Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-02-23

Southern Senators to support it, and to vote
against provision recognizing the right OF any
territorial Legislature to prohibit the intoduc
tion of slavery.
1t was just seven days, Mr.. President, after
the Senator from Kentucky had offered his
amendment, that II fresh amendment was repor-
ted from the Committee on Territories, in the
shape of a new BILL enlarged to forty sections.
This new bill cuts off from tho propos vi Terrific
ry half degree Of latitude on the s)lth, and
divides the residue into two t3rritorics-the
Southern Territory of Kansas, and the Northern
Territory Of Nebraska. 1t applies to each all
the provisions of the Utah and New Mexico bills
1t REJECTS entirely the twonty6rst clerical error
section, and abrogates the Missouri prohibition
by the singular prohibition which will read
''Tnc Constitution and laws of the United
States which are not locally inapplicablc, shall
have the same force and effect with the said Ter
rltory Of Nebraska as elsewhere within the Uni
ted States, except the eighth section of the act
preparatory to the admission Of Missouri into
the Onion, approved March 9th, 1920, phich
,cas superseded By the principles Of the Legislation
Of 1850, commonly called the Compromise Meas
ures, and is therefore declared inoperatire."
Doubtless, Mr.. President, this prohibition
operates as a repeal Of the prohibition The
Senator from Kentucky was right when he said
1t was in effect the equivalent Of his amendment.
Those who are willing to break and destroy the
old compact OF 1920, can vote for this bill with
full assurance that such will be its effect. But
| appeal to them not to vote for this supers5d-
ure clause. | ask them not to incorporate into
the legislation OF the country o declaration
which every one knows to be wholly untrue. |
have said that this doctrine of supcrscdure is
new. | have now proved that it is plant OF
but ten days growth. 1t was never seen or
heard of until the 23d day of January, 1854.
1t was upon that day that this tree Of Upas WIS
planted--we already see its poison fruits.
The provision have quoted abrogates the
Missouri prohibition. 1t asserts no right in the
Territorial legislature to prohibit slavery. The
Senator from Illinois, in his speech, was very
careful to assert no right of legislation in Ter
ritorial Legislature, except subject to the re-
strictions aud limitations Of the Consultation.
I We know well enough what the understanding
or claim of Southern gentlemen is in this respect
to these limitations and restrictions. They insist
that by them every Territorial Legislature is alb
solutcly precluded from all power of legislation
for the prohibition of slavery. | warn gentle
men who propose to support this bill, that their
votes for this provision will be regarded as ad-
hitting this claim.
have thus given brief account Of the mu-
tations which the bill has undergone. have
shown the origin and duration Of the pretenso
that the Missouri prohibition is superseded by
! the legislation of 1850. now appeal to the
Senators who sit around me and who with me
r participated in the discussion of 1861 ask
them to say whether any one of them imagined
then, or believes now that the Missouri prohi-
bition was superseded by the legislation of that
year! Here, sir, sits the Senator from Virginia,
(AIr. Mason. will he say that any time before
: the Odd Of january, 1854, be ever heard such a
proposition stated or maintained anywhere, by
anybody No. sir, he will not say it. There
is no evidence that the assertion was ever made
before that day, when it made its appearance in
the Senator's bill. 1t is II very remarkable cir
cnmstancc, that five t. oaslnd copies Of the COM
mittee's report have been printed by the order
Of the Senate, and know not how many for in
: dividual ll,scrijcrs, and circulated through the
country, and staining the bill on the ground
u that the Missouri pro i'iion is neither repealed
or aihrmcd-whie the bill itself as now amend
ed, expressly abrogatcs that prohibition. The
i report as circulated condcms the bill as amend
: ed, and the bill as amended contradicts the re-
: port Us circulated All this must necessarily
i inislead and confuse the public Judgment.
have nov proved that the doctrine Of super
seizure is u novelty. will proceed to prove that
it is as groundless as it is novel
; The Senator from Illinois, in his speech the
y other day. made general charge of gross igno.
/ rance Of the history and geography OF the coun
= try against the signas of the Independent Demo
e cratic Appeal, and singled out several para
- graphs of that document for special reprehen.
/ sion. 1t was rather adroit in the Senator to mix
ii the defence of his own bill with an attack upon
= two Senators whose opinions on slavery questions
- are ut variance with taos, most commonly re-
" coiVed here. But the movement will not,
II think, avail him much. | have no fears that
he can reiutc any staten mt, or oyerturn any
;. proposition, Of tnat address. Sir he might as
IL well attack Gibraltar True in all its state
II ments irrofragihc, as helcve,in all its reason
Il ings, it is impregnabe to any assault by him
} or any man.
d The first specification under his general charge
II OF ignorance and misrtprcS NATION, denies the
/ truth Of statement wich now read
o "These acts wcr, never Supposed to a5rogatc
" or touch the existing exclusion of slavery, from
Il what is now called Nebraska. They applied t.
I territory acquired from Mexico, and to that on
a ly. They We're intend ID as settlement of the
o controversy growing out Of that acquision, anc
c of that controversy only. They MIST stand OIL
n TALL by their own mcrtS.'
f That the first s,ntenc. which have read il
&c absolutely trde, snppos' no man now doubts
Ii Senator's who were here during the diseussion
t, Of 1850, must remember that the Report Of tn,
l. Committee Of Tnirt zen distinctly stated that thu
y Compromise Measures applied to the newly ac
qrircd territory. The honorable and distin
| b,J
t and can say whether any syllable was uttered il
5, the Committee of Thirteen or ls1where, to hi
n knowledge, which indicated any purpose to ap
d ply them to any other territory. Ii | am ii
o error, beg the Senator to correct me. (Mr
y Cass remained silently | am right then.
h But the Senator from Illinois says that TIL,
ID Territorial Compromise Acts did in fact appl,
IL to other territory than that acquired from Mex
Il leo. How does he prove that lie says that /
II part of the territory was acquired from Texas
a But this very territory which he says was ac
quired from Texas was acquired first from Mex
y leo After Mexico ccdcd it to the United States
h Texas claimed indeed that the cession Injured t,
r her benefit. That claim was relinquished to tn
ID United States The case, then, stands thus
ar we acquired the territory from Mexico Texa
" claimed it, but gave up her claim This Ger
1e tainly does not disprove the assertion of the APP
s. peal that thetcrritory was acquired from Mexico
If and us certainly, it does not sustain the Sena
in tors assertion that it WAS acquired from Texas
n Tho Senator next tells the Senate and the coun
it try, that by the Utah act there was included il
a the Territory of Utah portion Of the old Lou
is islna acquisi ton, covered by the Missouri pro
u hibition, which prohibition was annullod as tt
S. that portion by the provisions Of that act Eve
ny one at all acquainted with our public history
IS knows that the dividing line between Spain ant
g, the United States extended due north from tn,
a, source of the Arkansas to the Add parallel o
re North latitude. That arbitrary line left within
~ the Louisiana acquisition little valley in tn
J. midst Of the Rocky Mountains, where several
ID branches of the Grande River, one of the allcnt
,e of the Colorado, take their rise Here is thu
As map. Hero spreads out the vast territory Utah