The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-05-06
Speech Of Mr.. Benton on the Nebraska
RilI
lCONCLUDED,l

. This vital fact resulted OF itself from Il
history of the case, which he proceeded
trace and then remarked that five times
the beginning of this century, FIVE differel
. times and without any distinction betwee
q northern and sunthern members, id Cor
gress refuse to impair the slavery compron
Use OF 1887, notwithstanding it was five time
asked for by the people of the territory. Oh
squatter sovereignty, where were you then
1t was case for you to show your head; t
have arisen in your might and establishc
your supremacy forever. 1t was case Of
convention Of the sovereigns themselves, a n
neither this convention nor the Congress ha
dream OF their sovereignty. The conven
ton petitioned Congress a ward wout
its guardian, or children under age woul'
petition their father, and Congress answered
like good guardian, or good father, that j
would not give them in evil, although the,
begged for il. Benghted times these, ant
infinitely behind the present age; The
mares nest had not then been found ir
which has been lait the marvellous golden
egg, out of which has been Matched the non
descript fowl, yclePt squatter sovereignty
Laughter. The illustrious principle Of
non-interve ntion d nor then beer invented
the ignoramuses of that day had never heard
OF il, though it is now 10 be learned in every
horn book, and / believed in nowhere else
but in horn books. Renewed merrment
Five times in the beginning of this century
did Congress refuse to impair the slavery
compromise Of 's7, and now, in the middle
of the century and after thirty years Of peace
under the Missouri compromise, the offspring
and oLtinuation Of that of 1887 We are called
upon, not merely To impair for season, but
to destroy forever far greater compromise,
extending to far more territory and growing
out of necessities far more pressing.-A: I'd
how called upon! Not by the il habita ants,
not by any Que human being living or ex-
pecting 10 live in the territory to be affected,
but upon q motion in Congress- silent, Sc
cret, limping. hating, creeping, squirting,
impish moton-conceived in the dark, mid
wife in committeeroom, and sprung upon
Congress aud the country in the style in
which Guy Fawkes intended to blow up the
Parliament House with his five hundred bar
rels of gurpoa der hid in thecellar under the
wood. Laughter. My answer TO such a
melton is to be found in the whole volume Of
my political life; have stood upon the Mis-
souri, compromise for above thirty years, and
mean to stand upon it to the end Of my life
and in doing so shall act not only according
TO my own cherished convictions OF duty, but
according to the often declared convictions
Of the General Assembly OF my State.
Ii is said that the Treasures Of 1850 super
seeded this compromise of 1920. II so. why
treat it now AZ still existing, and therefore
to be repealed by an exception. in order to
get rid y. il! Iii WIS repealed in 1850, why
do it over again in 1854! Why kill the dead!
But il was not suspended, but acknowledge
and confirmed by every speaker in 1850 that
referred to the subject, and by every act that
mentioned it. This being a matter Of fact,
and proven by all sorts OF testimony, written
aud recorded it had TO be given up through
test of political orthodoxy as long as it stood,
and something else put in its place. The
reupon supcrsessiOn was itself superseded by
Of the frying.pa into the
fire! Laughter Inconsistent signifies
inability % stand together; two rhings
which cannot stand together, from con and
SiStO. NOW, wrIaI 49, --.--:.L-~--P~~s ~
the compromises Of 1850 and 1920! Can
they not stard together! And, il not, Why
knock the one down that is already down.
IL is now four years since this inability to
stand together took effect, and how do the
two sets of measures make out together al
the en- | Of this time! Perfectly well. They
are both on their feet, standing bolt, upright,
and will stand SO forever, unless Congress
knocks one or the other OF them down. This
is a fact known to everybody aid admitted
by the bill itself; tor il the first is inconsistent
W th the second and unable to stand, why all
this trouble to put it down! Why trip up
the heels U, the man already fiat on his back
OIL the ground? Then comes another reason
that this compromise Of 1920 is imperative
and void. II so, those who are against its
operation should be content. 1t is the very
condition they wish it-unless, poweriess,
inactive, dead, and no bar to the progress Of
slavery TO the North. Void 10 vacant empty
nothing Of it.
Now, if the line of sc deg. 80 min. is in
operative and void, it is in the condition Of q
fence pulled down. and the rails carried away
and the field left opelr for the stock to enter;
but the fence is not pulled down yet. The
line is not yet imperative and void. 1t is an
existing substantive line alive and in opera
ton effectualy to bar the progress Of slavery to
the North, and will SO continue to operate
until Congress shall stop its operation. Then
comes the final reason, that there never was
any such lire in the world; that it was I'M
| constitutional and void; that it had no exis-
tence from the beginning, and that 1t must
not be repealed by direct act, for that would
be to acknowledge it's previous ex stenre and
nullify the constitutional argument, and what
| is more terrible, involve the authors OF the
doctriae in an inconsistency oftheir own, and
thereby make themselves imperative and
void. And this is the analysis of the reason
for the Nebraska bill. That part Of it which
is to get rid of the compromise of 1920 is un-
true, contradictory, suicidal, and preposter-
ous And why such farrago Of utilities,
incopgruites, and inconsistencies! Purely
and simply 10 throw upon others-upon the
Congress Of 1850, and the innocent Consti-
tuition, the blame of destroying the comprom-
Use of 1920, AID with it destroying all conf.
dence between the North and the South, and
/ % "a half the I1nion anninst the 9th.