Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1854-05-19

OppOSC hh1 ihONSiiS'N ~
that compromise made in an open, direct
manly manner much more shall oppose it
if made in a covert, indirect, and unmanly
way. The bill or bills before us undertake
to accomplish their object without protesting
it, upon reasons which are contradictory and
unfounded, in terms which are ambiguous and
inconsistent, and by throwing on others the
responsibility of its own act 1t profess not
to interfere with the sovereign right of the
people TO legislrte for themselves; and the
very first line Of this solemn profession throws
upon them horse.load of law, which they
have no right to refuse, or time to read, or
money to purchase, or ability to understand
1t throws upon them the laws Of the United
States which are not locally inapplicable, and
that comprehends all that are specially made !
for other places; also, it gives them the Con-
stitution nf the United States, but without
the privilege of voting at Presidential or Con
gr essonal elections. or making their own ju
dietary. This is noninterference with a ven
geance. A community to be buried under a
mountain of strange law, and covered with a
constitution urder which they are not to have
one single political right Why this clrcum-
locution, this extension of mountain Of ir
relevant law, with the exception Of only one
relevant and applicable?
Sir, it is the crooked, insduous, and pusl
luminous way of effecting the repeal of the
Missouri compromise line. 1t concludes all
for the sake of leaving out one law; and ef-
fects repeal by an omission, and legisIates
by an exception. |: is a new way of repeal
ing law, aud bungling attempt to SNUG
gle slavery into the Territory and all the
country out to the Canada line and up the
Rocky Mountains. The crooked line of this
smuggling process is this: abolish the COM
promise line, and extend the Constitution over
the country; the Constitution recognizes sla-
very, therefore slavery is established as soon
as the line is abolished and the Constitution
extcuded, and being put there by the Constl-
tuition it cannot be legislated out" This is
the English of this smuggling process; and
certainly nothing more unworthy of legSla-
ton, more derogatory TO Legislative body,
was ever attempted 10 be made into law. Sir,
the Constitution was not made for Territories,
, but for States. Its provisions are all appli
cable TO States. and cannot be put in opera
ton in Territories They cannot vote for
President, or Vice President or members Of
Congress, nor elect their own officers, or pre-
scribe the qualification Of voters. or admins
ter their own laws by their own judges sher-
4 ills, and attorneys, and the clause extending
the Constitution TO them is a cheat and an
illusion and trick to smuggle slavery into
Territory. Nor is il intended at they shall
have any legislative right under the Consi-
tuition, even in fela ion to slavery They may
admit it because it is to be there BY the Con-
stitution; they canot exclude it because the
Z Constitution puts it there That is the argU-
" ment, and ii is jugge worthy of the trick
of one egg under three hats at the same time,
and under neither at the same time. Bes-
= sides, the Constitution is an organic, not an
administrative act 1t is a code of principles
not of laws No: clause in it can be exc
cuted except by virtue of law made under
u it, not even the clause of recovering fugitive
slaves.
But am not done yet with the beauties OF
: this mode of repeating law by an exception
There Is fur her consequence to be detected
in it. The Missouri Compromise consists o
= two distinct parts: first, an abolition of sla
very in all the ancient Louisiana north ant
west of Missouri; secondly, provision fol
the recovery of fugitive slaves in the terrific
j ry made free BY the omitted extension OF
this section both these parts are repealed. -
A tract of country lrger than the old thir
teen Atlantic States, and bordering a thou
sand miles on the British domnons. is made
an asylum for fugitive slaves. There will b'
no law to recover a slave from all that vas
:. region. The constitutional provision is limit
of ed to States; the provision in the act Of 49,
h, is limited TO the Northwest Territory; th
st second part Of the Missouri compromise ex
n tended this right 10 all the territory north ant
to west of Missouri; and that being repealed
le that right of discovery is lost. / object t.
this on the part of the State of Missouri th'
10 State to be most injured by converting al
I. the territory north and west Of her, quite ou
to the British line. into an asylum Tor runa
way slaves. The blunder cannot be correct
ed (at least in the opinions of those who den,
the constitutional power Of Congress to leg
slate on slavery in Territories) by an act .
Congress-
Then comes the reason for excepting tn
Missouri compromise from the extension uhc
is given to mass of laws which are not ther
and denied TO itself that which is there.
the reason had been because it was alread,
there, it would have been logical and com
prehensble reason, but it is not the cause as
signed; and those which are assigned are nc
hdhStOuo ailu CuIlOuoJ huN NOIbhJ
examination. First because II was superseded
! by certain acts of 1850; next that II is iDcon
sistent with those acts; then, that il is iHope
rative; and finally. that it never was there
Q being dead in its birth under the Constitu
tion, and void from the beginning.
Let US look into these reasons, sertatin1, a
the lawyers say, and first of supersessien.-
1t is said that the measures Of 1880 super
seded this compromise Of 1920. II so VIII
treat it now as still existing. and therefore 4
ID be repealed by an exception in order 10 ge
rid of it? If it was repealed in 1850, VIII
do it over again in 1854? Why kill th,
dead? But it was moi superseded, but &C
knowledgcd and confirmed by every speake
in 1920 that referred to the subject, and b.
: every act that mentioned it. This being mat
ter of fact. and proven by all sorts of testi
l. "a I,1