Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-12-02


Wing friends by inmatng in my speeches that the Whig
party and their candidate notwithstanding their plat
form, was not entirely sound upon that question: but
they promptly and with severity retorted upon
that those Wing measures predcated upon
Wing principles and proof Of their pretensons in this
respect would refer to the fact that Henry Clay the great
embodiment Of Wing principles the author OF the
compromise of 1865 that the godike Webster was its
greatest champion and Fillmore the model Whig Pres
dent gave validity to the enactments by his Executive
approval Thus it was argued and claimed by the two
great political parties Of the country that their fidelity
the principles involved in those indsput
able and ought not 10 be called in question How far
that claim of fidelity has been sustained is question
for the country to determine.
Within four months after the Presidential election
Congress passed act to organize the Territory Of WASH
ington This the first Territory formed after the
adoption OF the compromise of 1850 In order
to understand distinctly the provisions of that act and
their bearing upon the present question: it is necessary
bear in mind that tho Territory of Washington former
constituted part Of the Territory Of Oregon and that
Oregon organized the 18th of August l848 with
provision declaring the ordinance OF lIST for the
bition of slavery, be in force in the whole of that
Territory. When the bill was presented to President
Polk for his signature he hesitated about signing it, upon
the ground of that slavery prohibition but when lie
oluded to do so he accompanied his approval with mes
sage the House OF Representatives where the bill orig
mated in which he declared in substance, that he signed
the bill with the understanding that the Missouri line
10 be extended to the Pacific and because prohib
ton Of slavery in Oregon would be consistent with the
Missouri compromise il thus extended the whole Of that
territory being north Of 36o 30 But he also said III
the message that he would have approved of
the bill containing that prohibition under any other cir
cunstances than the confident expectation that the Mis-
souri, line to be adhered to and carried out in the
mode suggested. When, however, the Missouri line was
Abandoned and the great principle OF selgovcrnment
substituted for by the compromise of 1885, the ques
ton naturally upon what plan the Territory OF
Washington should. be organized.
BY reference to the it will be that the ord-
nance of 1857 prohibiting slavery in Oregon omitted
in the bill organizing Washington and as if to render
the intention of the Legislature clear and certain the 18th
section Of the bill provides what acts Of Congress passed
prior to that date should be in force and omtpg and
thereby excluding the organic law Of Oregon and the
ordinance of 1877 from being longer in force in the Ter
rtory OF Washington Thus 1t appears that IN the bill
establishing the Territory Of Washington which was the
first aud only Territory created since the adoption Of the
compromise Of 1850 and before the introduction Of the
Nebraska bill the prohibition Of slavery was not only
omitted, but slavery prohibition, which had been for
several years in force in the Territory absolutely
peaed and the people allowed settle the slavery ques
ton for themselves precisely they are in Utah and New
Mexico under the compromise of 1850 and in Kansas
Nebraska under the act organizing those Territories
How does happen that the tornado Of vrtuous ind na
ton against the Nebraska BILL because the prohibition Of
slavery repealed in order to enable the people to
govern themselves raised against the Washing
bill, where similar prohibition repealed, under
precisely the same circumstances The journals show
that the Washington bill passed the House by one hun
dred majority and that nearly every Northern Whig
voted for it. including the only Wing member from this
division; feeling disposed to call the yeas
and nays. Ten months after the Washington Territory
established introduced the bill to organize the Ter
rories Of Kansas and Nebraska and in order TO carry
out in good faith the principles of the compromise Of
1885, clause introduced to render the old prohibit
ou Of slavery imperative and void and to leave the
pie free to form and regulate their domestic institutions
in their way subject only to the Constitution OF the
United States Now those who voted for and sustained
the Washington bill the loudest and the fercest in
their denunciaons Of the Nebraska BILL when the two
measures carry out precisely the same principle in diff
ferent form Of Words under circumstances identical in
! every material point
come to the consideration Of those provisions Of
the Nebraska bill which have been most ercey assailed.
1t has been said and every where repeated in the
saveoldng States that it the intention ard legal
effect Of the extend slavery and TO it
into territory free is certain that those who make
this charge have read the bill coHpreheded its
principles otherwise they stand convicted by the law it
self Of stating that which is expressly contrsdcted by
the terms Of the 1t would be positive volaton of
the principles of the Nebraska bill either for Congress to
extend or crcumscribe the institution OF slavery either
to esablah abolish it either legate it into any
Territory Of any Territory. The law declares in
the 14th section: being the intent end meaaia7 Of
10 1clude ereon but 10 lsaUe The people thereof per-
ec form and regulate Msr domestic Institutions in
their ray, subject only TO the Constitution Of the United
States" [applause.
themselves in all that relates to their domestic and inter
nal policy then the Nebraska bill is right If that prin-
pie be wrong the Nebraska bill is wrong Why should
the people of Kansas and Nebraska be allowed GO
themselves? Are they not capable Of sefgovsrn-
men Who they and whence did they come from that
they be trusted with this sacred right Did they
not enigrate from Illinois and Kentucky from Peunsyl-
vana aud Virginia and the other States of the Union
We're they not capable of deciding this slavery question
for themselves before they left their homes in the States
No doubts that If So will it be contended that these
people have lost their capacity to govern themselves
simply because they have demonstrated their spirit and
enterprise by moving little further west in the grand
ton them why should they not be permitted exercise
this privilege which has been declared TO be the birth
right of eemon by representatives in the Legisla
ture and which say they cannot be deprived Of without
being reduced to condition Of political bondage? Tap
pause1 The Abotonsts admit their willingness 10 al
low the people exercise this right in all other matters
except that of African slavery. Why make this cxcep
tion2 Their answer is because slavery horrid crime
R it crime is that the only crime that the people of
Territory end Of the States called upon pro-
vide against Murder supposed to be crime and rob-
berry and larceny yet would be obliged to any who
will show act of Congress providing for the pun
shmen Of either in any organized Territory Of the United
States Will it be said that Congress encourages and
supports MURDER and robbery and larceny in the Terri
tories because instead Of establishing criminal code
the people, they have granted them Legislature, and
left tho people free to make their laws and to form
their criminal CODE through their own representa-
ves, elected for hnt purposeg They tell that slavery
is ey affecting ipjuriousy the morals of both the
white and the black If it be so is it the only moral
evil that the people Of the Territories called upon
protect themselves against? know many good and true
who believe that the and abuse manufacture and
Gale of ardent spirits is grev0us evil injurious the
morals of the community; but have known any
of them to petition Congress for the passage Of
damental and irreyocablc law hat brandy should