Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-03-04

IL
Mr.. Adams on the subject is of record, in our own
Register of Debates. (vol. II, page 1861 y and,
deemng it not yet too late to do full justice to the
motives of Mr. ADAMS as well as fully to exonerate
the National Intelgencer from the prejudice sought
to be cast upon it in connection with the proceeding
referred to, extract from that speech the follow
ing passages, in exposition of Mr.. Adams's object
In Offering the amendment:
Mr. ADAMS having stated that the obnoxious article
of the Constitution of Arkansas is the section the
second division of the ninth article (which he quotes
in the same words as it published in this paper Of
Tuesday last, under the title Of Emancipation Of
Slaves, y proceeds to say:
'Mr. Chairman, cannot consistently with nv sense
of my obligations as citizen of the United States and
bound by oath support their Constitution OBJ
ect the admission Of arkansas the Union as slave
State; cannot propose agree to make condition of
her admission that convention Of her people shall expunqe
this article from her constitution She is entitled to adms-
sion slave State, Louisiana, and Mississippi and
Alabama and Missouri have been admitted by virtue Of
that article in the treaty for the acquisition of Louisiana
which to the inhabitants of the coded Territories
all the rights privileges, and mmuntes of the original
citizens Of the United States and spnlates for their adj
mission conformabIy to that principle into the Union
Louisiana purchased q country wherein slavery
the established law of the land AS Congress have
power in time of peace to abolish slavery in the org
nal States of the Union they equally destitute of the
power in those parts of the territory coded by France to
the United States of Louisiana where slavery
existed at the time of the acquisition Slavery is in this
Union the subject of internal Legislation IN the States and
IN peace cognizass ny Congres only as it is tacty
tolerated and protected where il exists by the Constitution
the United States and it ngles in their intercourse
with other nations Arkansas, therefore, comes and has
the right come into the Union with her slaves and her
slave laws 1t is written in the bond and however may
lament that it written must faithfully per-
form its obligations.
Icoud not therefore, propose support the specific
measure desired by the memoriasts, which to i'm
pose restriction upon the people of the State of Arkan
sas, by requiring Of them, condition Of their admis-
sion into the Union that they should erpge from their
constitution the article concerning slavery did not
think it within the legitimate powers Of Congress- under
the present existing circumstances, to impose upon the
State Of arkansas any restriction ohdecer, Nth relation to
Slavery in the formation of her constitution. Upon the
principle had been opposed to the proposal of
stricon upon the State of Missouri at the time Of the
first Missouri question for there two Missouri ques
TONS differing much from each other, and which were
debated ut two successive sessions of Congress The
second that finally adjusted by the compromise
the first was that in which the restriction proposed,
and my opinion had at the time been freely expressed
against it.
But then dsapproved, asI disapprove of sla-
very as civil institution. AS citizen, and man,
therefore, dsapprove Of that article in the constitution
of Arkansas the object Of which perpetuate slavery
In voting for the acceptance of that constitution and for
the admission of the State into the Unon do hold
myself bound approve of all its internal regulations
doctrines have been recently preached and are now
the transfer Of the lawful Of
Michigan to the State Of Ohio, which make it. in my
Judgment proper and perhaps necessary that Congress,
the representatives of compounded partly
of saveholdng and partly of entirely free States, should
dsclam oil appreciation of assent to that article In
the constitution of Arkansas propose no restriction
upon her. content TO receive her one OF the staUe-
holding States Of this Union but am unwilling that Con-
gress in accepting her constitution should even lie I'M
der the mpuation Of asserting to article in the
sution of State which withholds from its Legislature
the power of giving freedom to the slave"
"a respectable portion Of my constituents, and many
others of my fellow citizens, had charged me with the
duty Of presenting their memorials against the slavery
article in the constitution of Arkansas Multtudes OF
others had ntrusted to their petitions for the abo
ton of slavery and the slave trade in the District Of
Columbia. Great numbers of petitions, memorials, and
of the same purpor had been presented
by other members Of tho House eos1d moi support the
immediate abolition Of slapery the District of Columbia
could not resist the admission Of arkansas notwithstanding
The slavery article her constitution into the Union But
there point of concession to the savehodng inter-
of the South from the representatives of but
freemen in this House. where it appeared to not only
! just, but indspcnsably necessary to stop"
The article in the constitution of Arkansas cutting off
the last hope Of emancipation to the end Of time by with
holding from the Legislature the power of ordaining
it, strongly dsapproved The House had treated all
these memorials and remonstrances in behalf of freedom
as If they afraid to hear them read afraid to look
them in the face afraid to squirt at them In read
ing this eighth section of the bill before the committee it
appeared to me that the amendment which offered
congenia to its spirit that if inserted at the place
propOSeu Woulu appear altogetner as Deen
part of the section originally drawn up. The amend
ment falls nfHely short Of the Missouri restriction and
entirely congenial to the spirit Of the Constitution it
SELF Unable was to propose the restriction desired
by the memoriasts and remonsrants yet believing that
the occasion required Of avowa of those opinions
and principles the only guardians of the freedom of my
constituents DESTROYS Of manfesting them in the
form the least offensive possible to the savehodng por
ton Of the community. wished to plant the standard
freedom at the very lowest point Of its elevation and
By concding to slavery epery thing required BY the
compact yet adherng to those selfeviden truths pro-
claimed in the Declaration Of Independence to utter the
minimum Of the sentiments which / believed my con-
sttuens would never resign but with the last drop Of
their blood"
There ny amendment the shadow of restriction
upon the State. 1t leaves the State, like all the rest
regulate the of slavery within herself to her
laws and how far that short of the concessions
qured from the slavehoding interests Of the Missouri
compromise easy judge by reference to the trans
actions of that time for in the Of 9th of March, 1920
to authorize the people of the Missouri Territory to form
constitution and State Government and for the admis-
sion of that State into the Union slavery and is for
prohibited in all the territory ceded by France the
United States under the Of Louisiana, which lies
north Of thirysx degrees and thirty minutes Of north
latitude and not included within the limits Of the State of
Missouri And this the first Missouri compromise;
not the abolition, but the prohibition by Congress. for
ever, of slavery in that portion Of the Louisiana Terri
tory where it had not then penetrated And secondly
when the constitution Of the State Of Missouri formed
there article the legislative power the fourth
clause of the twenty section of which, defining the
powers and duties of the General Assembly of the State
was in these words 1T shall be their duty rs soon as
may be- pass such laws may be necessary first to
prevent free andmuattoes from coming and