Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-06-27

! Mr.. Chairman. il has been Objected Ia th,F l'ieaFui'
fiat il il :. mrr" abstraction. Not Il lr.lilia ,S''"
;iua. Sir. Il they hal only ,ala"i i; II T;i''h' ~
structiun, i, mus. have been 81 pnil;.hlaiIk sI',"' Wv
there would have been nothing i'i: - US nt - =
fire precipitG,rly and in-i"rinrsly rom 'ie n'"'
but they were content Ia chnracirri|e" y "a :" ~
abstraction, Involving IL" practical ISSUE: nv, w =,
suv, they mean IL assume Tint slavery VIII u" ~ .s
tajiislrd / in the Territory, even If lie ~. "e,"n:"s "
law. Well. ROW. sir, how do they rs,anilr'i tlA. lto.
position Not argHCHdO; not rs REASONING d NIm,.'
not by my process of ratiocinn!:o:i; MOI y! :" y.
la'iun Of the pr!rrondr'ni.cr Of l'; r. wIirh nr'l;nar;.
I'M exposition of any Irra; pTiltclilc' "ill.h mu'nai :
lyrr,.lrnls the conduct OF men. NJ, cir, iiIF riaiAi IL Is
n species of pns.ula.c: they seek 10 establish II d! tcsll'
,nnny;nn hv cvi!eucr hut ~cs,imnny. hoy nave HTrhy'
d,hc names of several HONORABLE; Scna',rE' Mn" INV
a. :, In. urobal,iitv az southern institutions hc"oiilii1
established in the Territories, and who intimate, i 81
the most ,nri. fuul,criug opinions that slavery VIII
moi h" i"'m""snng esia1l h,I =, '"I ~ ,ho H in.';,n,;"u hr
carried into The Territories, il mist hc hy In" influence
of natural curscs, and we ARE authorised 10 lnlcr il'Hi
The same cause. will continue il thcrc unit! II shall
have performed liz functions. How long that VIII Dc
none of Us are qualified 10 pronounce; nm Tue 'ntol.
of the Senators will lie antslicd il II gu illcr'
and remain Tor centuries, and shall tinailv disappear
at any point along the vast infinite of time.
| shall not venture AN opinion i'll opposition I" tha'
of the honorable Senators, hccnusc Sucii presumption
would PASS for noughi, hu. ii ! should call upon gen
tlcncn, who nddnce them M authority here; 10 SIM
n reason for The faith that is in thcm. | rather l''''N
they sill be found at fault.
Why should not the institutions of the SCUM penc'
tratc the Territory Of kmsHs! VIVA! Is lhcTc
pei them Shall ,ley be repealed b. place, locally.
climate, soil, staple, cnpucity, for prodnrli"n' u, Il II
the operation Of any one OF those great rrihci'lee ~
nature, TO which philosophers refer, ms c'crn.n," ;,ins
manners and habits aud customs tHc P."pv ,annIo
color, character, capacities, and apli,nies y, i" + n nrn1.
Where is Kansas! Duo west troln Missouri III ltI u.
innate locality, separated from II iy IN "f M. W.
southern boundary, resting On the tiiirif t"n,hor
gree of north latitude, is just one nan "SStev Is
,urt. than the southern boundary "' !'h'""'.. -.
n,rrhcrn boundary, resting on the i"i'ir'h "eSFcc " "
north latitude, is Just one half degree fat'hct luz m.
than the northern boundary of Missouri cAt"n. ~
west from Missouri 10 about the summit oil l'
Rocky Mountains. Is there ANYTHING IN Us r"t.
lion to reject us 1t is precise! VIZ WI t' ". hcynrd
our imnsininss, lie capacity for production i,iost ~
finite. liz staples, tobacco, hemp, The ccrcai e'n'IH.
.,russ, live stuck--shHll il he taken Tor @IInuT ;:
southern men that such Il country, III "nch a i"'"t.:i
must necessarily reject our southern nr IL The
natural cause. which carried our institutions !" WIS
souri,, are in full force 10 carry them ~ NAUSEA "Ti
willis; | do no, presume to decide for other. ! sio"ii
ducmi il iatuiiy in me, AMI a:rcol i"ii'I'I" "n. , nJ
constituents, ii ! should neglect tnHiiakch u
vet honorable. ctur., 10 secure II Tor me ooull' =.
And. sir. | find il, the sucinl AMI political conailioh
,,i I,,,,.rrrnl,icul pnsi;iuI Of Missouri motives i"r me
snuu,rt If this measure, stronger, cNch' ',ah ~, -
which 7 have alluded. sliall content myself witl ilis
m ,"n, ,i,n.;,n tnti,;, rupic; hut every citizen at Missou-
r; wLn desires IN mainia:n the existing order oil HINES
there. must feel the necessity Of establishing an on:
ms, in Kansas. as essential 10 the safety OF Missouri
herself. And every citizen nj the South WI" VIII
glance at the geography 81 the c"nI'srE, anu .nc r"lin'
" nnnronchinr future. will recognize the vita! lnlpor-
tn,cr of establishing I'M outpost, n nrsdsf-hr"rf, on
tho hrrder nf the knasaa, with reference I" the terri
,orv south of kansas, and north oi Trxas-n territory
runprclIcul:ng an area oi three degrees ol lhtIlGd2,
,rJ liz, degrees nf longitude. And even Ill respect
:" T,r,us herself, il wonld he difficult Ia estimate the
Importance of establishing or institutions 'nr AWAY
in The north, on the inr:ict!I degree OF north ~iaii;tde'
from the Mississippi even to the summit
Of the Rocky Mountains.
Sir. | advocate This measure because II aii'rnis, Ii
nrtiaius, that Congress has no right - discriminate
lsuius; the South, and TO impose anti-slnrcry ressric-
iuil--cNcluding the institutions u! the Souil-wlIcn
organizing n territorial government. IL docs more,
I repca!- an Gnii-e.dvcry rcslric'iuil, winch II l!nhs III
lctual existence. 1t asrigls, Us q reason Tor thlS, mat
he enactment of II lGw by Congress excluding siavG-
y from "a Territory, is inconsistent; with a principle
Tor the control Of the future action ~ Con-
.res-, which is equivalent 20 the declaration Tint no
restriction shall BIZ imposed through The future.
The contest has bees: whether, in the or
OF Il territorial government, Ab"ll'i"n;siI
,houll impose an uuui.crallc condition tina; slavery
should never he admitted into the Tc.ri.nry? Now,
sc find in actual existence II provision that slnrcry
;hai! never be admitted west III the Mississippi, anu
,ortli of go &c north latitude. We tear that lrovi-
from the s,n,ure.h"nk. We firl i, in the ftnrc o;
AhoiitiUlism. arl declare That no similar provision
he enacted through all the future. Thus cstnh-
ishing IN important principles bulwnrk for the
uiurc defence "t the South.
| am aware il has been dcIliel that t!iIS important
,rinc;p!c is established ly the provisions vi this bill:
II is said the principle caup"i br established, until all
Inc u::.slavcry restrictions shall he repealed. which
,rc 10 he found on the slatnic-h""k; ami thEf i''i- iihs
not been done in tie case 81 OREGON, Minnesota ana
Washington Territories.
Nuw. | beg leave, respectfully, To Su@:2;c": that The
author Of hi. objection has himself brought forward
he appropriate reply, - lar H. Oregon ami allIilc-
are involved. Tie" were both organized INTO
territorial governments before the adoption "f the
compromise incasurts al lSTi. And the lrnincrs ot
his bill have insisted that il. principle os congress
>innal l.mn-imicrvcn:i"n was established hy the ic-i--
al 1851, i'll the adoption NJ The lass known os
III. compromise measures al that Year. llirv nave
never insisted that those mcnFiircr themselves repeal
ed prc-cxis;ims m;i-,lnvcry restrictions: but they say
those measures established II principle inconsistent
with the future enactment of such restrictions, ana
iuStiiying The repeal III such II rcs;rlciion- wherever
in the discharge Of liz regular duties, sfall
be- called upon to lc.i.laie Tor u country where such u
hns been established. Now, us Congress
ia, not now undertaken To ~lcgi.atc on thc restrictions
IN force in Oregon and Minnesota. and n lhos" re-
were established before 1851, insist they
are not prrccdcn:s in point Ia '!,siarngt ii!c lrrlcillc
'lhllllt'l III IluNt DCtI ltSlsili'Nii''bI III ''"''
But Il pointed reference has been mn,!e, AMI made
confidence, approaching IL cXuiiaii"li, 10 the rX-
unplc nj Washington Territory, organized III lSo". "'
part uf the land which constituted Oregon Territory.
Where the Wiin,ot pr"vi-o has been adopted, ana
where tho provisional laws the country. adopted by
The people before tlIcy were nrgunisri! into n lnlitIral
community, were ais" ratified by Congress, md made
to have The fore. uflAw. IL las been rather 'auntins-
~ stated, that M one proposed t" r'l,cil me ami
slavery restriction there, although that Territory was
ulinur flrI.,. yrNYS Nftc. tII. culllIr,IlinSc
Of lSI0. Facts would perhaps justify me
rc;ort. that no maj proposed To establish ilc rcstTic-
iion there: and, in fact, il; never was nr'"pit'l there.
~ has been shown hy my colleague from .trroinnc.
The net of Congress organizing The TERRITORIAL gov
for Oregon WIS approved nh lilh August,
1913. 1t adopted the Wilniur provlso, nnd lcgaiizcd
tho provisional restriction adapted by the people, and
instituted before they bccnlIic an organ
community. Now, wien Congress came, III
to establish a government for the Territory Of
Washington. they referred back IL the lst nt Scpicn-
her, 1913, and not to iiil of August, ISIS, and pro-
yidcd that the nets OF Congress adopted subsequent
to LIST September, 1918, applicable to the subject
should he adopted tnr the government OF Washington
But, az the Wilmnt rroviso and The IT.
regular provisional restriction wcr" both adopted be-
fore. AMI not subsequent TO the LIST September, ISIS,
10 wit, on lltli III August; 1878, II results TIA! neither
of them ever wills i'll force for the government ol
Washington Territory. And II Is thus shown, tiiat no
au.i-slavcrv restriction has even been iIISru'ted on II
government established since the adoption
Of the compromise measures Of 1850; and we have an
unbr,kcn line Of prccclclIts from that day 10 the
present. Utah and New Mexico are conceded to be
urcrrdruts in or favor. When the lnc.s were sup
posed To he adverse, Washington WAS claimed rs n
precedent against us. Now that the truc state ut the
incts is established, and undcnia!ly established
have II right to claim il us Il precedent in my favor
The present bill prnp"scs {" organize Kansas ana Ne
braska on principles favorable 10 The South; and thus
is the line of prccrdcuts complete. But if il hud
been otherwise; if Il formidable line al precctlemts
could have been arraycd against lis; il Oregon and
Minnesota lnd been i'll point; il Washington could
have been ranged agail!st III, it would have created q
still stronger necessity for precedcnts III our favor,
and must have iiar...shcdl 10 n southern man Il still
stronger mu;ivc 10 support the bill. As things IRE,
however, ! cnlnly await the Judgment OF mankind,
and cluim precedence Tor my prcccdcnts.
And now | approach Il topic; with the unaffected