New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-02-18


ssa new state under the nsmc Of Loasiaar Il Id
been old slave holding colony Of France an1 he later
dction Of Sayery within Il would have been simple
Of Abolition At the time, the Territory o. L'nia
ana by authority ct Congress took the name OF tisoan
and in 1919 the portion thereof which now constitutes ne
State Of Arkansas detached, and became terrtSy
under that nsme In 1872 Missouri which Their oA
thinly peolled. and had ncOnsiferahe number 4
seye spilled for admission into the Caion AMI her A
caon brought the question Of extending the policy OF ne
Ordnance cf 7s 90 TIE State and 70 c.Aer new saes Ia
the region acquired from Louisiana 10 drectssn5. The
House Of Representatives insisted prohib on agAin
the further introduction Of Slavery in hc Sate con
6iton o. her admission The Senate disagreed with the
House In that demand. The non syehclding States sus
tsned the House, and the savehoding States sustained
tie Senate The difference was radical and tended To-
Ore psrt, maintained that the condition demanded
cor,to the other that il was Unconstitutional The
rnb, mind became excited and painful appreheDsOns Of
;srion ard civil war began to prevail in the country
In this crisis majority OF both Houses agreed upon
plan for the adjustment Of the controversy by ths plan
Main, mon siavehhldng state was 10 b. admitted Ms
,ouri was 10 be admitted without submitting 20 the crnii
ron before meniioued and in all that part 81 the ieu
tory acquired from France which VS. nor'n o .ae nne
IS Deg 30 min Of north latitude, Slavery was - ~ Tor
ever prohibited louisiana which part OF hat Ter
rory had been admitted as slave state eight yess DC
end now not only wss Missouri TO be sdmtcd IS
slave State but Arkansas, which was south OF that hhs
by strong impcation sso 10 be admitted "a Save
holding State | need not Indicate what were the e1uta
Tents which the respective parties were 70 receive IN TINS
arrangement, further than 70 say that me siIeoohly
States practically 10 receive saychOding Shes tho
free States 10 n ceve desert solitude, in which they
might, il they could plant the germs OF tIure roe states
This measure was adoued IL great national trans
acou-the first OF class OF transactions which have
since 10 be thoroughly defined aud well understood
underline name Of compromises My own opinions con
coming them are well known and not in question here
According 10 the general understanding they are marked
by peculiar circumstances and features, VIZ;
First: there division VI opinion upon some vital ~
onsl ou stion between the two Houses OF Congress.
which division is irreconcabe, except by mutual conces
ons Of interests and opinions which the Houses deem con
stutiOnal and just.
SeconQlv; thew are rendered necessary by impending
calantes TO result from the failure of legislation, and 10
he otherwise averted than by such mutual concessions
Ikr6lv such concessions mutual and equal or sre
accepted as such and become conditions of the mutual
F0rSk by this mutual exchange conditions the trans
action takes the nature and condition of contract CON
pact treaty, between the parties represented ami 81,
according well settled principles of morality and public
law the statute which embodies is understood by those
who uphold this system Of legislation, t. be rreyocabs
and rerea!sbe except by the mutual consent OF 6oth or
Of all the parties concerned Not indeed that II "a aOso
tey irrepeaabe but that cannot be repealed without
volaon of honor justice and good faith which it is pre-
sumed will not be committed.
the Union Immediately slaveholiug State, and Ar
kansas in slaveholdng State without objection
EIGHT years aerward Nebraska The part OF the Terrific
" reserved exclusively for free Territories and free staes
has remained wilderness ever since And now Il pro
posed here TO abrOgate not indeed the whole Compro'
misc but only that part of il which saved Nebraska
free Territory be aerward divided into slavehod
ing States which should be admitted into the Union And
this is proposed notwithstanding an universal acquies
cence in the Compromise by both parties for thirty years.
and its continuation, over and over again by maqy acts
of successive Congresses, aud Notwithstanding that tho
slaveholdng States have Peaceaby enjoyed ever since
was made. all their equiv alenis while, owing u orcum
stances which will hereafter appear the non savehodlng
States have not practically enjoyed any those guaranteed
10 them. -
This is the question before the Senate OF tho United
States OF America
aquestion oftrsnscendent Importance The proyso
of 1890 10 be abogaed in Nebraska is the Ordinance OF
the Continental Congress of 1851, extended over new
rar of the national domain acquired under our present
Constitution 1t IL rendered venerable by its antiquity
and sacred by tho memory oftha Congress which, In sur
rendering its trust after establishing the Ordinance en-
Joined upon posety always to remember that the calse
the United States the cause Of human nature The
question involves issue Of public faith, aud national
morait, and honor IL viii be sad day for this Republic
when such question shall be deemed unworthy OF grave
discussion and intense interest Even h were certain
that tbe inhibition of Slavery in tho region concerned WH
necessary and II the question was thus reduced 10 more
abstraction, yet that abstraction would inyoe the
testimony Ofhe United States the expediency wisdom.
mor0ty and justice Of the item Of human bondagewh
which fs and other portions OF the world have been 80
long afflicted and viii be melancholy day for the Re
public and Cor mankind when her decision even such
On abstraction shall command no respect ard inspire no
hope IN the hearts of the oppressed But no such ab
strac,iOn 1t no unnecessary dispute no mere con
test Of Hind passion that brought that Compromise into
being Slavery and Freedom were active antagonists
then seeking for ascendancy in this Union Both Slavery
ard Freedom are more vigorous active aud seitsggrani
that period The contest between them has been only
potracted not decided 1t great feature in our ma
iona Hereafter So the question Of adherng to or abro
eating this Compromise IL no unmeaning issue, and no
contest Of mere blind passion now -
To adhere is to SECURE the occupation by free men, win
free labor ola region in the very center OF the continent
capable Of sustaining and that event destined thought
may be only after far distant period, 10 sustain ten
twenty thirty forty millions Of people and their successive
generations forever
which mortal vision cannot fully foresee perhaps 10 the
sovereignty Of such nted and short lived communities a.
those OF which Mexico and South America aud the West
India Islands present with examples perhaps 10 con
vert that gou into the scene Of long aud deolang CON
Acs between not merely races but caste 10 emo Se
simlar conflict in Egypt in conyuye exodus OF me 9p
pressed people despOilng their superors perhaps IKE
one not d.snar In Spain in the forcbe expulsion ~ tho
inferior race exhausng the State by the sudden ana com
pee suppression ofa great resource Of national weaaAn
abor perhaps in tho disastrous expulsion even OF he su
reror race Itself by people too suddenly raised from
Slavery to Liberty in 81. Domingo. 10 adhere 70
forever the presence here aiter some lapse o. te
Of two four twenty Senator'S, and OF Repre-
sentayes in larger proportion TO uphold the policy and
interests Of the ssyehodng sates and balance thi
ever ncreasing representation OF slayeh9dlng s.ss
can States admonsh has only just begun tosaye what
the non savehol1ng States have in mins, navy YARDS
the military academy and ortihcaons 10 balance aSat
the capital and federal institutions in the sayehodins
States 10 save agans, any danger from adverse or hos
tile policy the culture the manufacturer, and the com
MERGE well the just influence and weight OF the ma
ona PRINCIPLES and sentiments OF the slayeh0dng States
To adhere Il 10 save 10 the slayehOldng states, ~
well as to the sIayehOldng States Away and in every
continent 70 and with the States the Pacific coast and
with the rising States the islands in the South Sea- and
with all the eastern nations the vast continent Of a
To abrOgae, on the contrary, - to commit all these
precious interests to the chances and hazards u embarras
and injury by legislation under the influence Of so
cs political and commercial Jealousy and rivalry and in
tie Of the secession Of the slavehodDg Slater which
is often threatened In their namebut thank God
without their auhOrifytO give serse pJpulstiOD