The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-08-28
A HISTORY OF vACILLATIoN, TREACHERY,
AND CRIME

ter, to revive "the agitation of the Slavery
question" in or out of Congress. He declared
that the famous Compromise" measures of
1850 were to be and remain " fnality;" and
everybody understood that, in all future legisla-
ton regarding the Territories, there was to be
no fssaher change made regarding Slavery.
New Mexico and Utah were to be secured to
eventual Freedom by Mr.. Webster's irreversi
BILE decree of Providence, as well as by the
pre-existing local law of Mexico, which was
not repealed by the act of annexation, and
which Mr.. Clay, Mr.. Webster, and Mr.. Badger,
agreed in regarding as valid. The territory
west and north of Missouri, now known as
dom by the Missouri Com promise-a measure
alike glori6ed by Chg; Webster, Buchanan,
and Douglas. Nobody dreamed Of its repeal.
No sscrilegous hand dared touch it. No i'm
pious tongue dared question its wisdom and
permanence. Even Atchison, the bold and
INSCRIPTIONS instigator Of ruffian forays into
Kansas, despaired at that time of repeating
this prohibition of Slavery. He yielded to
what he regarded as the irreversible policy of
the country, and was willing to see a Terrific
| rial Government organized on the basis of that
prohibition.
Such was the state of Southern public senti-
ment at the time of President Pierce's cleo
ton and at the following session Of Congress,
the Committee on Territories in the House of
Representatives brought in bill to organize
the Territory of Nebraska. Even then they
showed disposition to betray the cause of
Freedom by proposing to run the southern
boundary Of the proposed Territory on the
3Sth parallel of latitude-thus tacitly ignoring
| the Compromise line of go 30, and leaving
room for slave State wholly or partly to the
north of that line. This clsndestine treachery
of the committee failed of success the bill
was amended, and the true line of $50 30> was
engrafted on it. In this form the bill went to
the Senate, and would have passed, as a mat
ter of course, if Northern Senators had not
been more willing to betray, than the South
was anxions to profit by the treason. South
ern Senators, it is true, objected to the Anti
Slavery features Of the bill but Atchison, IN
der the pressure Of public opinion at home,
was anxions for the organization of the Terri
tory, and expressed a willingness to swallow
the Anti-Slavery proviso rather than lose the
bill. But the easy virtue of Northern dough.
faces truer to Slavery on that occasion
than the ferocious and Incorporating Atchi
son. They suffered the bill to sleep, and to 60
over to the next session among the unfinished
business.
Early in the following session of Congress,
viz: on the 18th of December, 1853, Mr.. Dodge
of Iowa introduced bill to organize the Ter
ritory of Nebraska, identical in its provisions
with that which passed the House as above
stated, at the last session of the preceding
Congress- 1t was referred to the Committee
on Territories, of which Mr.. Douglas of Illinois
was chairman. On the 4th of January, 1854,
he reported substitute for the bill.
Now, mark his career and that of the Ad-
ministration-mark their fragrant Inconsistent
cies, their gentle curves and their short turns
and, above all, mark their cool impudence, in
protesting their perfect consistency under all
| circumstances
The reader will bear in mind that the final
| point st which these worthless arrived, and
which they still stick to, is this: that the prin-
ciple of the legislation of 1850, known as the
Compromise Measures, is inconsistent with and
supersedes the Missouri Compromise, as il
regards the restriction of Slavery. 1t il also
asserted that the pregnant Legislation of 1886
settled finally and forever the right of slave
holders to carry their slaves into all the Terri
tories of the United States, whether north Oh
south of the line of 36O 3O/, and whether &C
CURED from Mexico, with local laws agains
Slavery, or otherwise. This is the present po
sition of the sham Democracy. Now, let us
follow the steps by which they arrived at it.
The substitute offered by Mr. Douglas, OF
the 4th of January, 1854, was accompanied
by report, explanatory of the bill, and tn,
!, policy in which it is founded. The foowin,
) is an extract from it:
ain the opinion of those eminent statesmen
, who hold that Congress is invested with no right
ful authority to legislate upon the subject o
Slavery in the Territories, the 9Th section O
, the act preparatory to the admission of Nilsson
, ri is null and void while the prevailing sent
ment, in large portions of the Union, sustain
the doctrine that the Constitution of the UHite'
, States secures to every citizen an inalienabl
, right to move into any of the Territories wit
his property, of whatever kind and description
and to hold and enjoy the same, under the sane
ton of law. Your committee do not feel them
f selres called upon TO enter into the diScussiO
J. Of these contrODerted questions. They inrolr
tie same grace issues ,chi.h produced the agitd
, ton, the sectional strife, and the fearful struS
u | all Of 40 n
y prudent 10 refrain from deciding the matters 4
: controversy then, either By affirming or repea
!. ing the Merican iaics, or by any act declarator
| OF the true intent of the Constitution, and til
extent Of the protection afforded by it to slav
property in the Territories; so your committe
are not prepared now to recommend departu,
from the course pursued on that memorable o
r. cssion, either by affirming or repeating the 81
section OF the Missouri act, or by any act
claratory of the meaning of tho Constitution
l. respect to the legal points ia dispute.
=. "Your committee deem it fortunate for Il
!. good of the country and the security of Il
Union, that the controversy then resulted in ii
= adoption of the Compromise Measures, whis
y the two greet political parties with sipgul
Ell unanimity, have affirmed IS cardinal article
se their faith, and proclaimed to the world, &C
g final adjustment of the controversy, and en- 81
!, to The agitation. A due respect, therefore,
!" the avoged opinions Of Senators, as we'll as
IN proper sense Of patriotic duty, enjoins gpt
he your committee the propriety and necessity
" a strict adherence to the principles, and even
literal adoption of the enactments of that ad ju
raeat, in all their Territorial bills, so far as t
r. same are not locally inapplicable."
e. This is the first step, but IL fer short of t
at final position aimed at. Now, mark how Ell
ID phatically the official orgsn of the next day