Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-03-02


to 81. And we trust that it is determined for
ever in respect to the countries now subject to
the legislation of the General Government"
ask Senators particularly to mark this
+" IL is true the compromised is supported only
by the letter Of The lar, repealabe By the duthori
ty which enacted it; but the circumstances Of the
case give to this ldp MORAL FORCE equal TO that
Of a positive provision to the Constitution; and
zoe do not hazard anything By saying that the
Constitution crisis IN ats observance. Both par
ties have sacrificed much to Cancellation. We
trish 10 see the COMPACT kept in good faith, and
We trust that kind Providence will open the
way to relieve us Of an evil which every good
citizen deprecates as the supreme curse of tho
ceuhtry."
That, sir, was the language of Mlrylander,
in 1920. lie expressed the universal understand
ing Of the country. Here then is compact,
complete, perfect, irrepoalable, 50 far any COM
pact, embodied in legislative act Can be said
to be irrepealablc It had the two sections of
the country for its parties, great territory for
its subject, and a permanent adjustment OF
dangerous controversy for its object. 1t was
forced upon the free States. 1t has been liter
ally fulfilled by the free States. 1t is binding,
indeed, only upon honor and conscience; but,
in such matter, the obligations Of honor and
conscience must BE- regarded as even more ga
cred than those of constitutional provisions.
Mr.. President, if there was any principle which
prevailed in this arrangement, it was that Of
permitting the continuance of slavery in the To-
calities where it actually existed at the time of
the acquisition of the territory, and prohibiting
it in the parts of territory in which no slaves
were actually held. This was wide departure
from the original policy which contemplated the
exclusion of slavery from territories in which 1T
actually existed at the time of acquisition. But
the idea that slavery could ever be introduced
into free territory, under the sanction of Con-
gress, had not, as yet, entered into any man 3
head.
Mr.. President I shall hasten to conclusion
In l848 we acquired vast territory from Mex
leo. The free States d,manded that this terrific
ry, free when acquired, should remain free un-
der the Government of the United States. The
Senator from Illinois tells us that he proposed
through this territory, and he complains that it
was rejected by the votes of the free States. So
it was. And why Because the Missouri com,
promise applied to territory in which slavery
was already allowed. The Missouri prohibition
exempted portion of this territory, and the
larger portion, from the evil. 1t carried out,
in respect to that, the original policy of the
county. Bat the extension Of that line through
the territory acquired from Mexico, with the
understanding which. the Senator from Illinois
and his friends attached to it, would have intro
duced slavery into vast region in which slave
ry, at the time Of acquisition, was not allowed.
10 agree to it would have been to rcvers, total
ly the original policy of the country, and to
disregard the principle upon which the Missouri
compromise was based.
1t is true that when the controversy in re-
spoct to this territory came to conclusion, the
provisions Of the acts by which territorial gov
ernmcnts were organized, were in some respects
worse than that proposition of the Senator.
While those bills protested to leave the question
of slavery or no slavery in the territories, unat
fected by their provisions, to judicial decision,
they did, nevertheless, virtually decide the qucs-
ton for all the territory covered by them, so far
as legislation c)lld docid, it, glinst freedom.
California, indeed, was admitted as free State
and by her admission the scheme OF extending a
} line OF slave States to the pacific was, for the
time, defeated. The principle upon which nor
thern friends Of territorial compromise acts vim
Dictated their support of them was this; Slavery
is prohibited in these territories by Mexican
law that law is not repealed by amy proyis-
ion of the acts Indeed, said many of them,
slavery cannot exist in any territory, except in
virtue of a positive act of Congress-no such
act allows slavery therc-therc is no danger,
therefore, that any slaves will be taken into the
: territory. Southern supporters of the measure
sustained them upon quite opposite grounds.
Under the provisions of of the Federal Constitu-
/ ton, they said, the stakeholder can hold his
slaves in any territory in spite of any prohibi-
ton of territorial legislature, or even Of an
, act of Congress-. The Mexican law forhidding
s slavery WAS abrogated the moment Of acqusi-
ton by the operation Of the Constitution. Con-
gress has not undertaken to impose any prohi-
bition. We can, therefore, take our slaves there,
a if we please.
The committee tell us that this question was
left in doubt by the territorial bills.
What, then, was the principle, if any, upon
f which this controversy was adjusted Clearly
S this: That when free territory is acquired, that
part of it which is ready to come in as free
? State shall be admitted into the Union, and that
: part which is not ready shall be left in doubt
during the whole period of its territorial exis-
l tcnce.
l 1t is quite obvious Mr. President, how very
preludical such doubt must be to. the settle
f ment and improvement Of territory. But must
1 not pause upon this.
0 The truth is, that the Compromise acts of 1850
were not intended to introduce any principle of
: territorial organization applicable to any other
: territory except that covered by them. The pro-
fessed object of the friends of the compromise acts
n was to compose the whole slavery agitation.
G There were various matters of complaint. The
e non-surrender Of fugitiycs from service was one
# The existence Of slavery and the slave trade here
e. in this District and elsewhere, under the excu-
-t.,,-a iur iadi o+in IF In
apprehcnded introduction or prohibition of sla-
@ very in the territories furnished other grounds
e of controversy. The slave States complained of
a the free States, and the free States complained
II of the slave States. 1t WAS supposed by some
l. that this whole agitation might be stayed, and
finally put at rest by skillfelly adjusting legis-
T. lation. So, sir, we had the omnibus bill, and
j. the District slave trade suppression bill. 10
: please the North-to please the free States
d California was to be admitted, and the slave de-
pots here in the District were to be broken up.
i 10 please the slave States, stringent fugitive
n slave act was to be passed, and slavery was to
e have a chance to get into the new Territories.
~ The support of the Senator's and Representatives
d from Texas was to be gained by liberal ADJUST
). ment of boundary, and by the assumption of a
# large portion of their State debt. The general
Is result contemplated Was II complete and final
+ adjustment of all questions relating to slavery.
N The acts passed. A number Of the friends of
!, the acts signed compact, pledging themselves
,o to support no man for any Office who would in
1t any way renew the agitation. The country was
e required to acquiesce in the settlement an alb
e solute finally. No man concerned in carrying
v those measures through Congress, and least Of
+ all the distinguished man whose efforts mainly
s. contributed to their success, ever imagined that
% in the territorial acts which formed part OF
J. the series, they were planting the germs of a
It new agitation Indeed, have proved that one
il of these acts contains an express stipulation
which precludes the revival of the agitation in
: the form in which it is now thrust upon the
10 country, without manifest disregard of the pro.