Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-05-12

application Of n few Of the present
inhabitants.
But this was not the end Of the
petitions. The people OF Indiana were
not satisfied with one repulse. They
returned TO the charge; and four times
more, in the course OF IA many years,
renewed their application for the ten
years suspension Of the ordnance
Ii was rejected each time, and once in
the Senate. where the North Carolina
Senator (Mr. Jesse Franklin) was
chairman Of the committee which
made "A report agains it. Five times,
in as many years, rejected by Congress;
and the rejection the more emphatic
in some instances because IL was the
reversal by the House Of q favorable
report from committee. And now
what inhabilant of Indiana does not
rejoice at the deliverance which the
iirmness of Congress then gave them
in spite of the request ofits inhabitants
fifty years agog
Thus. five times in the beginning OF
this century--6ve different times. and
without any distinction between Nor
thern and Southern members--did
Congress refuse to Impair" the slave
ry compromise Of 1897, notwilhstand-
ing live times asked for by the people
oil The territories. Oil squatter SOW
ereignty, where were you then? 1t
was case for you to have shown
your head, to have arisen in your
might and established your supremacy
forever 1t was case Of a Convention
of the sovcreigns themselves. and
neither this Convention nor the Con-
gress had dream oil their sovereignty
The convention petltioned Congress
as a ward would its guardian. or
childreaunder age would petition their
father, and Congreas answered like a
good guardian or good father. that
It would not give the man evil. altho'
they begged for il. Benighted times,
these. and infinitely behind the present
age. The mares nest had not then
been found in which has been laid the
marvellous egg, out of which has been
halched the nondescript fowl yclept
|cSquatter Sovereignty" The illus
trioas principle OF non-intervention
had not then been invented. The
ignoramuses of that day had never
heard OF it, though now to be learned
in every horn-book; and, | believe,
nowhere else but in the horn-books.
How IT Is PROPOSED TO DISTURB THE
COMPROMISE.
Five times. in the beginning of this
century did Congress refuse 10 impair
the slavery compromises oil '87; and
now, in the middle of the century, and
after thirty years Of peace under the
Missouri Compromise. the offspring
and continuation Of 81, we are called
upon, not merelyto impair for a season.
but to destroy forever a far greater
compromise. extending TO far more
territory. and growing out OF neceslIie:
far more pressing. And how called
upon? Not by the inhabitants, moi
by any human being living or expect
ing " live in the territory 10 be Affect
ed, but upon a motion in Congress
silent, secret. limping, halting, creep
ing. squirting, impish motion-con.
ceived IN the dark, midwiied in a com
mltlee room, and sprung upon
Congress and the country in the style
in which Guy Fawkes intended to blow
up the Parliament House, with hi:
i've hundred barrels of gunpowdel
hid in the cellar under the wood.
My answer to such a motion is tc
be found in the whole volume of my
political life. / have stood upon the
Missouri compromise for about thirty
years, and mean TO stand upon 1t tC
the end OF my life; and, in doing so
shall act, not only according to my
cherished convictions of my duty, bu
according to the often declared convic
tons of the General Assembly of my
State. The inyiolability OF that com
promise line has often been declared
by that General Assembly, and al
late as i847, in these words:
s.Resolved, That the peace. perma'
nency, and welfare of our Nationa
Union depend upon strict adherenc,
to the letter and spirit of the eight
section Of the act OF Congress OF Ih'
United States entitled. AN act to au-
thorize the people of Missouri Terri
to form a Constitution and Stat'
Government, and for the admission 0
such Stale into the Union on an equa
footing with the original states, anC
to prohibit slavery in certain Terrific
ries. approved March 6, is2o;" will
an instruction to the Senators and {
request to the Representatives to vot
accordingly.
"The peace, permanency, and wei
fare OF the Union depend upon a strlc
adherence TO the Missouri Compromis'
OF 1890" So resolved the Genera
Assembly of Missouri as late as l847
believed the Assembly was rlgh
then; / believe so now; and, so bellev
in. shall "adhere" to the compromis'
now. as then. Sin spirit and in letter.
l should oppose any movement t,
impair that Compromise, made in al
open, direct. manly manner: mucl
more shall / oppose it if made in
covert, indirect, and unmanly way
The bill. or bills before us, undertak,
TO accomplish their object without pro
Tossing lt-upon reasons which ar,
contradictory am unfounded-in terms
which are ambiguous and inconsisten
--and by throwing on others the res
possibility of its own act. 1t PROCESSES
not TO interfere with the sovereign
right of the People TO legislate 70
themselves; and the very first line O