The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1854-03-15

I At ~'sf NosFta"W0 W fpIt nnls Mst psfnoi
81 the aide sp~eeb sf Mr. Everett whirh urs,. .
the proposition 20 .iselssr the sih rrsiian sf N,
sc, Of Is.0. In rels'..n to xissoufi. iss<,sfis,
and void. = der ming that lie important qur-lior
upon whih our r,ssls1s ~i.h psriiruiarIy To b,
informed. His rrn.a,hs. y. rsy q oljreiion i'
the hill, based urcn lhs spar.eness 81 he whii,
population sml,ra~ed in the Two territories. ans
upon the obligations. by ,resies. resiing upon the
Nation - resIess the rights Of The Indians arc
fereih'e. md de~rsins .i,eniien; bp, upon these
points lbss is but li,Ie difference of opinion,
whatever ma, hr tho seiicn; MI agreeing thar
the lndi@ns should le treated with ien.lsrness snd
humanity. This PoHian has ll,erefe,e been omit.
ted; and also portion of hi- remarks upon The
rrpof Of kr. DOug.as which accompanied ihe
liii. inssmuch as that senaior's Inconsistencies
on lllis su,jrrt DO moi sasci the merits Of the
qnesIion. The iallawing portion win fully eIhi-
bi, the siees Of Mr.. Everett in relation 10 the re.
peal Of ihe Missouri esmpronisc:l
| certainly intend to do the ,listin-
guished chairman of the committee no
injustice and ann not sure that | full
" comprehend his argument in this
respect; but think his report sustains
the view which now take Of the SUBJ
ject:, that is, that the legislation Of
1850 did not establisha principle which
was designed to have any such effect
as he lsupposes. That report states
how matters stood in thosc new Mexi-
can territories. Ii was supposed on
the one hand that by the Mexican ler
loci slavery was prohibited. On the
other hand that was denied. and il was
maintained that the Constitution Of
the United States secured TO every ci-
tizen the right to 20 there and take
with him any property recognised as
such By any Of the States of the Union.
The report considers that similar
state Of things now exists in Nebraska |;
that the validity of the eighth section
Of the Missouri act, by which slavery is
prohibited in that Territory. is doubts
ful, and that ii is maintained BY many
distinguished statesmen that Congress
has no power to legislate ON the sub
ject. Then, in this state Of the con-
troYersy, the report maintains that the
legislation Of Congress in 1850 did not
undertake to decide these questions.
Surely, if they did not undertake to
decide them, they coald not settle the
principle which is at stake in them !;
and, unless they did decide them, the
measures then adopted must be consi-
dered as specific measures, relating only
10 those cases, and not establishing a
principle Of general operation. This
seems to me as direct and conclusive
as any thing can be.
At all events, these are not impress
sions which are put forth under the ex-
igencies Of the present debate or Of the
present occasion. | have never enter
tanned any other opinion. | was call
ed upon for particular purpose, of a
literary nature, to which | will pre-
sently allude more distinctly, shortly
after the session Of 1850 closed, to
draw up a narrative of the events that
had taken place relative to the passage
Of the compromise measures Of that
year. had not, | own, the best sourc-
es of information. was not mems
Der of Congress, and had not heard the
debates, which is almost indispensable
to come to thorough understanding
Of the questions discussed; but | in
quired Of those who had heard them, |
read the reports, aud had an oppor-
tunity of personal intercourse with
some who had taken prominent part
in all those measures. Inever formed
the idea, never received the intima-
ton until got it from this report Of
the committee, that those measures
were intended to have any effect be-
yond the Territories of Utah and New
Mexico, for which they were enacted.
| cannot but think that if it was intend
ed that they should have any larger
application, If it was intended that
they should furnish the rule which is
now supposed, it would have been a
fact as notorious as the light Of dav.
Look at the words Of the acts them.
selves. They are specific. They give
you boundaries. The lines are run.
The Territories are geographically !
marked out. They fill a particular
place on tie map of the continent ; and
it is provided that within those specific
geographical limits a certain state of
things with reference, to slavery shall
take place. That is all. There is not
word to tell You on what principle
that is done. There is not word to
tell you that that state Of things carries
with it rule which is TO operate else
where-retrospectively upon territory
acquired in 1908, and prospectively on
territory that shall be acquired to the
end oS.timc. There is not word tc
&c al. !.