The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-04-12
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fully cope other questions with those WIN whom
they found themselves competitors were BY the force OF
reason compelled 70 yield The constitution was 100 sons
The more udicous OF the northern members to relieve
themselves from in which dsobedene
Of or continued obedience the requirements OF their con-
suen would involved them appealed 70 me
i OF their southern brethren this moor Inc in's
Baldwin OF gigantic intellect and unsurpassed IN
dustry oinyesgaon who equalled ~ few In prae-
tcl sagacityh ose name has of late been mentioned
with the praise due him for his useiul mediation IN TINS
busnesstook leading part IN these EFFORTS 20 ms
men invited their brethren OF the sayehoiding States TO
agree 10 partition by of which this question should
be settled IA had been found that The attempt TO impose
he restriction on Missouri State only morally
wrong but legally Unconstitutional. The compromise
thus proposed from the North carried by southern
votes with the aid OF northern votes than were
NECESSARY pass it, That Is the truth OF history
Those cid enough to reeoec those days will concur IN at
testing this truth.
What the principle of the attempted adjustment
TO establish second time by convention, line by which
property that could be conveniently enjoyed IN COM
mon might be made the subject OF PARTITION After the
northern majority of this House been driven from the
ground Of excluding s-yery wholly from the hns OF Inc
French cesson originally assumed by them, there was
controversy where the line OF the proposed
division should be drawn Another deceased pariot-a
distinguished soldier and President
of the United Stateor whom those who like SELF diff
fered him in politics. will to entertain the
highest respect and veneraton proposed line colncl-
dent with the present northern line Of Missouri 10 the
northward of that of Kansas the limit between the
slavehoding and the non-sIayeholding territory An
other statesman, from the North, bad In an earlier
stage of the controversy, proposed the old line Of 30
deg 80 min When tho adoption of this line had been
thus proposed by him. il had been intended means OF
excluding slavery from Missouri we'll from the Terri
tories westward Of her borders Finally 50 far as the
State Of Missouri concerned law and reason prevailed
Her constitutional right regulate her own domestic IN
situations reluctantly acknowledged The partition
was made by bare majority The line of sc deg 80 mn
to the westward OF the State of Missouri made the d
vision in terms which have already quoted. That it was
in its greatest attempted extension illegal enactment is
liz adp.ltfa wa
by the people of the southern States who the only
parties who could reasonably have objected Whether it
founded in law not they abded by it contentedly
Thus the question Of slavery in the Territories with
casonal agitation from the North, but from the
South rested until after had acquired new territory
from Mexico. #Ht# aaE a@H
On this occasion the of the saveholdng
States in Congress- acting with perfect good faith agreed
unanimously in proposal to extend the old dvisionine
of SO deg 80 min the Pacific There WAS how
ever valid objection this proposed extension OF that
line westward OF the Rocky mountains. Governments had
been previously organized to the westward of those noun
Former local institutions under these governments
entitled protection BY these institutions slavery
had been excluded from these Territories To have changed
their condition. IN this respect would have been wrong
For this the proposal of the southern Representa-
tives though otherwise perfectly just and reasonable
rejected by the Congress of 1860.
California became member of the Union,
slayehodiIg State through the legislation Of that year
This completed the exclusion of slavery from portion
Of Pacific coast extending through seeneen degrees OF
latitude OF which about fourth TO the southwark OF
36 deg 30 min. s.a Jarraa .e"
through the same legislation, the territorial govern
els OF tab lying to the northward and of New Mexico
the southwark of 26 deg 80 min organized the
nominal principle OF permitting the Inhabitants to deter
mine their domestic institutions for themselves Those in
stitutions already excluded slavery. @ .4se.a
This therefore, completed its exclusion from the whole
country acquired from Mexico This country included Cal
iiornia Utah. and New Mexico Its whole westward
of the Rocky mountains about half million square
mleR To the Territory OF New Mexico the Mesilla pur
chase nearly eighty thousand square miles afterwards
annexed BY the act of 1850 about this quantity terri
tory eastward OF the Rocky mountains had with the
of Texas also been annexed New Mexico The
of the present Stale of California and Territories Of Utah
and New Mexico with these two additions together
about six hundred and sixty thousand square miles
This territory from which slavery has apparently been
forever excluded by this legislation about equal in
the Of the of the present Territories of Kansas
and Nebraska.
This brings us to the legislation of 1854
These Territories of Kansas and Nebraska then without
any organized government part the French ces
sion lying noTthward of latitude SO deg 36 min For this
deg has been substituted the southern boundary of
Kansas for local connected with Indian
the border According the letter of the Missouri
promise act slavery to be excluded from their limits
But have that in 1850 had been impossible
10 extend this line westward the Rocky mountains
The old line where IL had formerly been established
ward of those mountains bad therefore been wholly dsre
garded in the legislation Of 1850 Thus have that
portion OF Texas lying southwark of &c deg min equal
nearly equal in to the States OF Massachu
Sets Rhode Island, Connecticut New York, New Jersey,
Delaware, and Maryland annexed 10 the non-slave
holding Territory Of New Mexico. Slavery had thus In
1850, been excluded from this territory, which under the
NlssouFl i0npfot1f hRd been lett open TO slavery.
started with the proposition that the refusal In ls49
and 1850 to extend The divsonline Of SO deg 30 min
westward Of the Rocky mountains carried with an Incl
dental obligation TO atrogate The restriction Of the Mis-
souri, Compromise in Kansas and Nebraska To take from
the slsyehoding States All the Territories westward of the
Rocky nouptaiDs and still retain for the aveholdnp
States almost tho whole of the Territories eastward Of these
mountains would have been unjust An rangement
IusIy beneficial westward Of the Rocky mountains WAS
impossible But Kansas and Nebraska north of 81 deg
were sun unsettled and unorganized Their superficial
wa havo said coextensive with that OF the
Titory from which slavery had been excluded Ia 1885,
True Nebraska comprising the greater porton-not les
than this unorgauized territory, Is the
norhward OF 40 deg and therefore probably open TO
settlement by sayeholder But in Kansas occupying the
space between 40 deg and 81 deg, there least the
possibility Of partial equivalent for the loss by the slave
holding States Of participation In the beneficial enjoy
ment OF The terrtocy on the Pacific
All that effected, attempted, in 1854, by the act
organizing The territorial governments of Kansas Ne
braska TO permit the settlers in these Territories to
regulate for themselves their domestic institutions in
Guiding the subject Of slavery The concurrence In opn
ion OF statesmen who united in this peo-
pie Of the savehodng States In quarter OF what they
bad been deprived OF 10 another quarter is
the chairman OF the Committee Territories conspiracy
against freedom
The Missouri restriction "a precedent that had run In
storm was no longer morally IL bad been legally
In force had been wholly disregarded in the IeQisla
hon Of 1850 But II was upon the statue-book still unre
pealed.
To all doubt upon The question whether his re-
strcton 10 lie legally in in these Territories the
net 81 1854 after giving 20 the constitution and all laws of
the United states not locally napplieabe the same
within Their limits elsewhere within the United
excepted the INSTRUMENTATION set declaring ii noper
alive and void as inconsistent with the principle recog