Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-05-02

congress. Inc report SuyS Inat congress
an only legslatc for Territories in order
o breed them up for States, but not on
lavcry, as that is not necessary for that
purpose. Then, should like to know how
congress obtained power to give these
,cope authority to legislate on the subject
# slavery Can Congress grant n legislative
power it does not possess 1t is not for me
% answer
MIR. President, object to this experiment
IN the first place because it is au expert
mcnt. 1t is departure from all the lessons
Of our political history. Indeed, believe
the senator from Michigan rather congratu-
lated the Senate at the time Of the passage
of the bill, that they had adopted new prin-
ciplc, and presume he views it 50. do not
wish to give it name. Some call it squat
ter sovereignty, and some popular sovc-
rcgnty but it was understood to be a new
experiment altogether. | object to it be-
cause it is a new experiment. and think the
experience under it has had no tendency to
convince any candid man that the exper-
imcnt is doing the least good. 1t was new .
course struck out forthe first time and what |
rec Immended it least to me was, that Com |
crcss had heretofore lcgislatcd in regard to |
slavery in all Territories, and not lctC it to
the Territory ltappeared, however, that |
there were quarrcls in Congress in regard to
the subject. New views and old views were
presented, so Congress had some difficulty
in agreeing. What then did they do They
repealed the compromise which prohibited
slavery, and turned the whole question to
what is sometimes called the nchoate state
to the Territory-to the municipal corpora
ton on the plains OF the Missouri. Congress
repealed the law for liberty there, Of thirty
years standing, and thus got rid Of this
troublesome question 10y turning it over to
that people. That did not commend itself
much to me.
object to it for another reason, because |
consider it a breach of two compromises. !
know that the word compromises is now not
unirequently used in IL bad seasc but do not
meantouseit in anysuch sense, am notaware
of any country in the world which has more
need of the possession OF such a power. Sir,
we have great political problems in our hands
yet to be solved in this government and it
may need great deal Of Cancellation, of for
bearance, and of compromise, if you please,
to dispose of them. | shall be sorry to see
the word rejected from our political yocabul
ury.
Sir come from part of the United States
where the people say, "YOu must understand.
in the first place, that your are to sustain
this Union at all events They also tell me
that the success Of the great political expert
ment of self-goyernment, Tor the great cause
of humanity for the world and for all time
is now to be solved in this country. What
is it Whether mankind is competent to
selfgovernment How can we expect to sue
coed with it Certainly by enlghtening and
clevating in every condition and every res
pect, those who are to carry out this expert
ment, the voters of the land With this great
mission in our hands the body of our voters
must be people better fed, better housed,
better clothed, better instructed, and elevated
in better social condition. above any other
people on this earth. We are ga peculiar
people, Jealous of good works
We must do this with our laboring COM
munity, because that laboring community
Constitutes the great mass of our voters, and
the policy of the Government must be shaped
with view to place them in the elevated
position to which have alluded. There is
II large part, Il very respectable part, claim
ing to be an equal part practically in this
Government they are great deal more than
cQual-wherc the laborers are not placed in
MS position-savos. The question is, how
can you shape the policy of the Government
to elevate the condition of these luborers and
eulighten them, without iniuring the safety
OF the people among whom they live. It is
a troublesome problem. Gentlemen may
scout it as involving apparent inconsistent
cies, but it is great problem for us. 1t
needs the assistance of all sides in its s1lu-
ton. 1t reminds me Of the good old lady
who, somewhat advanced in age, wished to
have Bible so small that she could carry it
to church in her pocket. And yet it must
lave the largest Kind Of print, because she
could not see very well. ! do not perceive
low it is possible to get the largest kind OF
print into the smallest sized Bible and it
is difficult for me to see how we are to solve
the problem which have stated, involving
the Inconsistencies to which | have alluded,
and preserve the Union, and yet make no
compromise
Sir, | think the experiment Of dis,olying
the Missouri com promise and the compro-
mise Of 1880, was II very mistaken one. Can
amy gentleman suppose that the people who
sustained the action OF Congress in adopting
the compromise of 1880 expected that the
action OF lNj4 would he claimed to result as
u consequence from it ! 1t is impossible
That compromise was based ON the principle
that everything was to remain IN Siaiu mo.
The people said we will agree to the comIro-
mise of 1850 ii that Will settle the whole ques-
zion Of slavery in regard to the Territories. In
1884, however. it was cOntcnded that because
in the Utah and New Mexico bills Of 1850, it
was provided that those Territories, when
admitted as States, should come in with or
without slavery, we are required to repeal
the Missouri compromise which prohibited
slavery, and rot only to do that but to go
further, and to invest the people OF Kansas
not merely with the power OF forming State
constitution, but the power Of legislating in
regard to slavery, and admitting it while
they should remain Territory. In 1850
Mr., Clay said II never will vote, and no
earthly power will ever make me vote, to
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