Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1859-10-06

those rights of property in slaves which
we're sacred under the laws and constitu-
tions of their respective States so long as
the Federal Government had no power to
interfere with the subject.
In like manner, the non-slaveh0lding
States, while they were entirely willing
to provide for the surrender of all f1gi-
i've slaves, as is conclusively shown by the
unanimous votes of all the States in the
! Convention for the provision now under
consideration, and to leave each State
perfectly free to own slaves under its own
laws, and by virtue of its own separate
and exclusive authority, so long as It
pleased, and 10 abolish 1t when it chose,
were unwilling to become responsible for
its existence by Incorporating 1t into the
Constitution as a national institution, TO
be protected and regulated, extended and
controlled by Federal authority, regard
less of the wishes of the people, and in
defiance of the local laws of the several
States and Territories. For these oppo-
site reasons the Southern and Northern
States united in giving a unanimous vote
in the Convention for that provision of the
Constitution which recognizes Slavery as
a local institution in the several States
where it exists, "under the laws thereof, !"
and provides for the surrender of fugitive
slaves.
It only remains to be shown that the
Compromise measures of 1850, and the
Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 are in
perfect harmony with, and faithful en-
. bodiment of the principles herein enfor-
ced. A brief history of those measures
: will disclose the principles upon which
. they are founded.
l On the 29lh of January, 1850, Mr..
Clay introduced into the Senate a series
of resolutions upon the Slavery question,
0 which were intended to form the basis of
the subsequent Legislation upon that sub
/ icct. Pending the discussion Of these re-
o solutions, the Chairman of the Committee
on Territories prepared and reported to
the Senate, on the 25th of March, two
bills, one for the admission of California
), into the Union of States, and the other
4 for the organization of the Territories of
!, Utah and New Mexico, and for the ad-
ustment of the disputed boundary with
4 the State Of Texas, witch were read
twice and printed for the use of the Sen
e ate. On the 18th of April Select Com
r mittee of thirteen was appointed, on mo-
: ton of Mr.. Foote of Mississippi, of which
n Mr. Clay was Chairman, and to which
e were referred all pending propositions re-
lating to the Slavery question. On the
d 8th of May, Mr.. Clay, from the select
y committee of thirteen, submitted to the
a Senate an elaborate report covering all
+ the points In controversy, accompanied by
Il bill, which is usually known as the
. Omnibus Bill" By reference to the
II provisions of this BILL as it appears ON the
files of the Senate, it will be seen that
it is composed of the two printed bills
e which had been reported by the Commit
: tee on Territories on the 25th of March
r previous and that the only material
change in its provisions, involving an i'm
v portant and essential principle, is to be
: found in the tenth section, which presCrI-
bes and defines the powers of the Terri
d torial Legislature. In the bill, as report
: ed by the Committee on Territories, the
i legislative power of the Territories ex,
: tended TO "all rightful subjects of legis-
t lation consistent with the Constitution of
: the United Slates,' without excepting
: African slavery; while the bill, as report
= ed by the committee of thirteen, confer
n red the same power on the Territorial
q Legislature, with the exception of Afri-
: can slavery. This portion Of this section
0 in its original form reads thus:
h And be It further enacted, that the legislative
power Of the territory shall extend to all rghtfu
subjects Of legislation consistent with the cOnstitu
ton Of the United States and the provisions Of this
act but law shall be passed interfering with the
, primary disposition Of the soil
. To which the Committee of thirteen
; added these words: ''Nor in respect tC
; African slavery" When the bill came
). up for action on the 18th Of May, Mr.
:. Davis, Of Mississippi, said:
il Il offer the following amendment. To strike ou
in the sixth line Of the tenth section, the words, I'll
respect to African slavery and insert the words
with those rights of property growing out Of the
stitutOn of African slavery rs it exists in any Of th
= States Of the Mon. The object Of the amendmen
I is to prevent the territorial legislature from legS
IS the institution of slavery. 1t will leave t
e the territorial legislatures those rights and power
u which are essentially necessary, not only to the pre-
~ scryaton Of property but to the peace Of the terri
n tory 1t will leave the right to make such polic
regulations necessary to prevent disorder
which will be absolutely necessary with such pro
pery as that to sceure its beneficial use to its own
ID er. With this brief explanation l submit tn
1r amendment"
t, Mr.. Clay, in reply to Mr.. Davis, said
E clam not perfectly sure that comprehend th
II full meaning Of the amendment offered by the Sena
< tor from Mississippi. If do, think he accOmpshe
D. nothing by striking out the clause in the bil
and inserting that-which he proposes to insert. Th
le clause now in the bill IS that the territorial egsla
tion shall not extend to anything respecting African
slavery within the territory. The effect Of retaining
the clause as .eported by the Committee will be this
Tint if any of the territories slavery exists,
l. shall not be abolished by the territorial legislature
and if in any Of the territories slavery does not nov
" exist it cannot be introduced by the territorial leg
IS islatRTe. The clause itself introduced into tn
,o bill by the Committee for the purpose Of tying
= the ha-ds Of the territorial legislature in respect
- legislating at all, one way the other. upon tn
subject Of African slavery. K intended 70 leav
r the legislation and the law Of the respective terri
- tories in the condition in which the Act will FIN
them. stated on a former occasion that did no
re in Committee, vote for the amendment tn insert TIA
Y c use, though was proposed to be introduced by
: majority of The elommttee. attached very littl
~ consequence 20 it at the time and | attach yer
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