Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1854-05-19

D
that way. one make the division, and take
choice, and afterwards claim the other half
i Tho South has her half She gave it away
once-gavo tito Spain and the North help.
cd her to get it back, even a, tn expense
Of war-without susPcc,ing that she was
Strengthening the South to enable il to take
the other half But this ai,cmTt does no,
come from the South, and fnds resistance
there.
TIE RtsrLr or .AS ATTrNrr ToRrrrAL
Tux COMPROMISE Or l7s'.
This brings US to the question u repeal or
abroeation Of these compromises. The one
in the constitution eanno, be nd Of with
out an amendment, - that insiri neni, and is
therefore beyond the reach OF Congress. The
other two, being in the form of statutes, are
subjects Of legislation, ard legally 'epcalablc
by Congress. Efforts were made 10 impair
ono. that Of l7s7, some fily years ago. An
effort is now made to repeal the osh,r, and
the history and fate Of the FIRST aitcmr may
be advantageous IN the consideration Il the
second II was in !ho year 1909. Th,,hcn
territory Of Indiana had been slave territory
under the French government, and continued
50 under the American until i7s7. ltcx-
tended to the Mississippi and contained many
slaves vinccnnes, Cahoki, Prairie de Ro-
cher, ,Kaskaskil, were al slave holdingth
The inhabitants were attached tn that proper.
ty, and wished to retain il, At least tsnPora.
rily, and also to invite a slave hollin! emf
grafton, until an increase Of population should
torn an adequate supply Of Free labor, and
they pclilioned Congress accordingly The
pc,iuoh came from a conyca,ion Of the pcope
presided over by Governor Harrison, and only
asked for the suspension Of the anii.slavcr,
part Of the ordnance for ten years, and limit,
cd in It's application to their own territory,
The petition was referred to a select commit
tee Of the House Mr.. Randolph was chair.
man, and received an answer in 4 report, IN
these word,
"Tha, tho rapid population Of Ohio SUI.
hcicnty e,incc,, in the opinion OF your com.
miucc, tha, the labor OF slave, is not ncccssa.
~ to supPor, the growth anl settlement, OF
colonies in tha, region Thf this labor de-
mousinbly ;he dearest Of any, can only be
employed TO advantage in tie cultivation OF
products more valuable thar any known in
that quarter Of the United Safes That the
committee deem it highly d,uscrous aud IN.
oXPcdicn, to impair 4 provision wisely cal.
cula,cd to promote the happiness and pros,
pouty Of the northwestern country, and to
give strength and sceuri,y to that extensive
frontier. In the salutary operation of this
sagacious and bcnoyolcn, restraint, It is DO.
l.g,cI that tho inhabitants Of Indiana will, at
10 very distant DAY, find ample remuneration
ior a temporary pr!,aiion OF labor and em.,
grafton"
This was tho answer Of the srllg, commit,
tee, and it became the answer of ,hc House
Of ,his House jus, fifty ycars aro-vhcn tn,
South wac about as ably represented here as
it ever has been since, and when ils relative
strength was greater than il has ever been
since. Tie answer is Pcfcmpiory refusal
to yield to the pcti,ion Of the people of In,
'dianl, even for ten years locll suspension
Of lh!s an,i-slaNcry clause "lllghly danger.
ous and ineNpcdient to impair that provision"
Yes, To impair that is the word and it is
a refusal to weaken or lessen, IN the smallest
degree, an act which the committee calls a
"b,nc,ocn, and ,agacious act, and which
they recommend to maintain unimpairct be.
cause !, is calculated to Increase the happi.
ness and prosperity Of the northwest, and ia
give strength aud security to It's fmn,icr.'
That Congrcss-and that without division be-
tween North and Sou,h-woull no, impair al
&C, OF SO much future good 10 posicrIty, not
even upon the mistaken application Of few
prcsen, inhabitants.
Du, this was not TIC end of tho petitions.
Tie people Of Indiana were not satisfied with
one rcpulso. They returned to the charge
and four times more, in the course of as many
years, renewed their application for the ten
years suspension Of 'hc ordinance. 1t was
was rejected each time, ana once in the SEN
ate, where the North Carolina Senator, (Mr.
Jesse Franklin) was chairman Of the commit
tee, which made the report against 1t. 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 favorable report from a committee,
And now. what lrhaJtln, Of Indiana does
no, rejoice II the dclycnncc which the firm.
ness Of Congress then gave them, in spite Of
the request of its inhabitants ihy years ago,
Thus five times in the beginning uf this
century-fyc different times, and without any
distinction between northern and southern
mcmbcrs-dl Congress refuse to "impalr''
the slavery compumiseof 1857 ,no,wi,hsland.
ing five times asked iOr by the people Of the
territory. Oh, squaiter sovereignty where
were you then Ii vas ease for YOU to
have shown your hcai-lo have arisen in your
mishs, and established your supremacy for.
ever. Il was a case Of convention Of tho
sUyorcigns themselves, and nsiiher this con-
ycnlion nor the Congress had dream IF their
sovereignty. Tho Convention pciiiioned
Cougrcss as ward would Its guardian, OF a
child under age would petition his father, and