Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1856-01-03


The nation, beginning With the era Of the Dec.
laration OF Independence and he applied il
alike to The compromises Of 1890 and 1861
Mr.. Douglas thus sums up the position taken
and the result
Under this section, as in the case Of the
Mexican law in New Mexico, il is a disputed
point whether Slavery is prohibited in the Ne
brSska country by valid enactment. The de.
cision Of this question involves The constitu-
LiOnal power Of Congress to pass laws prescrib
ing and regulating the domestic institutions of
the various territories OF the Union. In the
opinion of those eminent statesmen who hold
that Congress is invested with no righlful au.
thority to legisate upon the subject Of slavery
in the territories the 9th section Of the act pre-.
paratory 10 the admission OF Missouri is null
ard void, while the prevailing sentiment in
large portion Of the Union suslains :he doc.
trine that the constitution of the United States
secures to every citizen an inalienable right to
move into any of the territories with his pro.
p rty, of whatever kind and description, and
10 hold and enjoy the same under the sanction
Of law Your committee do not feel them, elves
called upon to en'er inD o the discussion of these
conIrOverted questions. They involve the
same grave Issues which produced the agila
ton, the sectional strife. and fearful struggle
OF $780,
From this it appears that the compro-
mise Of 1890 and $50 involved the question
Of the validity Of the law of NJ xco excluding
slavery iIom the rewly cedtd Mexican territory
aud the law of our own Congress excluding it
from that north Of the line Of SO, 80. Mr.
Douglass committee Report recommend ded that
AS Congress deemed it wise and prudent to re-.
frain from deciding the matters in controversy,
then, by either affirming or repeating the Mex
lean laws. or by an act declaratory Of the true
inlen: OF the constitution, aud The extent Of the
protection afforded by it to slave property in
The territories, 50 your committee are not pre-
plred now to r. recommend departure to the
course pursued on that memorable occasion,
either by affirming or repeating the eighth
section of the Missouri act, or by any act de-
claralory Of the meaning of the constitution in
respect to the legal points in dispute
These passages are quoted to show that the
issues made by Mr., Calhoun. as to the con.
sIitutionslity of the two Compromises of 1890
and 1850, were expressly left open for Judicial
| decision, by the committee. who nevertheless
swept away, by clause subsequently, added
not only the Missouri compromise OF 1890, but
also the compromise Of 1880. which left un
touched the Mexican laws prohibiting slavery
in the ceded territories, and which Webster
Clay, Benton, and all the leading lights of the
Senate, with the exception of Mr. Calhoun.
pronounced valid, and an cffecual restriction
This repeal was the adoption of Mr. Cal
houn's multiplying doctrine in extenso. The
power of Congress to make laws excluding
was denied, and all the territories were openet
to slavery, on the ground of The 'inalienabl
right of every citizen. to move into any of tn
territories with his property of whatever kin,
or description and the law of squatter sover
Il eigntv was superadded, and substituted 70
the sovereignty OF the United States over tn
public domain. Thus fell, at the dictation o
: Mr.. Atchison, supported by the coalition ef
= fected between the Wings and Democrats o
D the South under the pressure and through
e the intrigue o. She Nulliders, Mr.. Jefferson
e noble principle, endeared TO the counIr7 bot
: for ito moral grandeur and political wisdom =
d I is the first thought uttered in the Declare
It lion OF Independence; and to the denuncialio
OF the King of Great Britain for the crime {
+. bringing slavery TO our sho res, it adds, as tn
e deepest aggravaticn, that 'he has prostitute
: his prerOgatve 'or suppressug every gislatiV
= attempt to prohibit OF to restrain this cxecr'
p. BILE cUmmercr.'
NJ The irst legislative attempt to restrain III
progress of the mischief which the King
l. Great Britain visited upon this country, wa
II MIR. Jefferson's 8 resolution excluding SLAYER
e from the territory of the United States in I78
m the next wa that introduced by Rufus KIns
in I785--then that of Nathan Dane. in 1887
all receiving the vote OF t"oth rds of the Stat'
le Of the colfederacy, and the last the unan
B. nous vUle
ir The foulth movement was that Of the col
lie Vention, in the constitution itself, prosid ny
g. gainst the importation OF slaves after I8O8s, d
Is caring the binding validity Of the engagement
n entered into BY the Congress of the Confede
ne acy on the Government of the United State
en- to exclude it from the territory, and securil
w to the new Government the power of makiT
ed similar provision for future acquisition Of tt
f: ritory. The fifth regulation to restrain I
rs progress of slavery was that of she cOmpr
e- mise of 1890 the sixth that of 1850.
n. II is remark q Me that althouoh thase ore