Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1854-05-19

could not have been made without the auul'
iion Of the saH~ clauso for the recovery Of fu.
gitivc slaves.
Thus, all three compromises are settle
ments Of existing questions, and intended to
be perpetual. They are all three OF equal
moral validity. The constitutional comPro-
mise is guarded by a higher obligation IN
consequence OF its incorporation in that in
sirumcnt; but it in no way differs from the
other two in the circumstances which induced
il, the policy which guards it, or the conso-
ouenccs which would flow from It's abrosa-
tiou. 4 proposition to destroy the slavery
compromises in the constitution would be an
open proposition to break up the Union ;
the alicmp, To abrocaio the compromises OF
I l7s7 and 1890 would bo virtual attempts TO
destroy the harmony OF the union, and pre-
paro it for dissolution, by destroying the
confidence and affection, in which it is fouud-
ed.
The Missouri compromise Of 1890 is a con.
tinua,ion Of the ordinance Of l7s7-i,s cx.
tension to the since acquired territory West
Of the Mississippi, and no way differing from
/, either in principle or detail. Tho ordi.
nance Of I7s7 divided the then territory Of
the United States about equally between the
free and slave states the Missouri ComPrO-
misc line Jid the same by the additional ter
ri,ory Of the United States as it stood in
$500: and in both cases It was done by act
OF Concress, and was the settlement Of i
difficulty which was To last forever. ] con-
slider them both, with their faCilivc.slayc.rc-
covery clauses. AMI the similar clause in the
constitution, a, part and parcel Of the same
trarsac,on-diiTclcn articles in the same
general settlement.
Tho an,i.s'a,cry clause 10 the ordinance Of
l7s7 could not have been put in (ls was
proved by It's three years rcjcciion) wiihou,
the fugitive slave recovery clause added To It,
The constitution could not have been formed
without the recognition Of slavery in tho
states which chose IL, and the right of rcco,-
oring slaves focnc to the free states. The
Missouri Compromise could no, have been
settled o1csp, by prohibition Of slavery IN the
upper half Of the territory Of Iouisiinr; aud
that prohibition could no, have been obtained
without the righ, to recover fugitive slaves
from tho par, ualo free.
Thus, the three measures are one, and the
ordnance Of I7-7 father Of the other two.
1, l,i TO the adoption Of the fugitive slave
clause IN the construction, and VIC NAV say,
,o the formation OF the constitution itself
which could no, have been adopted without,
tha, clause, anI the recognition of slave prop
cr,y IN which 1t WIS founded. This vital
act results of itself from the history of the
case. In March ct the wear l7si, the Nir.
rinia delegation in the then Corgrc,, Of the
confederation. headed by Mr. Jefferson and
~. Monroe, conveyed the northwestern ter
ri,ory to the thirteen United States. In the
month Of April ensuing, ,he organizing mind
Of Mr. Jefferson, always bent upon systems
and administration, brouch, in an orliuanc.
ior the so,ornmcn, Of Ihe territory so convey
cl, with tho an,i.sla,ery clause as par, Of
il, TO take c.Itc, in the year $500 bu, with
ou, clause iur the recovery Of fugitive
slaves. FOrthO want Of this provision III.
ani.slarsry cause wa, opposed by tho slave.
holding states, AMI rejected, and the ordin-
aace was passed vithol, It. In July of the
year I7s7, tho ordinance was rcmolellcd,
the anti slave cause, with the fugitive slave
recovery clause, as they nov stand, were in
serted in it; and in the shape Of the ordin-
anca had the unanimous vote Of every state
prcscn,-cigh, in the whole-and an equal
number Of slayc and free states present.
Thus, it is clear ,ha, The an,i-slaycry cause
In the ordinance Of l7s7 could not have pass.
el wi,bou, the fugitive slave recovery clause
annexed. They wcro inscParablc in their
birth. and mus, be so IN their life; aud those
who love orc mcsi acccp, the other.
This was done in the month Of July, ia
the city Of New York, where the Congress
Of the confederation then sat. The Na,ona!
Convention was sitting at the same time in
the city Of Philadelphia, a, work upon the
federal constitution. Two bodic, were in
constant communication with each other, and
some leading members, (as Mr.. Madison and
General lIamilon,) were members Of each,
and attended by turns in each. The cOnsti-
tuition was finished in September, aud TO
ceived the fugitive slave recovery clause i'm
media,cly after its insertion in the ordinance.
I, was the work Of the samc hands, and at
the same time, in both instruments and III
we'll known ,ha, the constitution could not
have been formed without that clause.
Thus the compromise in the ordinance is
father to the compromise clause in the con-
su,u,ion aud the Missouri Compromise re-
suits from both aud all three stand before
US as founded in the same circumstances, IN.
duced by the same considerations, and direct
ed by the same policy-,hai Of tho peace,
harmony and perpeiuity Of this Union. In
point Of moral obligation consider them
equal, and resulting from conditions which
render them indispensable. Two of them
have all the qualities of comPromiso-lhOsc
Of the ordinance and Of tho constitution
They are founded in agrecmcni-in consent
-in compac,-and arc as sacred aud inyiola-
bic as human agreements can DO. The third