The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-03-08


ed on him with justice.
fobear and shall now approach the subjee in debate
with view OF considering important braneh OF it,
which has deeply affected the interests OF This coun-
try; one that the precedent OF 1920, and claimed
to have the prescription OF finding authority equal TO hat
OF the constitution ITSELF
Upon moments reflection, however. will make one
other remarks before touch the question indiea-
ted will conclude my reply 10 the gentlemen referred
10, by propoundlng some nieTogaiones 10 them and
believe they inerfogatoTes which they cannot an
consistently with the truth OF their professions.
They nterrogatores which do not expect them to
answeTsuch inerrosalories which know they cannot
answer without fasehood and hypocrisy. They may
take the alternative, maintaining as true what they
had said in ignorance, deuson, and prejudice, or ac-
knowledge that in the light OF intelligence, they are
criminals before the bar oil history and deserve the udg
men that should be awarded to criminal agitators who
kindle the fires OF incendiares and have not the
courage 10 help exiinguish them.
The senator from Massachusetts said there was no
Joshua 10 command the whose rays 10 melt the
letters OF the slave to stand sl bat that this agitation is
to go and on until they melted He thinks all
these attempts al compromise but banks c sand to
give way 10 The tide which pouring down, and which
ultimately must prevail TO break down the institutions OF
the South Now, there are more than three millions OF
slaves in the South II Georgia, South Carolina, and
Virginia each to offer to send five thousand OF them
to Massachusetts, would she have them! Ii were
disposed to emancpac them, and hand them TO the
gentemens philanthropy, would they receive them !
No, sir; instead OF receiving them with pa,ernal en-
braces, they would resist them with the bayonet
Suppose these gentlemen should succeed now in being
able TO declare that the fees OF the black should be
struck from him say that no man acting upon the re-
sponsbiIity OF moral agent dare pronounce such fiat
would be the most cruel act that had been done
under the au'hory or The guise, or the forms OF law
have always considered that the act OF Ferdinand in
driving the Jews from Spain was one OF the most cruel
recorded in history; but this would be lar The
men whom Ferdinand excluded had status caste,
and they could take their position in society," but where
would these uresgo! What would become OF them
Would you consign them to the wilderness to live with
the Indians upon the precarious supplies furnished by
hunting Their habits, their lncinaons, everything
connected with them, unfit them for il; they would nev-
tahiy perish The gentlemen propose nothing tot
their relief, and yet they willing TO agate and say
their letters shall fall off Where will you send them !!
To Aca They would not 90 could they see their tate
they could not go but il il possible for them 10 CO.
they would relapse into barbarsm. VIII you set Them
free, with view TO annoy their masers' Why every
slave in South Carolina and GeorgiaI speak of these
two States paricuaIly-were SET free tomorrow, ard
allowed 10 live in society there and should contract
debts, they would be efectuay slaves than the
W he slaves in some of the northern States They
could not support themselves except under the white
mans guardianship. What, then, you TO do with
these people when you speak OF oosenng their letters
You OF the North will not take them. Where will you
send them' Would you require US TO keep them' How
support them II would be mercy 10 their
throats sooner than condemn them TO your philanthropy
In his relation the black may contenicd aad
useful beng am willing be bis protector 10 the best
OF my ability whether he be slave or free man OF
color; aud If be had iull knowledge OF my disposition
towards him, he would regard than those who
deceive him.
| went through, yesterday, some Of the topics which
have been discussed by The honorable gentlemen who
have opposed this bIllwbo have talked OF bad faith.
and OF The observance oil the Missouri Compromise. In
speech and letter endeayoTed 10 show that it had been
disregardei. My friend from North Carolina [Mr.
BipGERl spoke so fully on these points that IT WAS al
unnecessary Tor 10 touch upon them al all and
yesterday my friend from Virginia lMr. HUNrERl took
from nearly all that could say upon the other ea-
tures Of The subject Having shown yesterday that the
Missouri Compromise not only dsregared ard vio.
lated but that the whole spirit oil IT, that should ncucae
harmony, has been Extensively abused IN the Senate and
Inf, tn he UNxt kuhI IN
discuss hat there was no constitutional competency IN
Congress adopt such arbitrary line at indicated
in what is called the Mlssouri-Compromse hnea line
made IN the spirit OF compromise, without The authority
Of competent parles-a line not like that made by the
Pararchs, with the option OF each, aud observed with
good faith by both not line OF peace but oil strife not
line that would serve wall OF protection for one
party against The inyasions of another; but line OF od
ous distinction. 10 court hostile controversy.
Mr. President this government has been iR operation
for about sixyhve years. There is provision in the
constitution for lis expansbllliy by amendment Ii
supposed that when the eugeneies Of society and the
progress ol events might require it, The constitution
would be so modified and amended TO aceomm sdaie
itself the stale OF things Ii has been in opera
ton tor sixty hve years, and there have been amend
mens, except such were adopted Immediately after IL
went into operation. Laws stationary things are
progressive. We have been going on, and occasions
have orcufTed which calleA for amendment Of the
constitution Of the United States. None proposed
or, il proposed, none adopted. How has that def
cheney been supplied By compromises devolyng upon
majority Of Congress The province OF deciding what is
kf
constitution, by addnz 10 the constitution the power Of
the strong 20 make compromises with the weak. liz this
way, instead OF three lourbs OF the States amending
the constitution majority OF Congress has assumed
/ the province oil doing 40 by compromises. | have,
upon this ground opposed all compromises, unless
they were such As were consistent with the constitu
ton OF the United States regard the Missouri Compro.
mise a fatal the psf oil our ancestors grant
that IL was committed 10 honorable faith, under
the expectation that all its obligations and all its require
ments would be observed and fulfilled They have not
BEEN Ii there wefe other gfouud, the southern por
ton OF the coniedeacy, from this iacr alone would be
absoyed from all claims to be called upon 10 observe H.
IL wants all the elements OF competent compaet-it
wants proper pariles wants the constitutional consent
Of The Ses, properly expressed, according to the laws
oi the bond Of Unl0n and that bond recognises no such
parties as North and South. North and Soath never
made bond OF compact Thirteen commonwealth
sovereign Tepubcs-made a coniedeIaoy OF equal States
TO be governed By The terms OF written constitution
with definite and limited powers 10 hose who were 10
administer the government under its provisions In the
effort TO make the COMPROMISE, the agent usurped
power that belonged exclusively 10 the constituting prin
opal 10 some extent The principal may have affirmed
the Compromise, but with such acquiescence as could
bind either paftywhere The provisions of the Compro
mise have either been changed by another compromise
or dsreeafded by either party.
But 80 iuriher and say that know OF no shadow OF
authority - the iedera gove!npent to adopt such pro-
vision that which is contained in what is called the
Missouri COMPROMISE, 10 wit: that the line OF SO deg
30 min. should be the dividing line between The Terri
ores where slavery should be prohibited and where ii
might be allowed. The very fact that such line could
be established would give 10 Congress unlimited disore-
ton this subject II you admit the power OF Con.
gress 20 tx the line of 80 degrees 80 minutes where is
the limit ol il II you can tx that line you can 20
wherever sou choose. Where does Congress derive
such powefi Il VI foHnd in the cons,itutoni I pre-