Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-02-07

standing Of the country. Here then, is a COM
pact complete, perfect, irrepealable, so far as
any compact can be said to be irrepealable,
which is embodied in legislative act. IL
had the two sections of the country for its par
ties, great territory for its snbject and per-
manent adjustment Of q dangerous controversy
for its object. IL was forced upon the free
States Il has been literally fulfilled by tho
free Statcs. II lie binding indeed, only upon
honor and conscience; but, in such matter,
the obligations Of honor and conscience must
be regarded as even more sacred than those Of
constitutional provisions
Mr. President, If there was any principle
which prevailed in this arrangement, it was
that of permitting the continuance of Slavery
in tho localities where ii actually existed at the
time Of the acquisition Of the Territory, and
prohibiting it in the paris Of Territory in which
no slaves were actually held. This was wide
departure from the original policy which con-
templated the exclusion Of Slavery from terri
tories in which it actually existed at the time
Of acquisition. But the idea that Slavery could
ever be introduced into free territory under
the sanction Of Congress, had not, as vet, en-
tered into any mans head.
Mr.. President, shall hasten TO q conclusion.
In 1848 we acquired vast territory from
Mexico. The free States demanded that this
territory, free when acquired, should remain
free under the Government Of the United
States. The Senator from Illinois tells MS that
no proposed the extension Of the Missouri Com
promise line through this territory, and he
complains hat it was rejected by the votes Of
the free States. So it was. And whya Be-
cause the Missouri Compromise applied to ter
ritory in which Slavery was already allowed
The Missouri prohibition exempted Il portion
Of this territory and tho larger portion, from
the evil. 1t carried ont, in respect to that the
original policy of the country. But the ex-
tension Of that line through the territory ac-
quired from Mexico, with the understanding
which the Senator from illinois and his friends
attached to ii, would introduce Slavery into a
vast region in which Slavery at the time Of
acquisition, was not allowed To agree to it
would have been to reverse totally the liginal
policy Of the country, and to disregard the
principle upon which the Missouri Compromise
was based
i is true that when tho controversy in respect
70 this Territory came to a conclusion, the pro-
visions Of the acts by which Territorial Gov
ernments were organized were in some respects
worse than that proposition Of the senator
While those bills protested to leave the question
OF Slavery or no Slavery in the Territories, I'M
affected BY their provisions to judicial decision,
they did, nevertheless, virtually decide the ques-
ton for all the territory covered by them, 30
far as legislation o0nld decide it, against Free
dom California, indeed was admitted as free
State; and by her admission the scheme of ex-
tending line Of slave States to the Pacific was
for the time defeated. The principle npon
which Northern friends Of the Territorial Com
promise acts vindicated their support OF them
was this Slavery is prohibited in these Terri
tories by Mexican law; that law is not repeal
Cd by any provision of the acts; indeed, said
many OF them, Slavery cannot exist in any Ter
rit0ry, except in virtue Of positive act of Con-
gress; no such act allows Slavery there; there
ia no danger, therefore that any slaves will be
taken into the Territory. Southern supporters
Of the measures sustained them upon quite on
poste grounds. Under the provisions Of the
Federal Constitution they said, the stakeholder
can hold his slaves in any Territory, in spite Of
any prohibition of q Territorial Legislature or
even Of an act Of Congress. The Mexican law
forbidding Slavery was abrogated at the mo-
ment of acquisition, by the operation Of the
Constitution. Congress has not undertaken to
impose any prohibition. We can, therefore,
take our slaves there, If we please
The committee tell us that this question was
left in doubt by the Territorial bills
What then, was the principle, If any upon
which this controversy was adjusted? Clearly
this That when free territory is acquired, that
part of it which is ready to come in as a free
State shall be admitted into the Union, and
that part which is not ready shall be organ
lied into Territorial Governments, and it's con-
dition in respect to Slavery or Freedom shall
DO left in doubt during the whole period Of its
Territorial existence.
Il is quite obvious, Mr.. President, how very
preiudicial such doubt must be to the settle
mcnt and improvement Of the Territory. But
must not pause upon this.
The truth is that the Compromise acts Of
1850 were not intended to introduce any prin-
ciple Of Territorial organization applicable to
any other Territory except TINT covered by
them. The protested object Of the friends Of
the Compromise acts was TO compose the whole
Slavery agitation. There were various matters
of complaint The non-surrcnder Of fugitivcs
from service was one. The existence of Slavery
and the slave trade here in this District and
elsewhere, under the exclusive jurisdiction Of
Congress- was another. The apprehended in
PRODUCTION or prohibition Of Slavery in the Ter
ritories furnished other grounds Of controversy.
The slave States complained Of the free States
and the free States complained Of the slave
States IL was supposed by some that this
whole agitation might be stayed, and finally
put at rest, by skllfully adjusted Legislation
So, sir, we had the Omnibus Bill and it's APP
pcndages, the Fugitive Slave Bill, and the Dis.
trict Slave Trade Suppression Bill To please
the North--to please the free States--C alifor-
mia was to be admitted and the slave depots
here in the District were 60 be broken up. To
please the slave States a stringent Fugitive
Slave Act was TO be passed. and Slavery was
to have chance to get into thenew Territories
The support Of the Senators and Representa-
tives from Texas was to be gained by liberal
adjustment of boundary and By the assumption
of large portion Of their State debt The
general result contemplated was complete
and final adjustment Of oil questions relating
to Slavery. The acts passed A number Of
tho friends Of the acts signed compact
pledging themselves 10 support no man for any
Office who would in any way renew the agita-
ton. The country was required to acquiesce
in the anttlemank ~ an ahanlufa finalitv