Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-05-24

alone" policy would precipitate crisis which
must inevitably result in violence, anarchy, and
strife.
You cannot fix bounds to the onward march Of
this great and growing country You cannot
letter the limbs of the young giant. He will
burst all your chains. He will expand, and
grow, and increase, and extend civilization,
Christianity and liberal principles. Then, sir,
il you cannot check the growth Of the country in
that direction, is it not the part of wisdom to look
the danger in the face, and provide for an event
which you cannot avoid. tell you, sir, you must
provide for continuous lines Of settlement from
the Mississippi valley to the Pacific ocean. And
in making this provision, you must decide upon
what principles the Territories shall be organized;
in other words, whether the people shall be al
lowed to regulate their domestic institutions in
their own way, according to the provisions of this
bill or whether the opposite doctrine of congress
siona interference is to prevail. Postpone it, it
you will; but whenever you do act, this question
must be met and decided.
The Missouri CT mpromise was interf, renee; the
compromise of 1850 was non-interference, leav-
ing the people to exercise their rights under the
Constitution The Committee on Territories
were compelled to act upon this subject. !, as
their chairman, was bound to meet the question.
choose to take the responsibility, regardless of
consequences personal to myself. ! should have
done the same thing last year, if there had been
time; but we know, considering the late period
at which the bill then reached US from the House,
that there was not sufficient time to consider the
question fully, and to prepare report upon the
subject. | was, therefore, persuaded by friends
to allow the bill to be reported to the Senate, in
order that such action might be taken as should
be deemed wise and proper. The bill was
tok I'M fnr anfion.-fha last niuhf Of tho
session having been exhausted in debate on
motion to take up the bill. This session, the
measure was introduced by my friend from Iowa,
Mr.. Dodge, and referred to the Territorial COM
mittee during the first week of the session. We
have abundance of time to consider the subject;
it was a matter Of pressing necessity, and there
was no excuse for not meeting it directly and
fairly. We were compelled to take our position
upon the doctrine either of intervention or nom
intervention. We chose the latter for two rea-
sons: first, because we believed that the princi-
pie, adopted in 1850, to which the two great po-
ltcal parties of the country were solemnly pledg-
ed.
There is another reason why desire to see
this principle recognized as rule of action in all
time to come. 1t will have the effect to DESTROY
all sectional parties and sectional agitatons. IT,
in the language of the report of the committee,
You withdraw the slavery question from the Halls
of Congress and the political arena, and commit
it to the arbitrament OF those who are immedi-
ateIy interested in and alone responsible for its
consequences, there is nothing left out of which
sectional parties can be organized. 1t never
was done, and never can be done on the bank,
tariff, distribution, or any other party issue which
has existed or may exist, after this slavery ques-
ton is withdrawn from politics. On every other
political question these have always supporters
and opponents in every portion of the Union
in each State, county, village, and neghborhood
residing together in harmony and good-fellow-
ship, and combating each other opinions and
correcting each others errors in spirit of kind
ness and friendship These differences of opin-
ion between neighbors and friends, and the dis
cussons that grow out of them, and the sympa-
thy which each feels with the advocates of his
own opinions in every other portion of this wide
spread Republic, adds all overwhelming and ir-
resistibe moral weight to the strength of the
Confederacy. Affection for the Union can never
be alienated or diminished by any other party is
sues than those which are joined upon sectional
or geographical lines. When the people of the
North shall all be rallied under one banner, and
the whole South marshaled under another banner,
and each section excited to frenzy and madness
by hostility to the institutions of the other, then
the patriot may we'll trenble for the perpetuity of
the Union. Withdraw the slavery question from
the political arena, and remove it to the States
and Territories, each to decide for itself, such a
catastrophe can never happen. Then you will
never be able to tell, by any Senator's vote for
or against any measure, from what State or Sec
ton of the Union he comes.
Why, then, can we not withdraw this vexed
question from politics! Why can we not adopt
the principle of this bill as a rule of action in
all new territorial organizations! Why can we
not deprive these agtators of their vocation, and
render it impossible for Senators to come here
upon bargains on the slavery question:! believe
that the peace, the harmony, and perpetuity of
the Union require us to 60 back to the doctrines
Of the Revolution, to the principles of the Con-
stitution to the principles of the compromise of
$780, and leave the people, under the Consttu-
ton, to do as they may see proper in respect to
their own internal affairs.
Mr.. President, have not brought this question
forward as northern man or as southern man.
am unwilling to recognize such divisions and
distinctions. / have brought it, forward as an
American Senator, representing State which is
true to this principle, and which has approved of
my action in respect to the Nebraska bill. I
have brought it forward not as an act of Justice
to the Suuth more than to the North | have
presented it especially as an act of Justice to the
people of those Territories, and of the States to
be formed therefrom, now and in all time to
come. have nothing to say about northern
rights or southern rights. know of no such d.
visions or distinctions under the Constitution.
The bill does equal and exact justice to the whole
Union, and every part of it, it violates the rights
of no State or Territory; but places each on
perfect equality, and leaves the people thereof
to the free enjoyment of all their rights under
the Constitution.
Now, sir, wish to say to our southern friends
that if they desire to this great principle car
ried out, now is their time to rally around it, to
cherish it. preserve it, make it the rule of action
in all future time. If they fail to do it now, and
thereby allow the doctrine of interference to pre-
vail, upon their heads the consequences of that
interference must rest. To our northern friends,
on the other hand, desire to say, that from this
day hence-forward, they must rebuke the slander
which has been uttered against the South, that