Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-02-14
SPEECH OF MR.. DOUGLAS.

vndcaon OF his previously introduced IN the Sen
10 organize territorial In The country kno~
by the Of Nebraska embracing all the uaoganzed Ter
ritory now BELONGING TO the United States amounting 4
about 2s0 600 square miles r. DouoLAs had pressed tn
early consideration of his BILL but had yielded 10 the soci
!aon Of tho Abolition Senators TO defer Tor some days OF
the plea tina. they wishe an opportunity look into tn
provisions Of the BILL lie afterwards discovered that They
had already prepared publication denounclng the bill
authors In the most scurrous terms that their motive
In asking delay could be other than gain time for h
circulation of their slinderous statements.
In the opening OF his speech Mr. DOUGLAS characeflse
those proceedings they deserved He then proceeds
cite briefly the history Of Congressional legislation m
subject of slavery aud show that II characterised
from the first BY liberalization settle the matter eiec.n
ally by making geographical line between the States ha
recognised and those that did recognise slavery The
fret instance The Ordinance OF 1887 which prohibited
slavery North OF the Ohio River the Western limit Of
then terrtory-.he Mississippi River The next was the
Missouri Compromise which prohibited slavery Noah o
the line Of &c &c. and West the limits Of our hen terrific.
toty Finally on,,he admission Of Texas the same line
adopted TO her extreme limits rule be abdod
by of her being divided into several States This
last provision introduced by Mr. DouaLAs himself then
member the House, no! because he approved Of Con-
gessonal legislation the subject but because 1t had been
established by precedent and presented feasible way Of dis
posing Of question BY laying the foundation for running
ths, line through the Pacific whenever should acquire
the intervening territory from Mexico We have very brief
stated the speakers positions In the opening part of his
speech We quote him In FULL that portion most inter
estng 10 our readers
In l845 acquired from Mexico the country between the
Rio del Noyte and the Pacific Ocean Immediately after
that acquisition the Senate, my own notion voted Into
bill q proyeou 10 extend the Missouri Compromise nde
dntey westward to The Pacific Ocean, In the same sense
and with the Understandings with which II was orRi
naly adopted That provision pussed this body by deci
ded mejorty-I think by ten, al eas-and went To the
House Representatives and was defeated there by North
Now sir let us pause and consider for moment. The
rst time that principles of the Missouri Compromise
we're ever abandoned the st time they were ever rel eced
by Congress- was by the defeat Of that provision In the
House of Representatives 10 1913 by whom was that de-
feat effected? By Northern votes With Free Sell pro-
cIlvtes Ii was the defeat OF that Missouri Compro
mise tha, opened the slavery agitation with all Its Jury
was The defea, of that Missouri Compromise that created
the tremendous struggle of 1885, II the defeat of that
Missouri Compromise created the necessity for making
pew Compromise 10 1850 Had been faithful 10 The pnc
piles OF the ssoui Compromise n 1913 this question would
oot have arieen Who |, that fathlees2 under
take 10 say the very who insist that the Mis
souri, Compromise solemn compact aud should
be violated departed from Every who Ia assa
op the principles of The bill under consideration 80 far
am advised, opposed 10 the Missouri Compromise In
e4S The very who now arraIgn me for departure
from the Missouri Compromise The who successfully
violated it, repudiaed It, and caused II 10 be superseded by
the Compromise Of 1850 Sir, II is with rather
bad grace the who proved false themselves should
charge upon and Others who were ever flh!u the re-
sponsibiIties and consequences of their own reachery
Tnen sir as before remarked, The deea, Of The Missouri
Compromise 10 lee having created the necessity for tho
tabshmen, of new n 1885, let us sec what that Com
Tno .saIor feature Of tho Compromise Of 1850
that people OF tho Tsrs.yriss and oT M h snhc G ala
y.ry subject only the provstons OF the Constitution
Ihe tinted States That s was The leading feature OF
the Compromise measures of lsso tnose measures mere
of a prO
law be,ween free States and slave Satea-abandoned
because compelled do H. from On lnaotY 10 mnlntaln III
and lieu Of hS o s peoc TO do az se
,honph, proper Now. the question is, when 'hh oew
COMPROMISE eetlng upon that great lnnoameha prne'p
Of freedom was established was It nor an OF
be old one-the geographical nc7 Was 1t not super.
seizure of The old within the very language OF ne SUP
stitute for the bill which 10 now unoel
n r. dd snpersede it, because It applied iis provisions es
so - the Norh as 10 the South Of Sc deg 80 min II es.
sbisbed principle which equally applicable 10 the
county north we'll as soun o. inc ~ mi, .ho
n attempt to rebu this presumption and main.
,,n that The Compromise Of 1850 dd not suPersede ha OF
s20 by quoting the povso 10 the sl section OF INC aG'
~ ss,sbsh the Texan boundary and establish the Terrl'
,ory of New Mexico That provso was added oY way
Of smendmeut on motion OF Mr. Mason OF virginia
that in order reout the presumption as before
,sed that the Missouri Compromise was abandoned and
superseded by the principles OF the Compromise OF ls9o
confederstes cite e nn be
territory of New Mexico in lSbo
.Prorided That nothing herein contained shall DO con.
srued 10 impair qualify anything contained IN me thd
,cle of the second section Of the joint resolution for an
uexpg Texas the United States approved Mac !! i4o
rcgards the plumber Of states sa, may hereafter
After quoting this provso they make the following slate
and attempt gain credit for ,s truth by snppressnR
material facts which appear upon me lace o Inc same s,a
ute, and, II produced, woui coue'usi'eV u'Spo0 '' ~
~" is soemny declared in the very compromise acis that
nothing herein contained shall be construed TO mnar OF
ouay the prohibition slavery north OF 80 deg ~ min
and vet In the face of this decaaton that sacred proh6
on s said be overthown Can presumption go nfther
will now proceed chow that presumption could 70 nr
tber than Is exhibited In this declaration
They suppress the following material acta which, pro-
duced, ~ould have dsploved their statement
They first suppress the fact that the same section Of the
act cuts off from Texas and cedes 10 the United Sale oil
that part of Texas which lies north OF 81 deg mn They
then suppress the further fact that the same section OF Inc
sw cutoff from Texas large tract Of country on the west
than three degrees of longitude and added to the ie
toy OF The United States They then suppress the urhe
rho Mssou Compromise line did apply was incorporated
,nfo lhe Territory of New Mexico And then what was
done2 f was incorporated into that Territory with th
"That when admitted as State, the said Territory, OF
anv norton of the same shall be received Into the Union
with or without slavery their constitution may PRESCRIBE
Vs ~, the very bi and section from which they quote
cute Off all that part of Texas which was TO be Tree oy ne
Missouri Compromise together WIN sJs 'n
md then s,ys tha. that Territory and every portion OF Inc
same shall come into the Uuon with or without slavery az
il sees proper. oe ,.o .,,,a a.,
,roydss that the legislative power and authority OF this said
Trory of New Mexico shalt extend TO ell rghul subjects
of legislation consistent with the constitution OF ms
and the provisions of the act not excepting slavery
Thus the New Mexico BILL from which they make ,,u ina
quotation contained the provision that New mexico, loclu
that mart Of Texas which cut off, should ccme ato
the Union with without slavery IS 1t saw proper ana 10
the mean time tho territon, Legislature should nave all e
authority the sutec, Of slavery ,ha; they haa Over any
other subject restricted only by the limitations OF the con
stltu,ion of the United States and the provisions
of the act. Now, ask those senators, 90 no.
those provisions repeal Missouri Compromse 90 Tar q.
it applied tim. country cut of from Texas Do they mol
apnuh7 Do they not supersode it2 II they do, then e
address which has been put forth 10 the world BY these con
Ssdr,,tests an arocous falsehood II they do not then
Sst do ,hey mean when they charge with having Ia
the subsuie Gre, reported from the committee repealed H.
min having anuuled IT, with having violated H.
copied p.eess words; sSos 'So hs
c.sS Contained Ia the New Mexico bill They Say
NV bill .Unus the Missouri II III aoss ma.
,eadv been done before by the act OF ss iot ese
sgsre Copied frocs the act Of 1850 : 49,
Mr. Wade Why do yop do u over sgain
ponsss viii cometo that point presently ana n,,
n,,n yhy we did It again am now aeaIhg ing VIII VIII