The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-11-09

the whole should be opened to their coloniz
alton with slaves. The House OF Reprcscn
,atises resisted these pre,ensions, as it haC
resisted similar ones before but the Senate
seconded the privileged class with its accus'
toned zeal. So Congress was divided and
failed to organize civil governments for The
newly acquired Mexican Territories, and
they were lelt under martial law. The
question raised by the privileged class went
down to the electors. The people prompt
ly filed the House Of Representatives with
majority sternly opposed to the extension
Of slavery, the breadth Of q single square
mile. They increased the force OF the un,
priyiIc sed class in ;ia Senate while the,
called TO The Presidency General Taylor
who although himself slavc-holder, wa'
committed to non-nteryen,ion on the qucs
ton in Congrc" and to execute faithfully
whatever constitutional laws Congress should
adopt. Under these circumstances, Califor'
MIA and New Mexico, youthful communities
practically free from slavery and uncorrup.ed
by the seduction Of the privileged class or %
its political organs, has,cned to establish
constitutions and apply for admission as free
States, while the eccentric population o
Discreet, indulgins latitudinari,n principles
equally in matters Of religion and politics
prayed to be received into tho Union rs g
State or as territory, ard with or without
slavery, as Congress should prescribe. The
privileged class remonstrat"d. and scdi'
tious movement was organized in behalf oI
the slave.hOlding States to oycrwcar Con-
eress II possible, and to inauguratc Reyolu
ton if their menaccs failed You all know
well the way ofthat memorable controversy.
How eminent men yielded to tho menaccs
without waiting for the revolution, and pro
jcc'cd and rendered 10 the privileged class Il
new compromise, modelled after the already
time honOrcd compromise of 1920. You all
know how firmly. notwithstanding this do
fectiOn OF leaders, honorcd and beloved, the
House Of Representatives and even the Sen'
ate rcpellcd the compromise, and how firm
ly the unprivilcscd class OF freeman through
out the Union demanded the unqualified and
unconditional admission Of California into
the Union, and refused to nllot any further
territories to the privileged class for the
extension Of the system Of human bondage
You all remember, too, how in cri,ica
hour the President sickcncd and died, anC
how the hearts of Congres, and OF all the
People swoonc at his grave, and thcnceior
provisional successor OF tina. lamented Presi
ignation Of his Cabinet and committed tn
seals to new one, pledged Ike himself t.
the adoption Of the Compromise which th'
people had condemned, and how q, last
after painful struggle, its adoption Wa
effected. think, also, that you have no
thus soon FORGOTTEN the terms Of that CON
promise, the fourth fnll and everlasting set
element of the conic. between the privi'
eyed and unprivilcscd class oftlli' Republic
You have not forgotten how the Ordinance
of 1887, whi,h excluded slavery from tn
region northwest Of the Ohio, was left t.
stand rs an institution too sacred to be evcI
questioned. How the Missouri Compromise
which extended that ordinance across th'
Mississippi, and all over Kanzas and Nebras
la, was made at once the authority, prece
dent and r0rmula OF tho new compromise
and even declared 10 bc an irepealable Law
forever. How California, which refused Il
become slave State, was grudsingly admit
ted into the Union as free one. How th'
hateful and detestable slave auctions were
banished from under the caves Of the Cap'
tol, quite across TO the opposite bank oil 'h'
Potomac river. And how, in consideration
Of these magnanimous and vas. concessions
made by the privilege class, j. was stiPula'
ted that slavery should be continued in the
District Of Columbia as long as the privi'
legged class should require its continuance
New Mexico, with her free constitution, wa'
superciiously rcmandcd to her native noun
tains, while. withou. hearing, her ancient
and FREQ territory was dismembcred, and III
lairest part transferred TO Texas, with Tho
addition of ten millions Of dollars, to vii
it's acceptance b. that defiant privilege
State. You remember how it was solemn
" stimulated tina, Utah and New Mexico, j
tho Shareholders could corrupt them, shoul'
come into tho Union, in due time, as slave
holding States and, finally, how tho rrivi
legged class, so highly offended and ckaspera
ted, were brough. to accept this compromise
on their part, by recnac.mcnt OF the ther
obsolete fugitive slave law Of 1913, with th'
addition Of the revolving features OF an at
tempted suspension Of the habeas corpus
an absolute prohibition Of the trial BY Jury
an effective repeal Of vital rules OF procedure
and evidence and the substitution OF com
mi.sioners in place Of courts Of justice, ia
dcro.ation of the constitution. You al
remember how laboriously and os'eptatiouS
ly this compromise was associated with 'h'
,imo.honvrcd lorms and solemnities ot the
Missouri Compromise. How 1t was declared
not the result of mere ordinary legislation
but a contract with mutual equivalents D,
the privileged with the unprivllesed class
irrepcalable and even unamcndab!e withou
pcr6dy, and even treason against the Con
.,;,utiou and the Union. You all remember
how. notwithstanding your protests anc
mine. I, wa, urgently, violently, clamorous'
IL ratified and confirmed, as full, fair anc
6nal and perpetual adjustment by the tw'
rrea, political conventions OF the country
represen.ing the whole people OF tho Un
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