American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-12-27

eAeluba9 slavery ITosu tue newly ceusu
Mexican IeTri;ory. and the law Of our own
Congress ex,luIing it from that portion Of
the line Of So deg. 80 min. Mr.. Douglas
/ COMMITTEES report recommended that rs
Congress deemed it wise and prudent
to refrain from deciding the matters in con-
,roversy. then. either by affirming or re-
pealing the Mexican laws. or by al act
declaraiory of the true intent of the Con-
s;itution. and the extent Of the protection
afforded by it 10 slave property in the Ter
iritories. so your Committee ato not pre-
pared now to recommend a departure from
the course pursued on that memorable oc-
~casion. either by affirming or Tepesling the
eighth section Of the Missouri Act, or by
any act declaratory Of the meaning of the
Constitution in respect 10 the legal points
in dispute"
These passages are quoted to show that
the issues made by Mr.. Calhoun, asto The
two Compromises of 1922 and 1889. were
expressly left open for ~julicial decision by
the Committee. who. nevertheless. swept
away, by n ci,use subsequently added 10
their bill. not only the Missouri Compro-
mise Of 1890, hut also the Compromise Of
1882. which | fl untouched the Mexican
laws prohibiting Slavery in the redcd Ter
%riiorias, and which Webster. Clay, Ben
ton and all the leading liz hts of The Senate
with Tie exception Of Mr.. Calhoun) pro.
nonnced valid and an eiicctual restriction,
This repeal was the adoption Of Mr..
Calhoun's nHllifying doctrine in crtenSo.E
The power Of Congress 10 make laws ex-
Gliding Sla"ery forever from its Territories
rs such. was denied, and all the Terrific.
ries wero opened to Slavery on the ground
Of the ',inalienabls right" of every citizen
80 move into any OF the Territories with
his properly. Of whatsoever kind or de.
scripliou;' and the law Of squatter sover-
eighty was superadIed, and substituted for
The sovereignty OF the United States over
the public domain. Thus ell. at tho die,
ta,ion Of Mr.. Atchison, supported by the
roalaliun elToriel between the Wigs and
Democrats ofthe South. under the pressure
and through the intrigues ofthe nulliiers.
Mr.. Jefsrson's noble principle. endenrod
to tho county both for its moral grandeur
and Political wisdom. Il is the first tho't
uttered in the Declaration Of Independence;
and to the 1enunciation Of the King Of
Great Britain for the crime Of bringing
Slavery to our shores, it a Ids, rs tho deep
est aggravation, that ''he has p%rostituted
his negative for supervising every l"gisla-
tive attempt to prohibit or to restrain this
execrsble commerce"
The first legislative attempt 10 restrain
the progress OF the mischief which the
King Of Great Britain visited upon this
country, was Mr.. Jelferson's resolution
excluding slavery from the territory Of the
United States in l704-the next was that
introduced by Rufus King in 17s5-the
third that Of Nathan Dane in 1787-all re.
neiving the vote of two thirds Of the States
of the Confederacy, and the last the unani-
nous vote.
The fourth movement was that Of tho
Convention, in the Constitution itself, pro-
viding against the Importation Of slaves af-
ter 1898, declaring the binding validity of
The engagements entered into by the Con-
gress Of he Confederaey on the government
Of the United Safest to exclude it from the
Territory. and securing to the new Gov
ernment the power ofmaking similar pro-
vision for future acquisitions Of territory.
The fifth regulation to restrain the progress
Of slavery was that Of the Compromise Of
1820-the sixth, that of 1850.
1t il remarkable that although these
great measures had their origin with tho
Democratic leaders, Federal and Wing
leaders Of greatest renown united in their
support. The constitutional provisions on
the subject had the unanimous suffrage Of
all the illustrious men in the Convention
who framed the Constitution Of the United
Safes; aud from the silence on the sub
jeet in tho State Conventions called 10 rat
ify tho Constitution. it may be well pro-
sumed that these also were unanimous in
their approval of what had been done un-
der the confcderacy and in the new Con-
sjituiion to restrain the Introduction and
limit the extension Of slavery. And may
not men of all parties now unite TO restore
what the patriots Of all parties, during tho
first seventy years of our Government,
contributed to establish?
The work Of restoration is simple and
easy, if the men who abhor the late inno-
vation on the long-setled policy of the ma
ton can be induced to relinquish petty Gif-
f%erenees OF transiiory topics, and give their
united voice. in the next Presidential e.
lection. for some man whose capacity, &.
deity and courage can he relied upon to
oppose the issne which the present Admin
i~stration has made to control it. The con-
test has grown out OF Presidential aspira-
tons. The decision Of the people at the
polls, in choosing a chief magistrate. will
end it. Senators will easily comply when
tho nations demand is backed by Presi.
DENTAL power and patronage. and hopes Of
the future, which animate the leading mem.
bers Of ,he body.
The Administration has staked itself on
the support Of the party Of pr~iyilege-of
class intercst-which makes il a unit. 1t
contles in tho success which has crowned
the Oligsrchy everywhere in the Old
World. and secured its tiumphs on the
maxim. divide and conquer" The Wings
and Democrats Of the South arc n CON,
bination to carry into the next Presidency
some candidate absolute in maintaining
tho repeating clause Of the Kansas bill,
which utilities the principles of the Ordi-
, nance, the provisions Of the Constitution
made to give them effect, and all the COM
. promises which have heen made in pur-