The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-06-29

Union. under the name of the State of Louisi-
ana, with a Constitution tolerating Slavery
The new State was admitted, and the free
States acquiesced Eight years afterwsrd, the
region connected with St Louis demanded ad-
mission, under the name of the State OF MIS-
souri,, with Constitution toierating Slavery;
The free States reverted to the principle OF
1887, and opposed the admission of Missouri,
unless she would incorporate into her Consti-
tuition an inhibition Of the further introduction
of Slavery into the State. The slaveholdlng
States insisted upon her unqualified admission:
A controversy arose, which was sectional ana
embittered, and which, We are assured by con-
temporaneous history, seriously imperllled the
Union. The statesmen of that day, in Con-
grees settled this controversy by compromise.
By the terms of this compromise, the nee
States assented to the admission OF Missouri,
with her slaveholding Constitution, while the
slaveholding States, on their part, yielded the
exclusion of Slavery in all the residue OF the
territory which lay north of SO deg 80 MN,
constituting the present Territories of Kansas
and Nebraska The slaveholding States &C
cepted this compromise as triumph, and the
free States, after little time, acquiesced, and
have ever since left it undisturbed and unques-
toned.
Arkansas part of the Territory Of Louisi-
ana which lay south of SO deg. 80 min, IN
compliance with an implication which was
contained In this compromise was afterward
admitted as a slaveholding State, and the free
States aeq1iesced.
In 1919, Florida, a slaveholding province of
Spain, was acquired. This province was after
wards admitted as a slaveholding State. The
| free States again acquiesced. Ia 1845, Texas,
an independent slaveholding State, was annex
ed. with provision in the article of annexa-
ton for the subdivision of her territory into
five States The free States although they re-
garded the annexation, with the probable in
crease of the number of slave States, with
very great disfavor nevertheless acquiesced
again.
New Territories were acquired by the treaty
of peace which closed the war with Mexico.
The people of California formed Constitution
inhibiting Slavery, and applied for admission
into the UnioS. Violent opposition was made
by the slave States, IN and out of Congress,
interchangeable dissolution of the Union if Cal
ifornia should be admitted Proceeding on the
ground of these alarms, Congress adopted an
other compromise, the terms of which were,
that ten millions of dollars Of the peoples
money should be given to Texas, to induce her
to relinquish very doubtful claim upon an
inconsiderable part of New Mexico; that New
Mexico and Utah should be organized without
an inhibition of Slavery, and that they should
be afterwards admitted as slave or free States,
as the people, when forming Constitutions,
should determine that the public slave trade
In the District of Columbia should be abolish
cd, without affecting the existence Of Slavery
in the District; and that new and rigorous
provisions for the reception Of fugitive slaves,
of disputed constitut Onality, should be ADOPT
ed and that on these conditions California
should be admitted as free State. Repug-
nant as this compromise was to the people of
the free States, acquiescence was nevertheless
practically obtained, by means Of solemn assur-
ances, made on behalf of the savehOlding States,
that the compromise was and should be forev-
er regarded as a final adjustment of the Sia-
very question, and of all the Issues which could
possibly arise cut of it.
A new Congress cOnvenedin December, 1851.
Representatives from the slave States demand
ed q removed pledge of fidelity to this adjust
ment, and it was granted by tho House of
Representatives in the following terms;
"ResolUed, That we recognise the binding
efficacy of the compromises of the Constitu-
ten, and believe it to be the intention of the
people generally, as we hereby declare 1t to
be ours individually, to abide such compro-
misses, and to sustain the laws necessary to
carry them out-the provisions for the delivery
of fugitive slaves and the act OF the last Con-
gress 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 institution of Sla-
very, as unnecessary, useless, and dangerous"
A few months subsequently, the Democratic
National Convention met at Baltimore, and,
assuming to speak the sentiments of the Dem
ocratic party set forth in its platform
That the Democratic party will resist all
attempts 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 Conven-
ton assembled in the same city, and, assuming
the right to declare the sentiments Of the Wing
party, said:
ave deprecate all farther agitation of the
questions thus settled, as dangerous to our peace,
and will discountenance all efforts to continue
or renew such agitation, whenever, wherever,
or however made"
The present Administration was elected on
the principle of adherence to this compromise,
and the President, referring to it in his inau-
gural speech declared that the harmony which
had been secured by it should not be disturbed
during his term of Office. The President, re-
curing to the same subject, renewed his pledge
in his message to Congress at TIE beginning
of the present session, in the following Ian
guage:
Notwithstanding differences Of opinion and
sentiment which then existed in relation to de-
tails and specific provisions, the acquiesceuce
of distinguished citizens, whose devotion 20 the
Union can never be doubted, has given renew
cd vigor to our Institutions and restored
sense Of rep0se and security to the public mind
throughout the Cenfederacy. That this re-
- 10 c.,ff, nho cf4io SoI
term, if have the power to avert it. those who
placed rae here may be 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
before had affirmed the sanctity of the Mis-
souri, Compromise, and declared the end Of
agitation in the following explicit ard uumis-
takeable language:
"Your committee do not feel themselves
called upon to enter into discussion Of these
controyerted questions. They involve the same
grave Issues which produced the agitation, the
sectional strife, and the fearful struggle of
1850. AS Congress deemed it wise and pru.
dent to refrain from deciding the matters in
controversy then, either by affirming or repeal
ing the Mexican laws or By an act deosratory
of the true intent of the Constitution, and the
extent of the protection afforded by it to slave
Pre- perty in the Territories, 70 your committee
are not prepared nO1O TO recommended depart
ure from the course pursued upon that nlenlor-
able occasion, either by affirming or repeating
the eighth section Of the Missouri act, or by
any act declaratory Of the meaning of the
Constitution in respect to the legal points in
dispute"
The abrogaton has been effected in pursu-
ance of the demands of the Administration.