Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-01-11

me texas boundary line through streams Of
| blood to the Rio Grande. We hastily and pa
! cifcally brought the Oregon line down to the
4Oth parallel, 81 40 min. being too cold for
negro propagation
Freedom won one triumph in Polk's term
a bill for the organization of the Territory of
Oregon, with the usual anti-Slavery prohibition,
was complicated with proposed compromises in
the long session of 1913. Dix and other Scna-
tors had elucidated the power of ConsresS to
prohibit Slavery in Federal Territories, but the
Ohgarehs and their allies had determined TO
smlte down the "Wilmot Proviso" While the
bill lay in this deadlock, the Buffalo Convention
placed Van Buren, in nomination for the Presi-
dency Cass being also in nomination, had re-
signed his seat in the Senate, and was homeward
bound "by the way of the lakes" the New York
Bsm-Burners being after him in full CRY. The
Democracy in the Senate were alarmed. They
took the Oregon bill hastily from the table; and,
after vehement debate, in which all the chief
Senators participated, and which continued
through the night and until Sabbath morning
sun in August gilded the Capitol, it passed, with
the Anti Slavery clause included, by the close
vote OF 90 to 25.
In this debate Calhoun announced the then
startling, but too familiar doctrine, that the
Constitution carries Slavery over all territories
where our flag waves. Congress bequeathedit it,
and all the embarrassing questions that cluster-
ed around it, as legacy Of strife to the incom.
ing Administration of Gen. Taylor.
Important changes now occurred in the Sen
ate. Dix with his chaste eloqcence, Cameron
with his sturdy sense, Allen with his stentorian
defamation, Clayton with his large experience,
and Johnson with his legal lore, retired Clay
returned to plRy the final act in the drama of
public life. Seward, Chase, Truman Smith,
Soule, Shields and Clemens entered to perform
distinguished parts in the scenes soon to open
At the first session in Taylor's term, terrific
rial questions arose in each wing Of the Capitol
which were destined TO dissolve cabinets, de-
stroy parties, and PROFOUND problems of govern
ment that long years to come will not to solve.
Benton and Clay, Webster and Calhoun, stood
in the forum, in the fulness of their fame, sur
rounded by as much craftsmanship and elo-
quence as had ever appeared in the Chamber
before.
The long and bitter contest over ''the Com.
promise measures of 1850 still stands out clear
before the public eye. The hereie resistance
waged, and the glowing words uttered, against
those measures Of peace" Qalsely so called) by
Seward, Hale, Chase, Dayton, Smith, H7mlin,
and Baldwin, will be their passport to the graf.
itude and admiration of posterity
Ere the fruit Of this evil tree, planted by vault
ing ambition and craven fear, had matured, Cal
houn, Clay and Webster passed away. Benton
lived to see it fall rotten from the boughs He
must have regretted even the small share he had
in giving it root in the earth. The measures of
1850 were lauded by President Fillmore as " a
settlement, final settlement, of tho whole sub
ject of Slavery
Four years after the "fnal" extinguishmeut
of these sectional fires. the Senate Chamber was
u, 49,,
corner Of the land, resulting in the repeal ofthe
Compromise of 1920 and raging more fiercely
than at that memorable epoch. Previous to and
pending the struggle of 1884, the side of Free
dom had received powerful accession in the
Senate in the persons of Fessenden, Foot, Col
lamore Sumner, Wilson and Wade while the
Propaganda had found able allies in ToOmbs,
Brown, Bayard, Benjamin and Toucey. Had
the venerable Macon been a participant in the
four months Kansas conflict of 1854, as he was
in the two months Missouri contest of 1920, he
could have repeated with emphasis his words of
that da,: "The scene in this Chamber excels
anything l have ever witnessed in the Senate
before ~
The conduct of those Senators who resisted
Slavery vast Territories once conseerareu 70
Freedom, will stand ''the test of talents and Of
time" They are already anticipating the ap-
proving verdict of posteritY, in the refusal of
the author of this measure to pluck and eat its
first fruits
We have space to barely mention the last
question that agitated the historic Chamber of
which we write-the admission of Kansas IN
der the Lecompton ConstitutiOn-the ripe fruit
of the Kansas-Nebraska act
The pen that shall write the annals Of this
storied Chamber will not fail to note that the
| first Congress and the last Congress that sat
/ within its walls were each convulsed with the
question whether a State, repOsing Oh the
banks of the Missouri River, should enter the
/ Union under a slaveholding Constitution. Nor
will it forget to give one glowing page to re-
cord the hope inspiring fact that, while in 1920
the attempt succeeded, it most signaly failed in
1858. "The world does move" said Calico.
| We must take our leave of the old Chamber
Let US hope that the destructive hand of miscal-
| led improvement will not be laid sacrilegiOusly
upon it. Rather, let it remain unimpaired, along
with that other old Hall where Clay presided,
and Everett detained, and Barbour reasoned,
and Adams fell Let both go down to posteri-
ty as appropriate memorials of stirring times
and great men. What descendant of the An
glo SaXons can look unmoved upon the old Hall
of William Rufus, whose oaken arches have
seen the trials Of Bacon, Charles and Hastings,
and have heard the eloquence Of Strafford, Som
ers and Burkel And who of that race does
not mourn the destruction, or defacement, of
the House made sacred by the craftsmanship,
the genius, the oratory Of Halifax and Noting
ham, Walpole and Pultney, Mansfield and
Chatham, Fox and Pitt ! Let, then, the Ameri-
can Senate Chamber, and Representatives Hail
stand through coming time as monumental
chapters in the history Of the Republic.
e DR.. Lyons Office is removed from IS
Water street to No. 81 St. Clair street.