The daily union., 1854-02-08

their report. The members o The conwileu from TIE
Senate were OF COURSE favorable 10 the Senate nd
ments In ibe House, The Speaker. Henry Clay,
also ia favor oil ihem and lie had the appointment oi
the committee OF course, he took care, he mas since
informed the country. TO constitute the committee 10 such
and OF such persons would be mos likely 10
their adoption. The result was what might have
been expected II recommended that the Senate should
Eecede from Ills amendments 10 the Maine bill and that
the House should concur ia the amendments the Ms
sour bill Enough members from The free States were
found TO turn tho scale against the proposed restriction
OF slavery in the State and the amendment OF the Sen
ale striking II out was concuIsd in bv ninety yeas
against eighty seven nays From this nonent success
t1l opposition 10 the introduction OF Missouri with slavery
impossible. Nothing remained but 10 determine Toe
character OF the residue OF the Louisiana acquisition
and the amendment prohibiting slavery north Of 80 deg
80 min concurred in by one hundred and thry-iou
yeas against forytwo nays vi the yeas, thIrty-eght
from slave and ninety six from free Sta,es OF The
nays thirty from slave States and i've IRON
free. Among those who voted with the majority was
Mr.. Iowndes. of South Carolina. whose vote. estimated
by the worth and honor OF the oatweghs many OPP
pones.
Now for the first time, was q geographical line
tablshed between slavery and freedom in this country.
Let us pause and ascertain upon what principle lbs
compromise adopted and TO what territory applied
The controversy was between the two great sections Of
the Union. The subject a vast extent OF almost I'M
occupied country embracing the whole territory west OF
the mississippi Ii territory in which slave law ex
listed ., the time Of acquisition. The compromise sec
contained provision allowing slavery south OF 80
deg 80 min II could never have received The sanction
oil Congress had The connuapce OF slavery there
left to the determination Of circumstances There
was implied understanding that Congress should not
interfere with the operation OF those ccumsances and
that all The prohibition north Of 80 deg 80 min
was absolute and perpetual Ine aet IN winch tS. : was
Tor their opinion upon the consutioDaiy OF thai pro-
hibiton. Calhoun, Crawford, and Writ were members
OF that cabinet Each. in written opinion, affirmed It's
cOnsutlOnallty and the act received the sanction OF the
President Thus that the pares 10 the arrange
nent were the TWO sections OF the countryside Tree
States on one side, the slave States the other The
the Wh nj
outside OF the State OF Louisiana and the practical ope
ration OF il the division OF this territory between the
institution OF slavery and the institution Of freedom.
The arrangement proposed by the sa se States. II
carried by their votes large majority OF southern
voted for il majority OF southern representa-
lives voted for it, Ii approved by all the southern
members of the cabinet and received the sanction Of
southern President The compact was mbodied IN
single bill containing reciprocal provisions The adm's-
that slavery should be prohibited by Congress south
OF SO deg so min the considerations OF the per-
peual prohibition north OF that line And that prohbi-
lion the consideration OF the admission and the un.
destandng The saye States received large share OF
The consideration coming to them, paid in hand. Mis-
sour admitted without restriction by the act ITSELF
Every other part OF the compact the part OF the free
stales has been fulfilled 10 the letter. No part OF the
compact the part OF the slave States has been fulfilled
at all except in the admission OF Iowa, and the Organza
ton o Minnesota; and the slave States propose to
break up the contract without the consent and against
the viii OF the free States, and upon doctrine OF super
sedure which, il sanctioned at ALL must be inevitably ex
slavery in all the organized Territories
Let read TO the Senate paragraphs from Niless
Register, published in Baltimore. March II. 1870, which
show clearly wha, then the universal understanding
10 respect to this arrangement:
The territory north 36 deg min Is FOREVER for
hidden be peoped with slaves, except ia the State of
rgn men 20 hnaD slavery IN Any o. OLA n1 !,
conditioned TO OF them that even when they be-
them Tasrs Is no hardship in this. The Terri,ores be.
long to the United States and The may right
papie lands Thi. great point was agreed 10 IN ,he SEN
30 IL and In the House Of Representative by
lS A. really l39 81 And that II 10 de-
,ermned roxrvzx' ia respect subject
to the legislation OF the general government"
ask senators particularly to mark this:
IL Is the compromise Is supported only by tho let
II; but the circumstances Of the case give to this law
moral torcs equal 10 that OF positive provision OF the
in its Both parties
have sacrificed much 10 Cancellation We wish TO the
deoee viii open tie way to relieve Of vii which every
good czsn depfscsss the supreme cure OF the
Try
That. sir, the language OF Marylander. in
1890. He expressed the aniversal understanding oil
the country. Here then 10 compact complee, psf
feet, irrepealabe, 30 far rs any compact can be
said to be repealable imbodied in legislative act II
had the sections OF the country Tor It's parties,
great territory for its subject and adjustment
OF dangerous controversy Tor its object II was forced
upon the Tree States has been literally nlnlled by the
IL .
conscience but, in such matter, The obligations OF
honor aod conscience must be regarded az even more
sacred than those OF constitutional provisions
MIR President, II there was any principle which pre-
vailed in this arrangement, that OF permitting the
contin uance OF slavery The localities where il actually
existed al the time OF the acquisition OF the Territory,
and prob biting in the parts Of Territory in which
slaves were actually held. This was wide departure
from the original policy which contemplated the exeu
sion OF slavery from territories IN which ,, actually ex
sed at the tune OF acquisition. But the idea that ala
very could be introduced into free territory under
the sanction OF Congress, had not as yet, entered into
any mans head
Mr. President. shall hasten TO conclusion. In ls4s
we acquired vast territory from Mexico Ihe tree
States demanded that this territory, free when acquired
should remain free under the government OF the United
States The senator from Illinois tells that he pro-
posed the extension OF the Missouri Compromise oe
through this territory, and he complains that was
Iected by the oil the free States So II And
why Because the Missouri Compromiee applied to Ter
rory in which slavery was already allowed. The MIS-
prohibition exempted portion OF this territory, and
The larger portion. from toe evil. IL carried
speel to that the original policy OF the county But the
extension OF that line through The territory acquired iron
Mexico. with the understanding which the om
illinois and his friends attached 10 IL, would introduce
slavery into vast region IN which slavery, at the time
OF acquisition, not allowed. To agree 10 II would
have been TO totally the original policy OF the
country and TO disregard the principle upon which the
Missouri Compromise was based.
II is that when the controversy in respec, 10 this
Territory came 10 concius,on The provisions OF the acts
by which territorial governments organized were,
in some respects, worse than tha, proposition OF the
senator While those bills proposed toleaye the question
of slavery slavery in the Territories unaffected 10y
their provisions to Judicial decision they did, neverhe
less virtually decide the question for all the territory