The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-08-20

thus presented denying the CONSTITUTIONAL power o. au-
hoty Of Congress to legislae TO the exclusion OF us CIT
liens from the domain territories and pledged
ITSELF and all that dear to H. never 70 submit 70 sueh
arbitrary and unconstitutional assumption TINS was
the issue the OF the Congress
which assembled in December, l649i and no man can
fail 10 remember that the conflict between the North and
South this question threatened 70 dismemper he con
federacy The great and distinguished men Of all polit
cal parties in this country and felt that the danger OF
division and dsunon not only threatening but so Inn
minent as to require the prudence wisdom and patriotism
the leading and influential in every section OF the
Union to act conformity to prevent such catastrophe
The restrictive policy of the line OF SO deg 80 min north
latitude had been adopted In 1920 although tns re-
srcton had been forced the South 1t was now In the
very wantonness of aotious tyranny repudated by the
North and the most solemn ayowas heard from every
quarter of that section Of the Union that 50 far as the ter
rtory acquired from Mexico concerned they were de-
that foot OF il should ever become the
habtaon of those who recognised the relation which subs
sisted at the South between the African and white races
They determined that southern man should With
out first aburng his brthright and leaving behind him
his manhood and his honor make home on any Of this
territory i was useless and ide there
crisis with another proposition OF compromise the basis
OF division of the territory between the two sections on
the parallel of SO deg 80 min north latitude or BY d.
vision ON any other line of latitude or longitude They
therefore In the bill commonly called the compromise bill
of 1850 provided for the admission of California into the
Union as and establishing me prns
terne for themselves the character OF their own domestic
Institutions and into the Union either with with
slavery people Territory
determine when they form their State cons
tuition preparatory to admission into the Union And this
the great constitutional principle that recognised
in the settlement of the question whether Congress possess
SEES the constitutional power by legislation or otherwise
prohibit slavery in these Territories
This compromise was Objectionable TO most if not ALL Of
the ayehodng States and many were even disposed TO
resist it because it recognised the right of California
admission into the Union as State, prohibiting by her
constitution the institution ofsavery. II also opposed
on the ground that its admission into the Union would de-
ctr fha hnfw he
savehoding States in the Senate of the United States and
thus place the South hereafter in the power of section hos
tile their institutions and planning their distinctions
but for the sake of the principle Of noninteryention
by Congress in reference TO the question OF slavery In
the Territories then and hereafter to be organized
the people of the South although not wholly APPROX
ing it, acquiesced in it as a final settlement Of all
the questions embraced in its terms, which might
hereafter become subject to the same principles. In
1852 the two great political parties that then divided this
country met in convention to make their nominations
of candidates for the two highest offices in the country and
TO lay down their platform of principles and each Of these
two parties recognised and endorsed this settlement and
solemny pledged themselves to stand by and maintain 1T
final settlement of this vexed and exciting question be-
tween the two sections In 1859 Franklin Pierce the
President Of the United States by majority that approach
ed unanimityit unparalleled since the fierce party
struggles of 1900 And he true to the principles of the
party that nominated and most trumphanty elected him
in his inaugural address planted himself firmly and boldly
on these principles; and who gave him cordial
support in his election and in the of my constituents
who honor him for his devotion to constitutional liberty
desire to say that he has honestly and faithfully redeemed
every pledge and that his will live in history and
be cassed with those Of Jefferson Jackson and James
Polk the fathers of the democratic party.
1t became necessary in 1854 to provide government for
the territories west of Missouri and the democratic party
of the Senate and the House Of Representatives faithful
alike to their pledges and to the constitution Of the United
States did in framing for Kansas and Nebras
incorporate the same principle to the very letter Of
the language employed in the bill organizing territorial
governments for Utah and New Mexico thus manifested
their willingness to perpetuate the principles of
vention by any congressional legislation the purely
nestle institution Of negro slavery The Missouri line Of
srcon removed By repeating the 9th section Of the
of 1920 to make the principle of nonintervenion effective
in all that territory north of the line and this left the
Territories Of Kansas and Nebraska free and open set
Element the inhabitants of both sections Of the Union
whether their property consisted in maid
or In cattle and stock of any and every descp
ton encouraging alike the pioneer from the North or the
South who should 60 there seek home with moth
ing but his stout bold heart and his strong brawny
Those who were resisting the passage of this measure
did not wait to see it consummated before they invoked the
aid press and the pulpit to the people Of the
North to resistance of this act Of aggression upon
their rights secured by the Compromise Of 1890 which
they declared had been held sacred by all parties all
ons for more than thirty years Ministers Of the Gospel
the North whose mission love and peace descended from
the sacred desk desecraed the pulpit by pnn-
ging into the muddy and dirty pool of political party
test and basphemousy assumed, in the of Almighty
God, to command American Congress carry the
wishes Of vile political demagogues whose willing tools
they had become and whose yeries they had assumed in
stead of that of meek and owy Saviour And when they
could not prevent however corrupt and base
the Of this great of peace they resolved
70 defeat the execution Of the law both in its letter and
spirit And the fact has been established by the tes
mony OF member Of this House Hon Mr. Mace) before
the Kansas committee of investigation that many of the
members of Congress who opposed to the passage Of
this BILL united in association prevent the peaceful
and quiet execution of this act of Congress passed by
majority In both houses and approved by the Pres-
dent Of the United States Northern States opposed
to the institutions Of the South under the lead and
influence Of this class OF politicians granted acts of
Incorporation to Influential capitalists in their own section
peaceable settlement but enlist in this unhoy crusade
70 deprive the people Of the South Of equal rights in that
Territory These efforts at the North closely watched
by the people of the South and particularly by the people
OF the State Of Missouri who felt Immediately con-
cerned in the character Of the institutions formed on the
very borders Of that State than any other portion Of the
southern people surprising that they should the
the people Of the Notwithstanding States with such oppo-
stion their part would b most likely to prevent
them from forcing by unconstitutional means antagonsc
Institutions at their very doors am willing 10 admit
that the influential citizens Of the State of Missouri have
encouraged and stimulated emigration to Kansas from
their well from other southern satesnay more
viii deny that the people of every southern State feel
supremacy they have combinations OF associated cap
tal formed at the NORTH to stimulate and encourage
antslayery and free-so emigration, by similar efforts
made TO aid and encourage actual settlement In Kansas
Of pro-slavery from the South who would claim
for their section the right to settle in the Territory with
any and all property TO which they had just and legal
title The South alive TO all the movements made In
been dsneresed spectators Of the that have rans-
pired in portions of Enplapdwhere ministers