Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-02-18
COUNTY CONVENTION.
THE ADMISSION OF OREGON.

THE ADMISSION OF OREGON.
The circumstances under which Oregon is
admitted as State in the Union are pecu-
liar, and deserve a notice.
The vote for its admission was tai ken in the
Senate in May, 1858, after only brief de-
bate, and the vote was in no sense IA party
one. OF the ayes, "a, were given by Demo-
Gratis or South Americans. and - by Repub-
Leans. OF the noes IL were given by Dem
ocrlts and South Americans, and by Re-
puolicans. OF the abscntces from illness or
un~illingness to vote, s were Democrats or
South Americans, and 8 were Republicans.
The reasons given for their several votes,
TO far as they were made known by Senat9 rs
were very diverse also.
Strong objections were made to some of
the provisions in tho constitution by some of
10 Republicans. Professedly indeed, the con-
stitution forbade slavery but it also said
"no free negro or mulatto, not residing in
tins State at the time of the adoption of this
Constitution. shall ever come, reside or be
within this State, or hold any real estate, or
make any contract, or maintain any suit
therein >: and there We're other provisions
scarcely less hostile to the spirit olhumanity
and justice. Senator Wilson of Massachu-
Fctts. while rejoicing, as he said, at the ex-
cllsion of slavery could not overlook such
unjust provisions as those just referred to.
Said Mr.. Wilson
There are hundreds Of men in Massachusetts,
tn, descendants of men who fou sht in the ranks of
"ur fathers in the Revolution; who fought on
bard your ships Of war in the last war with Great
Blitain--the descendants of men who gave their
lives and their blood to the Independence and iber
tics Of this country; aud they, in Massachusetts.
have enjoyed he benefits for which their anccs-
Tors fought If the descendants Of those brave
mon should go On board whale ship, go to the
P'cifc ocean, land in Oregon, in stress II weather.
il may be, 20 on shore be snitten down, nearly
murdered, ov white villains without cause they
cdnnot ~ Ain suit in the courts of that State.
IAey may be abused, they may be murdered, any
outrage may be inflicted, any indignity may be
put upon them, but they cannot maintain suit
III the courts of that State to protect them in their
p rsonal rights Is this not inluman, unchris-
ii m, dcyilisi cannot vote to sanction prop
o-tion which outlaws men for crime.
Under the strong desire, on the one hand
u admit new State inhibiting slavery in its
constitution and on the other the repurnapce
t. provisions in the same instrument
hlrdly, if at all, less. atrociousy wrong
tan direct prO-slavcry clause wonld have
cen, Mr.. Wilson indicated lis intention
u vote neither for nor against it. Some
Senators, tue Vermont Senator's among them,
as ardent friends OF human freedom as there
can be, believed the gain for the cause of
freedom on the one hand was greater and
more likely to be durable than the niustic
on the other, and that with the influx new
settlers into Free State those unjust consti-
tutional provisions would soon be expurga-
led, and they voted for tho admission.
But since that time-nearly year ago
the out-reachings and INSCRIPTIONS daring
Of the slave power have been made more and
more manifest in various ways. There is
strong reason to fear that under some covert
expressions in the Oregon Constitution, sla-
very, notwithstanding Its formal prohibition
in that instrument, will be upheld by deci-
sions of the United States Supreme Court,
as that Court now Is f; ana had the vote,
which was taken in the Senate in Day 1858,
been taken in Feb. 1859, we doubt whe Their
a single Republican vote would have been
thrown for the admission.
We are always bound to look at votes Civ
en- on questions which involve many points,
in the light of the circumstances and knowl-
edge Of the time Who believes that the
Constitution of the United States would
have been adopted by either the Convention
of l7S7 or by the people Of the States, if it
had been supposed that under the interpre-
tation of its provisions by Federal courts,
the cause Of slavery would have been built up
away as was expected by the patriots of
those days? 1t would not have been voted
for by the delegates or people of five states.
Reason, justice and decency demanded
that the House should insist on show of
justice to Kansas, by removing her restrc-
ton as to population before voting To admit
Oregon, to which that same objection lies
with full force, 50 far us there is any reason
or justice in it, But this was refused. The
course of proceedings on the two, shows be-
yond doubt that the Slave Power expects
helpn Congress from Oregon anu therefore
is ready to be guilty of any wrong or incon-
eistcney ia orior 10 secure il and 10 deprive
the cause of freedom OF any ala from kansas
Every Republican vote should have been
given against it therefore,
As for the fifteen Republicans who voted
for it, without whose vote the bill would not
have passed viz. Messrs. Comins and Thayer
of Mass; Foster & Wood of Me, Blllinghurst
OF Wisconsin; Cragin of n. H; Curtis Of
Iowa; Kunklc of Pennsylvania Nichols,
Letter and Horton of Ohio; Colfax, Case,
Kilgore, Petit of Indiana, some of them
will be likely to meet with a sharp reckon
ing from their constituents when the time
comes.
The GIDDISGs TEsTMoNIAL.-The ap-
preaching termination OF the public life of
Hon. Joshua r. Giddings has led to an ear