The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-01-19

put on the basis of the Compromise of 1850
just as Utah was, leaving the question of the
exclusion or admission of Slavery an open oees
ton, demonstrate the absolute necessity of an
nexing to the bill, as it stands a clause reaf
firming the Proviso of the Missouri act of 1920
As the old parties have been pledged, through
their National Conventions TO sustain the Com
promises of 1850, the supporters of this Bill
will tell them that such reafirmation would
be violation Of that pledge, as it would be in
conflict with those measures. If there exist
such conflict it rs time the country should
know it. If the Compromise of 1850 repealed
the Proviso of the Missouri act it was more
corrupt and wicked than even its opponents
considered it. But, so far from this assumption
being true, the Missouri Compromise was sane
toned, and its Principle reaffrmed, in the Com
promise of 1850. This point has hitherto been
overlooked
August 7th, 1850, the Texas Boundary Bill
being under discussion in tho Senate, Mr.. Ma
SOD, of Virginia, moved the following, which
was adopted:
4" Provided, That nothing herein contained
shall be construed TO impair or qualify any
thing contained in the 81 article OF the I'd sec
ton Of the joint esolu;ion for annexiDg Texas
to the United States, approved Match 1, I845,
either in regard 10 the number of States that
may hereafter lee Termed out Of the State Of
Texas, or otheracise."
What is this famous third article thus ex-
plictly and carefully guarded 1t is the ex-
tension of the principle of the Missouri Com
promise to Texas, as follows
"That new States of convenient size, not ex-
ceeding four in number, in addition to said
State Of Texas, and having sufficient popula-
ton may hereafter by the consent of said State
be formed out of the Territory thereof, which
shall be entitled to admission, under the provi-
sion of the Federal Constitution. And such
States as may be formed Of that portion of said
Territory lying south of SO deg. 80 min. north
latitude, commonly known as the Missouri
Compromise line, shall be admitted into the
Union, with or without Slavery, as the people
of each State asking admission may desire.
And in such State or States as shall be formed
out Of said Territory north Of said Missouri
Compromise line Slavery or involuntary seryi-
tude, except for crime, shall be prohibited
Thus, by the act of the Compromises them
selves, the Principle Of the Missouri Proviso
was reaihrmed liz and engrafted upon one OF the
Compromise Measures of lS50-its object then
being to secure certain advantages to Slavery.
BY their own act they are barred from resist
ing the reaffi-mation Of the Proviso itself in
connection with Bill ignoring that great
measure in relation to the very Territory which
it was intended to protect forever" from
Slavery. What was not repugnant to the Com
promises of 1850, when Slavery was to be ben
Gifted, cannot be repugnant to them in 1854,
when Liberty is to be secured in its just rights.
Let the resolution of Mr.. Mason be taken as
a precedent, and en- amendment be intro
duced-that nothing herein contained shall be
construed to impair Or qualify anything con-
tanned i'm the section OF the act for admit
ting Missouri rs State into the Union.
Nothing can be more reasonable more fit,
moro necessary.