Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-04-29

tive slave recovery clause incorporated in it. The anti
slavery clause in the ordinance of 1877 could not have
been adopted as proved by its three years reecon)
without the fugitive slave recovery clause added to It,
The Constitution could not have been formed without its
recognition Of slavery in the States which chose it. and
the guaranty Of the right to slaves fleeing into
the free States The Missouri controversy could not have
been settled without partition of Louisiana between free
and slave soil and that partition could not have been
made without the addition Of the clause for the
covery of fugitive slaves. Thus all three compromises
settlements Of existing questions and intended to be
perpetual They all three of equal moral validity
The constitutional compromise is guarded by higher
obligation in consequence of its incorporation in that in
srument but way differs from the other two in the
circumstances which induced it, the policy which guards
it, or the consequences which would flow from its abro-
CATION proposition to destroy the slavery compro-
misses IN the Constitution would be open proposition
break up the Union the attempt to abrogate the
promises of 1887 and 1920 wsud be virtual attempts to
destroy the harmony of the Union and prepare for dis
solution by destroying the confidence and affection in
which il is founded s..
The Missouri compromise of 1920 is continuation of
the ordinance of178s extension the since acquired
territory west Of the Mississippi and way differing
from it either in principle or detail The ordinance of
1877 divided the then territory of the United States
about equally between the free and the slave States the
Missouri compromise line did the by the additional
territory Of the United States it stood in 1920 and in
both cases 1t done by act of Congress- and the
settlement of difficulty which to last forever
consider them both with their fugitive slave recovery
clauses and the similar clause in the Constitution as
| IN the same general settlement. ....
The tslavery clause in the ordinance of 1877 could
not have been put In as was proved by its three years
reecon without the fugitive slave recovery clause added
to it. The Constitution could not have been formed
without the recognition of slavery in the States which
chose it, and the right of recovering slaves fleeing the
free States. The Missouri controversy could not have
been settled except by the prohibition Of slavery in the
upper half of the territory Of Louisiana and that prohi-
bition could not have been obtained without the right to
recover fugitive slaves from the part made free Thus
the three one and the ordinance of 1887
father to the other 1t led the adoption of the fu
gitve slave clause in the Constitution and may say
to the formation of the Constitution itself, which could
not have been adopted without that clause and the
cognton of slave property in which it founded This
vital fact results Of itself from the history of the case
In March, Of the year 1884, the Virginia delegation in the
then Congress of the Confederation headed Mr. Jeer
and Mr. Monroe conveyed the Northwestern territory
to the thirteen United States In the month Of April
ensuing the organizing mind of Mr.. Jefferson, always
bent upon systems and administration, brought in
dnance for the government of the territory conveyed
with the antisayery clause part Of it. take effect
in the year 1900 but without clause the recovery of
fugitive slaves. For want of this provision the anti
slavery clause opposed by the slaSehoding States
and reected and the ordinance passed without it.
In July of the year 1877, the ordinance remodelled
the an-slavey clause with the fugitive slave recovery
clause as they stand inserted in it and in that
shape the ordinance had the unanimous vote of every
State present-eight in the whoeand equal number
of slave and free States present Thus it is clear that
the slavery clause in the ordinance of 1887 could
have passed without the fugitive slave recovery clause
| annexed They were inseparable in their birth and
must be in their life and those who love one must ac
cept the other .-..u .t
This done in the month of July in the city of New
where the Congress of the Confederation then sat-
The National Convention sitting the same time in
the city of Philadelphia, work upon the Federal Con-
stituon The two bodies were in constant communica
on with each other, and some leading members (as Mr.
Madison and Gen. Hamiton were members of each, and
attending by turns in each The Constitution was finish
ed in September and received the fugitive slave recovery
clause Immediately after its insertion in the ordinance
1t was the work of the same hands, and at the me
IN both Instruments and it is well known that the Con-
stuon could not have been formed without that clause
Thus the compromise clause in the ordinance father
the compromise clause in the Constitution and the Mis-
souri, compromise results from both and all three stand
before me as founded in the circumstances induced
by the considerations, and directed by the same
pohcythat Of the peace, harmony, and perpetuty of
this Union In point ofmoral obligation Lconsder them
equal and resulting from conditions which rendered them
Indispensable Two Of them have all the qualities of
compromise those Of the ordinance and the Constitu
ton They are founded in agreement, in consent in
compact and sacred and nyioabe human agree
be- The third one that the Missouri anti
slavery line, was not made upon agreement 1t was i'm
posed by votes by the South upon the North resisted
by the North at the tme acquiesced in afterwards and
that acquiescence became binding between
both pares and the the South because she
imposed 1T. repeat it imposition, not com
pact The South divided, and took choice and now it
will not do to claim the other half the ground Of the
original dissatisfaction Of the other party Brothers
not divide an estate in that wayone make the division
and take choice, and afterwards claim the other half
The South has her half She gave away once-gaye it
Spanand the North helped her get it back
the expense of war, without suspecting that she was
strengthening the South enabeit take the other half
But this attempt does not from the South and finds
| resistance there. s-~...
This brings to the question Of repeal nbrogation
Of these compromises The one in the Constitution can
not be got rid of without amendment to that nsru
ment and is therefore, beyond the reach Of Congress
other two being in the form Of statutes subjects
Of legislation and legally repealable by Congress- Efforts
were made to impair one, that Of 17S7 fifty
ago An effort is made to repeal the other; and the
history and fate of the first attempt may be advantageous
in the consideration of the second 1t in the year
1898 The then Territory of Indiana had been slave -
ritory under the French Government and continued
under the American until 1887 1t extended the Mis-
sissipp and contained many slaves Vincennes, Caho-
kla Prairie de Rocher kaskaskia all saveholdng
towns The inhabitants attached to that property
and wished to retain ut least temporarily and also
invite saveholding emigration until increase Of po-
pulaon should afford adequate supply of free labor
and they pettoned Congress accordingly The petition
came from convention of the people, presided by
Governor Harrison and only asked for the suspension
the ntavery part of the ordinance for ten years. and
limited in its application to their own territory The
petition referred to select committee the House
Mr. Randolph was chairman, and received its in
report, in these words:
"Tha the rapid population Of the State Of Ohio sufficient
y evnces in the opinion OF committee that the labor
of slaves not necessary promote the growth and see
ment of colonies in that region that this labor demons
bly, the dearest Of any only be employed advantage
the cultivation of products valuable than any known
that quarter of the United States; that the committee deem
it highly dangerous and nexpedient impair provision
wisely calculated to promote the happiness and prosperity
the Northwestern country and to give strength and security