, through Mr.. /
Thomas, Senator from Illinois, who had uni |
formly voted with the Slave States against all re-
striction. 1t was adopted on the 18th February, |
1920, as an amendment to the Maine and Nissou-
ri bill, by "a ayes, against 10 noes.% a'- 'a9l
/ Mr.. HUNTER. think that the provision pass-
ed without division in the Senate, -l"i.A'',
h M. CHASE. The Senator is mistaken. -Four
teen Senators from the slave States, and twenty
from the free States voted for that amendment
Eight from the former, and two from the latter vo-
ted against It. No vote by ayes and noes was ta-
ken when the same amendment was engrafted up-
on the separate Missouri BILL few days later, the
sense Of the Senate having been ascertained by
the former vote. 'n '' w .- ,''' o. ,'..
81 This was the condition OF matters when the
committee of conference, for which the Senate
had asked, made theit report. The members Of
the committee from the Senate were, OF course,
favorable to the Senate amendments. In the
House, the Speaker, Henry Clay, was also in ia
vor Of them, and he had the appointment of the
committee OF course he took care, as he has
since informed the country. to constitute the CON-
mittee in such manner and of such persons as
would be most likely to secure their adoption
The result was what might have been expected.
1t recommended that the Senate should recede
from its amendment to the Maine bill, and that the
House should concur in the amendments to the
Missouri bill. Enough members from the free
States were found to turn the scale against the
proposed restriction Of slaveryin the State; and
the amendment of the Senate striking it out was
concurred in by ninety yeas against eighty
nays. From this moment successful opposition
to the introduction of Missouri with slavery was
. impossible. Nothing remained but to determine
the character Of the residue of the Louisiana ac-
/, quisition; and the amendment prohibiting Slavery
!, north Of 36 deg 30 min. was concurred in by one
hundred and thirty.four yeas against forty. two
nays OF the yeas, thirty eight were from slave,
and ninety.sx from free States; of the nays, thir-
ty-seven were from slave States and five from free
> Among those who voted with the majority was Mr.
Lowndes, of South Carolina, whose vote, estima-
ted by the worth and honor of the man, outweighs
. many opposites. '"
Now, for the first time, was geographical line
established between slavery and freedom in this
country. a. aF
Let US pause, and ascertain upon what principle
this compromise was adopted, and to what terrific
, Iry it applied. The controversy was between the
two great sections of the Union. The subject
was vast extent of almost unoccuped country,
embracing the whole territory west of the Missis
sippi. 1t was territory in which slave law exist
:, ed at the time of acquisition. The compromise
section contained no provision allowing slavery
south of So deg 80 min. 1t could never have re-
: ceived the sanction Of Congress if it had. The
continuance of slavery there was left to the deter
. mination of circumstances. There was, proba-
. Jan implied understanding that Congress should
not interfere with the operation Of those crcum-
stances--and that was all. The prohibition north
: :. of 36 deg. 80 min. was absolute and perpetual
- The act in which it was contained was submitted
, by the President to his Cabinet for their opinion
> upon the consti.utionality of that prohibition.
:. Calhoun, Crawford, and Writ were members Of
8 that Cabinet. EACH in written opinion, affirm
= ed its consttutonality, and the act received the
:. sanction of the President. Thus we see thut the
= parties to the arrangement were the two sections
:. of the couutry-the free States on one side, the
slave States on the other. The subject of it was
the whole territory west Of the Mississippi outside
. of the State of louisiana; and the practical ope
ration of it was, the division of this territory be-
tween the institution of slavery and the institution
;" of freedom. l 1857 +. 'aaT'--N, s. q. ST:
,f The arrangement was proposed by the slave
ID States 1t was carried by their votes. A large
Of majority of southern Seniors voted for it; major
ity of southern Reps voted for it, 1t was approx
ID by all the southern Members Of the Cabinet and re
: Iceved the sanction of q southern President Th
c compact was embodied in single bill containing
r. kreciprocal provisions. The admission of Nilsson
ri with slavery, and the understanding that slave
ID nv should not be prohibited by Congress south o
,s SO deg. 80 min, were the considerations of tn,
Is perpetual prohibition north Of that line. And tha
Il prohibition was the consideration of the admission
% and the understanding. The slave States receiv
II ed large share of the consideration coming t.
,e them, paid in hand. Missouri was admitted with
In out restriction by the act itself. Every other par
id of the compact, the the free States, ha
- been fulfilled to- the letter. No part of the com
4 pact on the part of the slave States has been full
IS filled at all, except in the admission of Iowa,
n, the organization of Minnesota; and now the slav
n States propose to break up the contract withou
+ the consent and against the will Of the free State:
m and upon adoctrine of snpersedure wlrich, if
% toned at all, must be inevitablyextended as
,e overthrow the existing prohibition of slavery in a
e. the organized Territories, Is is taab1 asr.aa
H. a Let me read to the Senate some paragraphs froI
e. Niles Register published in Baltimore, March Il
e. 1920, which show clearly what was then the up
lp versal understanding in respect to this arrange
Il meht: o.. tscig.r rs, ,..,.stsao aa, re ilgq a-ga
..The territory north of 36 deg. 80 min. is fo,
he euer' forbidden to be peoped with slaves, exceE
of in the State of Missouri. The right then, to pre-
he hibt slavery in any of the Territories is clearl
en- and completely acknowledged, and it is condition
he cd as to some, of them, that evenlwhen they bt
he come States, slavery shall be Joreuer' prohbte
es in them, There il no hardshipin this, The Te
IN rtores belong to the United States and the Gov
e. ernment may rightfully prescribe the terms, o
ne which it will dispose Of the public lands. TIL
II great point was agreed to in the Senate, 33 vote
A. to 4; and in the House Of Representatives by lS
lc- TO AZ, or really lS9 to 81 And we trust that
ad is determined toteUe in respect to the countrit
now subject to the legislation Of the General Co
tes ernment." ''fh ''sss']9
TO ask Senator particularly to mark this: sl
ed "N is true the compromise IS supported only
to he letter Of The ia,o repeaabe by athority ,ohi
-. ocfod hu sknncs 0i3sp