Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-02-17
jf!igrrllanGuug.
THE SLAVERY QUESTION.
Speech of Mr.. Wade Of Ohio,
nN .yur Nrpp ASA mn
ON THE NEBRASKA BILL

is L. :. SENATE, L co. y.
Mr. Wade, of Ohio, SAID that he
rose 10 address the Senate with great
ditlidcuce on this subject He had
always preferred to perlurm his du-
ties silently but the importance aud
the bolduess OF this measure requir-
ed hlm TO give expression 20 his OBJ
lections to il. Though young man
at that time, he well remembered the
adoption Of The Missouri Comprom-
Use. He rccollecled we'll the opposl.
ton and resistance 10y the whole Nor
thcrn people to any further extension
OF Slavery, he storm which follow
ed, ard which was only quoted by
the assurance and conviction that
the question was then forever settled
and Slavery excluded from the fern
tory. Since that time he knew OF
no man who had been bold enough
10 question IFS hnaliy OF to propose
lis repeal Why was ii now propos-
ed He also recollected the Com
promise Of 1880 Since It's passage
be had heard from all It's friends, IN
deed he had almost heard nothing
else from both parties or from Gov
eminent papers, except that this last
compromise was a fnallty not 10 be
questioned IN Congress or elsewhere.
Why was il. In the face OF these
well known facts, that il was now
proposed not only 10 depart from the
Compromise of 1880, but to 90 back
10 the more sacred one of 1920, and
set it aside He had expected to
hear i,om the Senator from Ilinois,
when he proposed this high handed
measure, some reason for il. He
had expected TO hear the Senator tell
the country what new light had rem
dered this measure necessary now.
1t was only one year ago on the 4th
Of last March, at the hour when the
constitution brought Congress TO its
termination. the Senator from Illinois
was found clamoring for the passage
of a Nebraska BILL in which nothing
was said of this compromise. On
that same day the Senator from Mis-
sour, who was so deeply interested
IN seeking ont some creylee by which
the Missouri Compromise could be
avoided, declared IN open Senate that
he despaired Of ever having il repeal
ed. II it had been superseded that
Senator would have discovered the
fact. He could discover no reason
to induce the Senator 10 propose this
measure, the result of which would
be to incile the people 10 madness.
II there were any case for II the Sen
alor had failed 10 make il known
There was no reason for il. This
conspiracy to overlurn the Time hon.
ored compromise which gave guar
aniy to freedom was not six weeks
old. Ii had been Matched some
where in that time. He might refer
to former speeches of the Senator Ia
show his course on this sublect-bul
il would take time. lie knew the
Senator'S course on this subject
had been exceedingly mutable. lie
thought the Senator had once express
sed himself at Chicago in a different
strain from what he did the other
day. He would not, however, nov
90 further into that subject. II would
be indeed Of little value now TO show
what had been tie course OF the
Senator in the report which the Sen
alor made on this bill he put il OH
a very different ground lhen from
what it now rested on. In that re
port the committee said they desired
not TO repeal or affirm the Missouri
Compromise that it would not bt
either wise or prudent 10 do So
This was but four weeks ago. Since
then they have changed their mind
aud have discovered that the Com
promise of 1850 had already super
seeded the Missouri Compromise -
I Was il not strange that the commit
tee had given no reason for lhil
change in their opinions and in thei
bill. He did not understand how {
solemn act Of Congress, intended a
a compact for The future, could b'