The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-04-07
SPEECH OF W. P. FESsENDEN,
OF MAINE,


sair,i the RYeal Of The Missouri Pr0hi6'tiO",
Norh Of 90 80.
DeErered IN the Senate Of the United States,
Mareh 3, 1854, on the bill 10 establish Ter.
ritorial Governments IA Nebraska and
kanSdS.
Concluded.
Well sir, the Compromise measures OF
1850 became the law Of ,he land. We had
acquired new territory fIom Mexico, and
new questions arose. And, sir, although
the whole Of that newly.acquired territory
was free territory in every sense OF the
word, vet, California could only come into
this Uuion as free State, OIL the condition
that two Territories, Ut h and New Mexico,
should be so organized tha, they might here
a,,er become slave States. Such was the
COMPROMISE of 1850 in this Particular.
wish Senators 10 understand that do not
recognize ,ha, so-called Compromise rs in
any manner binding upon me. Though
member Of the whig Convention at Balli-
more, which made those Compromise meas
ures part OF its platform, my honorable
friend from Geo. LA Mr.. Dawson will bear
me witness - for we were both members
of the committee which reported those res.
olutions lha, | refused my assent 10 The
T. oluiion endorsing those measures. But
they became the law OF the land, and are
r, cognized throughout the country rs a
compromise and BY those measures the
South OBJ nrd all il could reasonably anlic-
pate or desire.
Mr.. President, il has been claimed for
.hese Compromise measures OF 1850, iha,
they satisfied all parties, anu res,sred peace
To distracted country. Secessionisis. dis.
unionis,s a, the South, men who stand, |
suppose, in thu particular, upou the same
level with TIE fanatic aud senlimenialis':
were hardy dispo ed 10 remain quiet; bu,
The great mass OF The people, North and
South, seemed willing 10 avoid all fuilher
agitation, and wait The event. Why were
they 50 dispcAedt Sir, The whole country
had been threatened with dissolution ol
the Union. We heard much OF concord
and bro,herly love. We Of The free States,
esnecially. were ominously informed iha,
certain tiie-eaiing gentlemen OF The South
were about TO dissolve the Union within a
week; end, If rightly recolleci, il was
dissolved some two or three times, IN tins
very Chamber. Al any rate the day was
appointed; but, from some delec, in the ar.
rangemenis, il slipped BY, aud the thing
was not done the bolt did not fall. Sir,
!, is well understood that upon iha, threat,
that p,eience, the free States were induced
10 yield the Wilmo, proviso. know !, was
argued iha, slavery could never 20 inio
those territories - Utah and New Mexico ;
that !, vas excluded by law OF Providence,
in its nature, stronger than all
human laws, which rendered the Ordinance
OF 1887, as applied 10 those Territories, not
only useless, bot absurd. If such wrS be.
lieved to be the fact, what was the occasion
of 80 much angry exciiemen,l Was the
Union 10 be- dissolved for a mere abstraction
-an idea that, If carried out, could lead 10
10 practical result!
Well, sir. the people Of the free States
have, pretty generally, chosen 10 submit
As a private citizen, I have been willing to
conien, myself with The right TO abhor The
institution Of slavery a. much as | pleased ;
no, wishing to interfere with il in any way
within the limits Of any State - either thai
Of the Senator f;om Georgia, MI. Dawson
or any other; having no desire 10 disturb
his rights under the constitution, or the
rights OF any other person, directly OF indi.