Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-10-01

any of them shall be deprived of its full and equal
| right in any territory of the United States, -ac-
quired or to be acquired. r
| ''ReSoLc,a. That the enactment of any aw''-and
here Is the first germ of the doctrine of the
SOUTH and the present agitation of the whole coun
try-"which should directly or by its effects de-
prIve the citizens of any of the States of this Uni
on from emigrating, with their property into any
of the Territories of the United States, will make
such discrimination, and would, therefore be vi
oiation of the constitution. and the rights of the
States from which such citizens emigrated, and in
derogation of that perfect equality which belongs
to them as members of this Union. nd would tend
directly to subvert the Union ITSELF r.f..1 q.
When these resolutions were read, the Scna-
! tor from Missouri, ssOld Bullion''-a Senator
| from slave State-denounced them as a s.fire
| brandt The next day Mr.. Calhoun pressed
| them to vote. Mr.. Benton opposed the pro-
| position. Mr.. Calhoun expressed his surprise
that Mr.. Benton, as the representative from
| Southern State, should oppose the resolutions,
but added, 81 shall know where to find the
| gentleman. ss1es, sir; yes, sir, said s'Old
Bullion,' ssalways know where to find me-by
the side of my country and the Union-always
there" Loud applause.l "
Six years later, the brave old man writing
| upon this subject, says =
| ''0stensbly the plant expressed in these
outions was that the emgrant from the slayeStates
was not allowed to carry his slave with him
Gfity IT 1ras that he not alotced TO carry the
State lar along lct hin, protect his Stare PIac
ed in that light, which is the true the complaint
IS absurd; presented as applying to piece of pro-
perty, instead of the law of the State, it becomes
| specious-has deluded whole communities and has
led TO rage and resentment and hatred of the non.
Mr.. Benton looked upon them as ..ire-
| brand'' when they were introduced, and writ
! ing quietly in his closet, six years thereafter,
he expressed himself as l have just read.
| Who is the author of the Kansas-N Nebraska
| bill Stephen A. .Douglas-I don't know what
| ssA'' stands for. / have heard it is for Arnold,
| but don't believe he could have been fitly
| named at his christening. Stephen A. Doug
| las is the author of that bill. But does Ste
| phen A. Douglas believe, or did he believe,
that Congress had no right to legislate on sla-
very in the Territories Were these the doc
trines in which he was reared in the bosom of
| the democratic party of Illinois and theUnion?
| No, my friends he was reared in the sound
| Constitutional doctrine which / have uttered
here tonight, and will prove it to you.
| In 1913, Congress was engaged in establish
ing government for the Territory of Oregon.
| A territorial bill had passed the lower House
| containing no provision on the subject of sla-
| very. 1t came up to the Senate, and MI. Hale
| at once moved the ssJefferson Proviso 30 in o.
| thcr words, he moved to insert the clause that
| ssinvountary servitude, except as punishment
for crime, should be prohibited within theTer-
| rtory forever Did Stephen 4. Douglas rise
| IN his seat and argue that that was unconstitu-
tional Did he rise and say that Congress had
| no power under the Constitution to legislate
| upon the subject of slavery in the Territories
| No, my friends; but he arose and offered an
| amendment, to wit: the extension of the Mis-
souri, Compromise line through the Territories
! Of New Mexico, Utah and California, then re-
Gently acquired, to the Pacific ocean. Now,
mark you, / am upon the point, has Congress
| the right, and is it its duty to leglSlate upon
| the subject of slavery in the Territories Mr..
Douglas moved as an amendment to Mr.. Hale's
| proposition: a.E..
That the line of thirty-six degrees and thirty
| minutes of north latitude, known the Missouri
| as saefin of
act entitled AN act to authorize the people OF
the Missouri Territory to form constitution and
| State government, and for the admission of such
State into the Union, equal footing with the
original States. and prohibit SIaUery certain ter
rttories.' approved March 6, 1920 be, and the SAME
as herein declared to extend to the Paci fc ;
and the said Sth section, together with the compro
| mise therein effected, is hereby revived, and de-
cared be in full force and binding for the future
organization of the Territories of the United States
| in the same sense. and with the same understand
ing. with which it was originally adopted
Mr.. Douglass having proposed the amend
ment, voted for it. Now, is he not pretty
Senator? TLaughter.1 Is there another such
ssartful dodger'' in so criminal matter, in this
whole broad country, this same Stephen A.
Douglas, the author of the kansas-Nebraska
bill /? MANY voices, 'no, mol No, there is
not. There he was in 1S4S, ready to legisate
upon the subject.
| What was done Now mark, Mr.. Polk
President; James Buchanan was Secretary Of
| State. Mr.Douglas was willing to legislate on
the subject of slavery there was no denial OF
the right. 1t was one year after the lntroduc-
tion of Calhoun's resolutions, but the s'Jeher
son proviso'' was applied to Orego land James
K. Polk, by and with the advice and consent
CT his cabinet, signed the bill and on signing
it, he sent in special message to theCongress
of the United States, assigning his reasons for
doing so. will take the liberty of OBTAINING
you with short extract from that message:
when Texas admitted into our Union, the
same spirit of compromise which guided our pre-
decessors in the admission of Missouri, quarter
of century before prevailed without any serious
opposition. The Joint resolution for annexing Tex
as to. the United States, approved March the lst,
IS45 proyidcs that such States as may be formed
on of that territory lying south OF 80 deg 30 min
utes north latitude. commonly known as the mis-
| souri, compromise line, shall be admitted INTO the
Union with without slavery. as the people OF
each State asking admission may desire and in
such State or States shall be formed out OF the
said territory north of the Missouri compromise
line, slavery involuntary servitude except tor
crime) shall be prohibited The Territory OF Ore
gon far north of So degrees 30 minutes-the
Missouri and Texas compromise line. Its southern
boundary is the parallel of AZ, leaving the inter
, mediate distance to be $50 geographical miles
And it because the provisions of this bill are not
inconsistent with the terms of the Missouri compro-
mise if extended from the Rio Grande to the Pael,
c Ocean, that have not felt at liberty to withhold
nv sanction.
; Now, gentlemen, did Mr.. Buchanan believe
5 that ii was unconstitutional to legislate upon
the subject of slavery If so, pray why olo o
he not make it known by his resignation from
Mr. Polk's cabinet Why did he let the re-
!, sponsibility rest upon him of sanctioning' as
D cabinet minister, an uncors'i,u'ion' -, "oS
He did moi doubt either the right or fhe duty nor
do believe that in his inmost heart he doubts
either now. but ambition has misled him
e .vauItinc ambition, which o'erleaps itself,
i And falls on the other side.' lApplause.l
Now let me leave Congress and Senator's