The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-03-31
LOUIS 0. C0WAN, Editor and Proprietor.


10 carry with il the appearances Of equality.
But us a matter Of history, il is known that
this rule Of representation was much con.
tested and single glance at the condition
OF the country at tha, time will readily ex.
plain why il was so. Senators are, undoub.
edly, much more familiar with this matter
than | am, for they have considered aud
weighed il much more than have. Sir,
on looking back 10 ,ha, early time, we see
that the boundaries Of the United States
were fixed and determined. In some Of
the States slavery had died out, and in 9th
ers, from whatever cause, II was las, passing
away. The limits Of slave territory and
free territory in the old thirteen, were then
as well understood and defined in mems
minds as they are al The present day ON the
face OF the earth. Under these circum-
stances, known as ihess facts were, and
with the limits Of this country so specifi.
cally described and understood, il was wise
for the trainers Of the Constitution, and for
the people, TO understand, and il is 10 be
presumed ,ha, they did understand, jus,
how far this inequality in the Constitution
of the United States would operate upon
that portion Of the country which was DIES.
tined TO be free country. say il was as
well understood then as j, is now; and that ii
vas so, has become, as we may well sup
pose, a matter of history. The objections
iha, were made 10 that provision in The con.
st,uiion n, The time twas formed were done
away or overrued, and the North, or, rs /
suppose then there was no North, the flee
States, or those destined 10 be free, consid.
cred themselves, and at the time must have
been considered, TO have reasoned as they
did reason, that the effect Of that institution
upon the political power of the country
must necessarily be limited by The extent
Of that which remained, and would remain,
slave country. The Ordinance OF 1857 had
been passed, and was in operation, and was
recognized, and lha, tended 10 render still
more and still better defined how far this
provision in the Constitution would operate
against wha, was 10 be the free portion OF
this country, aud how far this inequality in
the Constitution was TO affect the rights and
interests OF The North.
But, sir, in process OF time wha, did we
seel The North has been accused here Of
endeavoring TO oppress The South, and Of
wishing TO limi, the power Of The South un.
der The Constitution. Did the free States
ever exhibi, any disposition 10 limit ,ha,
power, so long as their action was confined
10 the original territory Of tins country? Was
there any objection 10 the admission Of
Kentucky as slave State, or 10 the admis.
sion Of Tennessee as slave State! Was
there any agitation then upon the subject!
Was there any fanaticism Was there any
objection to the admission Of any one State
formed out of that which was originally
slave ,erri,ory-Mssissippi or Alabama =
None at all, sir. They came in as readily,
and met with as little objection from the
the Congress OF the United States. This is
all matter Of history, matter Of common
knowledge. Everybody knows i, who is
at all familiar with the history of this
Union.
But the purchase Of the Louisiana terri.
tory created new state Of things. Slavery
existed there a, the time Of the purchase
That acquisition was generally admitted n,
the time, and is now generally admitted on
both sides of this Chamber, 10 have been a,
least Of doubtful constitutional proprie,y.-
The honorable Senator from Connecticut,
(Mr. Toucey) was The first, believe, >in
this debate, who has said that he considered
il perfectly juslifable under the Cons,i,u-
ton. II was not so considered nj the time
II has very seldom been so considered since
by the best authorities upon the Consii,u-
,ion Of the country. II has been pretty
generally admitted that il was, in poin, of
fact, beyond the original intention of the
trainers of the Constitution, and has been
justified only as matter Of necessity
But, waving that, Louisiana became the
property Of the Union by virtue OF purchase
in the year 1903. think that is the date (;
but exac, dates are Of little consequence
Soon aller thai-some years ailer-a propo-
si,ion was made TO atlmi, Louisiana into The
Union us State. What was the effect OF
tina, admission We had already four new
slave States, l think, with eight Senators on
this floor, without objection OF the part OF
the free States. Louisiana was proposed as
new State 10 come into the Union, chang
ing The condition Of things as il existed al
the time the Constitution was formed,
and giving 10 the South more and new
power, not intended, no, fcreseen, and
not anticipated by the North, or by the free
States; for am unwilling 10 repeat North
and South 50 continually, us il there were
no other points of The compass in This coun.
try. Louisiana came into the Union as n
State. Was there any lanaiicism upon the
subject! Was there any difficulty made
by The free States then! Did they throw
themselves in the way Of the prosperity of
the slave States! Did they make any dis
,urbance about the "peculiar institution! I"
The moment Louisiana was admitted, more
power than ever was anticipated under the
Constitution was acquired by the slave por-
lion Of this country; but was there any objec-
tion or the part Of the free States, No, at all
II the subject was mentioned, il was passed
over without creating any difficulty any
where. And whyl Because ii seemed TO
be matter Of proprie,y or necessity. AS
my honorable friend, The Senator from Mas.
sachusei,s, has said, you could no, have
done Otherwise, excep, by mere act Of alb
clifton by saying distinctly that Louisiana
should not come in ai all until j, had taken
measures 10 abolish slavery; n condition
the free States did not propose perhaps,
did no, desire. Was there any ground Of
complain, here on the par, Of The slave
States OF this Union. Had they any right
to say, under the circumstances, thai there
had been any illberaiiy, any faualicism,
any desire 10 lmi, their power, or 10 coniine
them within narrow boundsl Soon after
that, some seven or eish, years, Missouri
was proposed for admission, and Arkansas
became Territory. That was slave terri.
tory too. Slaves were there, believe, al
the time OF cession.
But by this ,ime-and il is not remark
able-,he fee States Of this Union began 10
inquire wha, was 10 tie the end and efiec,
ot all this. Here was territory which was
no, in the Union n, the start. Here is terri.
tory extensive enough 10 make some six,