The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-03-18


ana West are aroused, and that Missouri should not
elrograde or humble herself All these eminent men, whom
the gentleman from Massachusetts called up as authority
Tor his position, are directly against him
Upon these facts principles and authorities submit my
hrd proposition 20 the Senate proseto that the
Missouri of 1870 COMPROMISE 10 any senss of
that term, but unconstitutional usupaon of power re-
pudaed by both the North and the South and should be
repealed voave Of the fundamental law Of land and
Of the unquestonabe rights OF American citizens
proceed invite the attention Of senators to the
last point which / propose submitting them. II is
much relied upon" especially by the senator from Mas
saehusetts That senator, upon former OCCASION well
IN his speech yesterday said that the early policy Of the
government restrain and localze slavery, and that
th's bill is therefore IN opposition TO that policy shall
proceed to show that that has totally pprehend
ed or wholly misrepresens the early policy OF the country
and has failed to make out even priua e case lie sup
ort OF this theory The great of that senator Ia the
threshold Of his argument u.s. in assuming the individual
ansavery opinions of many Of the leading men of tho
last quarter of the eighteenth century be the policy of
the government IL undoubtedly that opposition to
slavery during that period the almost universal idea
OF the northern States and by limited al the south
ern States Bot It is equally true that that Idea was not
impressed on the national policy. And ~ tact well
worthy Of the consideration of hs senator, that this anti
slavery IDEA has advanced inch, bat, the
ary has ecedeo during the first half of the nineteenth
| century $500
Nov, anti slavery opinions unknown the South,
and are certainly eaty modified IN the North snce tho
formal Of our constitution The lessons of British and
French emancipation Americs have not been lost upon
the American people Men have greater experience
OF the woraipgs of emancipation and clearer conception
of the Whole subject when has rsdounded to adj
vancement of obo ton ides he nj century
off many of the fbrs of the eighteenth and this among
others have sought for the policy Of sthcrs, in
The individual opinons Of Of them, but the collec-
I'VE VIII OF the whole society. We MIST look 70 the
siiuuon and laws for This collective viii they and they
Alone utter the early ICY pubic policy If the Rep bic
When we look to the sutton We find anriavery
policy planted IN that instrument On the contrary d that
AMP provides for the perpeiuty and To the extnc-
of slavery. provides for recapre and of
fngives from labor from every portion of the republics Ii
provides for additional securities ~ the form Of increased
preston of nsarecton among slaves and pledges the
whole power of the republic for that purpose II provides
suppression Of the African saverade for twenty years and
permitting forever The history OF this last provision
worthy OF special note. Virginia and Maryland had for
hidden the African savetrade the the constitution
formed, and North Carolina had greatly trameed il
yet the constitution swept away these RESTRICTIONS and COM
PEELED those States to permit the trade against their
declared pocy and this was done by tho votes Of New
England against Virginia and Maryland.
repeat these clauses of the provided for the
perpeuity, and the extinction of slavery Here the
policy Of fathers was unmsakaby written down, and
the writing cannot be perverted. There not single
clause in that instrument which provides for looks the
abolition restriction Of slavery anywhere Il 10
doubtedy that many of the Of tho constuon
both from the North and the South, ant-savery
they freely proclaimed their opinons but they planted
of them the organic law but left the whole subject
be managed by those interested in it, Therefore, 20 far
from beng that the constitution localized slavery,
natonalzed It and is the only property which it does
natonaiize except the works of genius and ART.
la the face of these provisions Of the constitution the
senator from Massachusetts Mr.. SuAsER continues
that the uniform policy Of fathers opp ion
slavery. The policy of the government after the frma
ion Of the government up to 1870, was equally csvs
against the statements of the senator lie asserted in
speech this floor two and reiterated - m
important fact, think many three times in his late
SPEECH when President Washington took the oath Of
Office in l7es that the national flag did not hoat over one
inch of slave territory belonging TO the national Union.
appreciate the importance Of the statement 70 the
arguments IT were true but as uAmPortani - IT,
that unounded in fact. Before the eons
formed the Northwest Ter TORY ceded To the
United Sa,es with prohibition of slavery but that
very the United States claimed and held lags
of territory in the south portion of the Unon
which settled and occupied by slayehoders under the
protection Of the flag of the Union.
will explain its history in It's order That senator, TO
bis case suppresss material portion Of the
Of the first Congress under the constitution That Con-
gress accepted the of the Northwest Territory with
provision against slavery and provided for Its govern
men nd the Congress accepted the cess'on of Ten
nessee from North Caro- ina with provaion protecting
slavery and provided for its government extended the
ordinance Of 1851 that and ts territory the
south west excluding the sixth and last item, which was the
the sntsavery clause Of that ordinance Therefore, If II
had been that when Washington took the oath Of
Office the American flag did foai inch of slave
territory belonging the Union he and his first Congress
altered this of things and hoisted the American
flag slave territory larger than oil Of the then free States
of the Union
The ordinance of 1871 was declared by Madison to be
whou, shadow Of constitutional authority; but the first
Cor gress accepted compact already made with ali Of il
provisions and another compact with North Carolina with
different provision regard slavery and protected both
power -
that the first Congress took pains to exclude sa
very, or did, IN fsc exclude from single inch OF the
pubic domain
The territorial in the Southwest that Of 1913,
the country which have referred This territory
peculiarly situated. After the peace Of 1863, when
FLORIDA severed from aio passed the hands
Of England The boundary Of Georgia Of the Cha'ta
hooche along parallel Of north littude,
but upon he peuon IL De Board Of Trade Of London,
representing that the SOUTH portion OF the territory
Of Georgia from the local government, the
Brush government altered the boundary Of Gsorgs by
nexing all that portion Of the State beginning the mouth
Of the Yazoo yer running due east to the Chattahoochs
thence down that the 3lst ptae of north lsu-
Je, thence the Mississippi and thence % the Min
ppi 10 the moah Of the Yszoo 70 the Territory of West
Florida The boundary Of Georgia stood ti0s AZ th time
Of the revoiuon and upon the peace Of l7s3 Ban
coded Florida Span oayng the territory before described
within the limits Of the United Stats, bat not within the
boundary Of any state
The general government therefore claimed and in 1885,
erected territorial government extended the ordi-
Of 1857 i, expressly excluding the sixth
ansavery clause OF thar ordnance MS was the cleaest
Indication Of NATIONAL policy this subject Which had
up to thai tune This rrltory ella md BY the
ment without estrioton Whatever from any quarter
Il was the first of original primary untsstcrcd
irisdiction the publis domain snd, giving
government the Congress Of 1885, with John Adsms Pres
dent expressly exciudei the prohibition Of slavery from
IL the would say, dedicated slavery. There
fore, during the whole of the administration of General
Washington, and during every administration from tba, day
to this the of the Union has Anated Tco-
RES belonging to the Unon and preced under s broad
folds every OF every American citizen. Such has
been the domestic policy Of this government