New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-08-16


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Whe. the acquisition Of Mexican territory be-
came imminent, ihe Democracy Of tie Noeta very
naturally fe. responsible for the result sud oe'r~i
10 rsdeem tie pledges to Freedom - oi'rn S'V'n
during The contest When the Three Milioo Dill
p.s introduced into Congress 81 peace measure
Dir Wilmot. LEADING D-mocrt OF Pennsylvania
moved - an au,e ndment to it hl, famous Pro'iSo'
prohibiting. in tie language Of the 0c ordinance
orcspizinr the North-Nes Territory Slavery ia
any territory which We might BY treaty acquire
from Mexico Thi, P'ovi'o received the votes oil
nearly every Northern Democrat in the House OF
Representatives,.
The agitation spread from Con gress to the coun-
try. The Provis, wss warmly approved BY the
great body of Northern men. BY none was IL
more ,ehementy apPlsuded than by the masses of
TIE Democracy of the Free States. In the years
,s4- and Is49 il. doctrines received the assent OF
the Legislature Of every Northern State, In the
form Of resolutions declaring the power and daty
Of Congress TO prohibit. BIZ special enactment, the
existence If Slavery in the Territories JUST ao
onred BY the treaty Of peace, and In all instance
requesting their Senators and Representatives.
AID IN some nstructipg the former, to vote for
such prohibition. In the case ef Iowa, if we
rccollect srght, resolutions did not pass DOLE
branches in concurre nee, but each House adopted
| . series # its OVID.
Let il be borne in mind that these Legislative deo-
iarations ayowed in the most uneqnisocal terms,
the power and duty Of Congress to incorporate INTO
al, act il might pass, organizing governments tor
| Calloruiu Utah. and New Mexico, fundamental
| provision binding slke upon the Territories and
upon States that might subsequently be formed ont
| Of them. forever excluding Slavery therefrom.
| The language employed in these declarations wa'
usually copied from the Ordinance Of l1o7. Le' II
| be further borne in mind, that thrse resolutions
| were generally introduced BY Democrats, or by
| committee. in which Democrats bore q leading
part that they passed, in many instances unanl-
nou.l5; that in every case they received The votes
of 4 large msj,rity Of the Democratic members;
While in seye, 81 legislative bodies the Democracy
gave them is undivided approval
Democratic Conventions, Democratic journals,
Democratic leaders, in all the Free States, echoed
the voice Of tie Legislatures. The augusta Age,
The N,r. Hampshire Patriot, The Boston Post, The
Hartford Times, The Albany Argus, The Oa'o
Statesman, went with the current. Not to speak
Of Van Buren,, Wright Rantoul, Dodge, Stuart
ard the men of that school, even Daniel s. Dlckln-
sop. tie personifcatiOn of Hunkerism declared on
the Noor Of the Senate that when the time Tor or.
panjzug the new Territories arrived he should be
resdy to vote for the Proviso, instructed or un'
Instructed" Some States, temporarily lost to
the Democracy because of its completely with
Slavery, were lured back to fidelity BY loud and
ostentstous professions Of devotion t. Freedom
BIZ part, chiefs. New -Hampshirs VIVA one of Theses
repentant prodigals, Frank. Pierce welcoming the
wanderer home.
On this elevated ground stood the Northern
Democrscy, nine and ten years aso-uDcompro-
misirsly hostile to the Extension OF Slavery; as
sertng tie powers of Congress to prohibit it for
ever by positive enactment in all Territories of the
Union; enforcing the duty Of exercising that
power whenever organizing governments for such
TerrtOries-the prohibition to be binding through
all time upon States formed out of such Territories
Seeing that the course of its " natural allies
would render the Mexican war barren triumph
to Slavery ard brilliant victory for Freedom, the
Soutberp Democracy began to thresten dissolu-
ton Of tie Union. The clamOr frightened Web
ster from bis propriety and struck terror even to
the great soul Of Clay. As ia Cass, Dickinson,
Pierce, and the bulk Of the Northern Hunkers,
they laid down their arms without firing sbOt
while Cushing and other new Democratic levies,
fresh from the Wing ranks, marched straight oter
into the enepy's camp, making merit Of deser-
tion and claiming wsges for their treason.
The result was Pro Slavery triumph in the or.
ganization of New-MeIico and Utah For the
first time since the adoption of the Constitution,
Congress, after bitter and prOtracted struggle,
passed acts for the government OF Free Tefrlto-
ries, without in express terms prohibiting Slavery
therein forever Mother Constitutional doctrine,
no other system of public policy, could exhibit
more authority or greater names to support it, than
that now repudi.ted From July, l7S7, down to
August 1850, Cor gress, in long series of acts,
had recognized and enforced this policy Its con-
stitulionaty and wisdom had been approved by
every PRECEDENT from Washington 10 Taylor. Il
had been sanctioned by the Supreme Court of the
United States and By numerous inferior judicstories
both in the Free and the Slave States 1t had been
expounded ard illustrated on memorable occasions
by the logic learning and eloquence Of such juriss,
Statesmen, and orators as Jay, Marshall, Jefferson,
Dane, Madison, Kent, Jackson, Wright, Clay, and
Webster. Its binding authority was recognized
BY all political par!es, and wss the common learn
ing of ali classes of men.
In reprobatng this departure from the old land
marks, We should remember that the Legislation Of