The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-04-01

uon of the committee the recommendation Of tn,
report and was not the legal effect of the bin on the con
ay the statements their subsequent speeches are true
@hat apology do those senators propose TO the Sen
ate and country for having sed the action OF the com
'tee ~ document over their signatures and thus
spread false alarm among the people, and msed the pub
nc nina IN respect 70 proeeedingsi Those senators
cannot avoid the the other of these alternatives Lei
them seize upon either and they condemned and self
convcted-in the by their manifesto and in the
other by their speeches In fact il is clear that they
understood the bill TO mean the thing and have the
same legal effect IN whatever phase has been presented
w hen hrss introduced they denounced proposition
TO abrogate the Missouri restriction When amended, they
repeated the same denuncaton; and each
amendment They now object TO the passage of the bill for
the same reason thus proving conclusvey that they have
not the least faith in the their statements
In respect to the mutations and changes in the bill.
they seem very unwilling the real issue. They
DO not like TO discuss the principle. There be
something which strikes them with when you invite
Their attention to sha great fundamental principle of popu-
lar sovereignty. Hence you find that all the memorials
hey have presented against repeating the Missouri Com
PROMISE and in favor OF the sanctity compacs favor
of preserving plghted faith The from Ohio is
cautious to dedicate his speech with such heading
Maintain Plghted Faith The object ia keep the
attention of the people far possible from this principle
OF sef-government and constitutional right
WE'LL SIR, what is this Missouri Compromise, of which
nave heard so much OF later L has been read so often
10 not necessary occupy the time Of the Senate in
reading again 1t was of Congress pasaed the
9th of March, 1890, TO authorize the people of Missouri to
form constitution and State government preparatory to
The admission of such State into the Union The first
ton provided that Missouri should be received the
Union on equal footing with the original States in all
respects whatsoever The last and eighth section provided
that slavery should be forever prohibited" in all the
tory which had been acquired from France north of SO deg
30 mn, and not included within the limits of the State Of
Missouri There nothing in the terms Of the law that
purports TO be compact indicates that anything
more than an ordinary act of legislation To prove that il
than il purports be face gentlemen
produce other evidence and prove that there such
understanding to create moral obligation in the
of a compact. Have they shown it,
hape h,,n .T
this whole debate, and that short paragraph from
Niess Register published few days after the passage of
the ac' But gentlemen that it solemn compact
which could not be violated abogated without dshonor
According to their understanding the contract that
IN consideration of the admission of Missouri the
Union on an equal footing with the original States, in all
respects whatsoever slavery should be prohibited forever in
the Territories north Of 36 deg 80 min. Now, who
the parties to this alleged compactl They tell that it
Yves stipulation between the North and the South. Sir,
know of no such parties under the constitution.
unwilling that there shall be any such parties known
legislation II there is such geographical line, it ought
be oberated forever and there should be other parties
than those provided for in the constitution viz the States
of this Union These the only parties capable of
tracing under the constitution of the United States.
Now, II this was compact let see how entered
INTO The bill originated in the House of Representatives
and passed that body without southern its favor
1t is proper to remark however that did that time
contain the eighth section prohibiting slavery in the Terri
tories but In lieu of it, contained provision prohibiting
slavery the proposed State of Missouri In the Senate
the clause prohibiting slavery the State stricken
and the eighth section added the end Of the BILL by the
terms of which slavery TO be forever prohibited in the
territory not embraced in the State of Missouri north of
80 deg 80 mn. The vote adding this section stood in
the Senate "a in the affirmative and 10 the negative OF
the northern senator's 30 voted for it, and against it, On
the question of ordering the bill third reading as
amended which was the test vote its passage the
stood "a yeas and 90 nays OF the northern senator's
only voted in the affirmative and IL in the negative. Thus
will be seen that if intended be compact the
Norh never agreed TO ii. The northern voted to
against ths passage o the pirf-r u ss'iorias. and
signed the compact consented never agreed to be
bound by it. This fact becomes very important IN yindi,
eating the character of the North for repudang this alleged
compromise a few months afterwards The act was APP
proved and became law the 9Th Of March, ls2o In
The summer Of that year the people of Missouri formed
constitution and State government preparatory to admls-
into the Unon IN conformity with the act AT the
session of Congress- the Senate passed nt resou
ton declaring Missouri TO be OF the States OF the Union
on an equal footing with the original States Thus resoh-
ton the House Of Representatives, where was
rejected by northern and thus Missouri was voted out
OF the Unon instead OF being received into the Union under
the act Of the 9Th of March, $780, known the Mis-
sour Compromise Now, what becomes of our pighed
faith if the of the 9th Of March, 1920, was solemn
compact, as todf They have all rung the
changes upon IT, that a sacred and irrevocaoe COM
pact binding in honor, IN conscience and morals which
could be violated repudated without perhdy and DIS
honor The two senator's from Ohio Mr. CHASE and Mr.
WApE,l the senator from Massachusetts, Mr. SUMNER,
the senator from Connecticut MIR sarrn the senator from
New York. mir. SEwARp,l and perhaps others, have all
Mr.. SEWARD. VIII the senator excuse me for a
momenti
Mr.. DOUGLaS. Cerainy.
Mr. SEWARD. Mr. President, have foreseen that 1t
would be probable that the honorable senator from Illinois
would have occasion to reply many arguments which
have been made by the opponents of this measures and IT
would therefore, to create necessity, on the part OF
the opponents of BILL his arguments afterwards
Yet the time meaning 10 be far and desiring TO
have no such advantage the last word but TO leave TO
him TO whom rightly belongs had proposed, hagrccabe
TO him when should anything which conrovertcd
nv own POSITION make the answer during his speech,
instead of deferring until afterwards 10 me the last
word is never Of any advantage but know that Is to
him. and ought be regarded by him have word to
say here and propose to say another word at another
time but If it be all uncomfortable TO the senator, Will
reserve what have to cay until after he concludes.
Mr. DOUGLAS. If il will take bat minute will yield
now, but if the take considerable time prefer
! TO 20 myself
i Mr. SEWARD. No, sir; make no long speeches any
where never make a long speech; and therefore would
prefer saving have to submit now, If the honorable
senator prefers IT.
i Mr.. DOUGLAS Very we'll
4 Mr.. SEWARD | thought he would. In the first place
find that the honorable senator is coming upon my owr
ground in regard compromises.
II Mr. DOUGLAS That is not vindicaton Of any poin
which have attacked hope the honorable senator vii
state his point
MIR SEWARD 1 am going to state the point, and
will state nothing but the point Whoever Will refer to my
antecedcnts viii find that in the year 1850 expressed
opinions the subject of legislative compromises between
the North and South which, at that day, were rejected
and repudisted.
Mr. DOUGLAS II the object of the senator is to q
hack and 20 through all his opinions, cannot yield thu
door To him but If his object is TO show that tn
) North did not violate the Missouri Compromise, vii
IL. alo m