The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-06-30

admitted as slave or free States as the people !
when forming constitutions should deter I
nine; that the public slave trade in the Dis.
trict, of Columbia should be abolished, with /
put affecting the existence of slaveryin the !
District and that new and rigorous provisions
for the recapture of fugitive slaves of dis {
puted cons,itutionality should be adopted,
and that on these conditions California should
be admitted as a free State. Repugnant as
this compromise was to the people OF the Tree
States, acquiescence was, nevertheless, prac-
tically obtained by means Of solemn assur-,
ance, made on behalf of the slaveholding
States that the compromise was and should
be forever regarded as final adjustment oil
the slavery question and Of all the issues
which could possibly arise out of it. A new
Congress convened in December, 1851. Rep
from the slave States demanded
a renewed pledge OF fidelity TO this adjust.
ment, and it was granted by the House Of
Representatives in the following terms:-
RESOLVED, That we recognize the binding
efficacy OF the compromises of the constit0-
ton, and believe it TO be the intention of
the people generally, as we hereby declare
it to be ours individually, to abide by such
compromises. and sustain the laws necessary
TO carry them out, the provisions for the de-
livery of fugitive slaves, and the act OF the
last Congress for that purpose, included; and
that we deprecate all further agitation of
questions embraced in the acts of the last
Congress, known as the compromise, and
of questions generally connected with the
institutions of slavery, Us unnecessary, USE
less and dangerous.
A few months subsequently, the Demo-
cratic National Convention met AT Baltimore
and assuming to speak the sentiments OF the
democratic party set forth in lis PLATFORM
that the democratic party will resist all at
tempts at renewing in Congress or out Of it,
the agitation of the slavery question, under
whatever shape or color the attempt may be
made. Soon afterwards another National
Convention assembled in the same city, and
assuming the right to declare the sentiments
of the wing party, said:-We deprecate ell
further agitation of the questions thus set
tied, as dangerous 70 the peace, and will dis
countenance all efforts to continue or renew
such agitation, whenever, wherever or how
ever made. The present administration was
elected on the principle of adherence to this
compromise; and the President referring to
it in his inaugural speech, declared that the
hrrmony which had been secured by it should
not be disturbed during his term Of Office
The President recurring to the same subject,
renewed his pledge in his message to Con-
gress at the beginning OF the present sessiOn,
in the following language:
But notwithstanding the differences Of opinions and sen
which there existed in relation details and specific
the Union be douted has give renewed
he uuh The
is to suffer shock during oho'sl term il
assured.
Under these circumstances, the proposition
to repeal the Missouri Compromise was sud.
denly and Unexpectedly made by the same
committee on territories, which only ten days
befre had affirmed the sanctity OF the Mis-
souri, Compromise. and declared the end Of
agitation, in the following explicit and un-
mistakeable language:
Your eei themselves called
discussion those eOntroyered quesoa-they involve
the which PRODUCED thu talon the section
al strife and the far,u struggle OF 4; Go. sress
eOnroery then either by Affirming reporting the Next
by decirory by t to slave properly In
commend adepsflrs pursued
"n ,b Missouri act or nv am ao, ory Of *.
Of the constitution IN repeet 10 the legal points In dispute
The abrogation has been affected in pur-
suance of the demands of the administration
ITSELF and by means of its influence on Con-
gress. In the House of Representatives,
that body which is more Immediately respon-
sibe to the people, the contest was more
equal than in The Senate, though il is due 10
Justice and candor that it should be stated
III at it could not have been carried in either
house without the votes of the representa-
tives from the free States. The majority
resisted the attempts to arrest discussion
upon this grave question through a struggle
of longer duration than any other known 10
Cong history. No attempt was
made to s,igmatize that minority as faction
lists, yet we fearlessly declare that through
out the contest they resorted solely to the
powers secured to them by the law aad the
rules of the House, and the passage Of the
measure through the House was effected
through a subversion Of the rules by the ma.
jority, and the exercise OF power unprece-
denied in the annals of Congressional legis.
lation. The deed is done. IL is done with q
clear proclamation by the administration
and by Congress, that the principle which il
contains extends not only to Ksnzas and Ne.
braska. but TO all the other Territories now
belonging to the Unied States, and to all
which hereafter may be acquired. 1t has
been done unnecessarily and wantony, be.
cause there was no pressure for the organI-
cation OF governments in KanZas and Me-
brasda, neither OF which Territories contain
ed one lawful iphabtapt who was a citizen o!
the United States. and because there was not
only danger of disunion appreher ded. but by
this reckless measure the free States have
lost all the guarantee for freedom in the
Territories contained in former compromises;
while all the States, both slave and free
have lost the guarantees of harmony and
union which those compromises afforded. 1t
seems plain to us hat, fatal as the measure
is in these respects, it is only a cover for
broader propagnnism of slavery in the future.
The object of the administration and of the
many who represent the slave States is as we
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