The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-08-04

the pOlIlcdl INCONSISTENCY vi DouSIdS, anu tIe
party he represents including Mr.. Buchanan,
to give his opinions as expressed in 1853 on
the subject Of interfering with the Missouri
The whole country knows the
political acts which have since rendered his
name a bye word for inconsistency and cor
ruption among politicians. In this connec- !,
ton, we give brief history of that which in !
troduced the Nebraska and Kansas bill. In
February, 1858, the chairman of the Commit /
tee on Territories, then Mr. Richardson, in !
troduced a bill to organize the Territory
of Nebraska 1t contained not one loo1H on
the subject Of Slavery. After short discussion
it passed by a vote of ninety eight to forty
three The only objection that was made to
it was on account of the Indian titles, and the
absence of any necessity, for a territorial gov
ernment 1t was sent to the Senate a few
days prior to the 18th of March, was reported
favorably on, and advocated by the Senator
from Illinois, Mr. Douglas, chairman Of the
Committee on Territories IN that body. 1t
failed there only for want of time to consider
It, The Missouri Compromise, it was express
IL stated in the Senate at that time, was I'M
repealed and unaffected by the bill. This was
just prior to the Inauguration Of President
Pierce, and after most of the members of the
thirty-third Congress had been elected. In
December Senator from Iowa Mr.. Dodge !
introduced into the Senate bill similar to the
one of the previous session, for the organiza
ton of Nebraska. 1t was referred to the Ter
ritorial Committee. On the 4th Of January,
the Senator from Illinois Mr.. Douglas] re-
ported the bill back with amendments, and
recommended its passage. The BILL with the
amendments, was substantially the Utah and
the boundaries o. Nebraska. This was &C
companied by printed report, which contains
the following statement in reference to the
Missouri Compromise, and the effect of the
bill then introduced, the report being written
by Douglas
"By the eighth section of an act to au-
thorize the people of the Missouri Territory
to form constitution and State Government,
and for the admission of such STATE into the
Union on an equal footing with the original
States, and to prohibit slavery in certain Ter
rtores,' March 6, 1920, it was provided ::
That, in all that territory coded by France
| to the United States under the name of Louis
lana, which lies north of 36 deg. 80 IN. north
latitude, not included within the limits of the
State contemplated by this act, slavery and
involuntary servitude, otherwise than in the
punishment of crimes whereof the parties
bov 1,rlv cd ChaI l,o
is hereby, forever prohibited : ProUided ala0ay8,
That any person escaping into the same from
whom labor or service is lawfully claimed. in
any State or Territory OF the United States,
such fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed, and
conveyed to the person claiming his or her la
Dor or service, as aforesaid.
Under this section, as in the case of the
Mexican law in New Mexico and Utah, it is a
disputed point whether slavery is prohibited
in the Nebraska country by Udyid enactment
| The decision OF this question involves the con-
shtutional power Of Congress to pass laws
prescribing and regulating the domestic insti-
tutions of the various Territories of the Union
In the opinion of those eminent statesmen
who hold that Congress is invested with no
rghtiul authority to legislate upon the subject
of slavery in the Territories, the eighth section
of the act preparatory to the admission of Mis-
souri, is null and void while the prevailing
sentiment in large portions of the Union sus-
tains the doctrine that the Constitution of the
United States secures to every citizen an in
alienable right to move into any of the Ter
ritories with his property, OF whatever kind
and description, and to hoid and enjoy the
same under the sanction of law. Your COM
mittee do not feel themselves called upon to
enter into the discussion of these controverted
Lon tba
sues which produced the agitation, the section
al strife, and the fearful struggle of 1850 AS
Congress deemed it wise and prudent to re-
frain from deciding the matters in c0ntrover-
sy then, either by affirming or repeating the
Mexican laws or by an act declaratOry of the
true intent of the Constitutions and the extent
of the protection afforded by it to slave prop
erty IN the Territories, so your committee are
not prepared now to recommend a departure
from the course pursued on that memorable
occasion, either by affirming or repeating the
eighth section of the Missouri act, or by any
act declaratory of the meaning of the Const-
tutipn in respect to the legal points in dispute
Tour committee deem it fortunate for tn e
peace OF the country, and the security of the
Union, that the controversy then resulted in
the adoption of the compromise measures,
which the two great political parties, with !
singular uHdiiHlIHlIy nave aluflneu as car |
dinal article of their falth and proclaimed to
the would. as final settlement of the contro-
yersy, and an end of the agitation A due
respect, therefore. for the avowed opinions of
Senators, as well as proper sense Of patriot
&c duty, enjoins upon your committee the pro-
priety and necessity of strict adherence to the /
principles, and even literal adoption of the .
enactments Of that adjustment in all their ter
ritorial bills, so far as the same are not locally
inapplicable"