Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-04-06

freedom. That was one of the elements that
entered into the obtaining Of the annexation
OF Texas. II was one Of tho means by which
they elected that Afterwards there was a
dispute growing ont Of what thought thoro
was never much ground fora claim of Tex
as to large quantity Of land now forming
part Of New Mexico, and which was thus Sc
qucstcred 10 the cause Of freedom, if in Texas.
The United States finally gave Texas slo.-
600 600 to qut-olaim all her right to that ter
ritory and have it belong TO New Mexico.
whore it would stand a chance Of being slave
territory, and would not fall within the saw
ing Of this clause Of the Texas annexation
resolutions
It is not necessary to trace the history Of
the difficulties which were attempted 90 be
settled, and in some measure were settled, by
what were called the compromise measures Of
1880; but the great point which was desired
to be obtained by the action oe that YEAR
prolcssedly desired. and do not know but
rcally-was that Congress should settle the
subject of slavery for all the country we then
owned, as the compromise line Of 1920 had
settled the condition Of the country in roa-
ton to all we then owned, and the ordinance
/ of 7S7 as to all we then owned. How was
| it settled in 1850 IL was said that if Com
I
and New Mexico and the other compromise
measures then agreed upon, there would be
no territory about which 10 quarrel in rcla-
ton to the subject Of slavery; it would all
be settled and arranged, and there would be,
as they said at that time, a inality of that
topic. Those compromise measures were
passed They were passed because the Mis-
souri, compromise line had settled all the
Louisiana purchase, and they took it up there
and settled all beyond and these two stand
ing together made a perfect provision for the
whole subject in the whole Union. Thus it
was that the Missouri compromise line enter
ed as very large element into the formation
of the compromise measures Of 1850. 1t was
the leading ingredient in it, because that set
tement was in relation to a larger and more
important part Of the country than the other.
BY means of this compromise line, the
South had, from step to step. as have stat
ed. obtained these several advantages and
what do we come 30 next? This had oporat-
ed as a sort of stool-pigeon, decoy, to en-
able them to go on, step after step, with these
various arrangements as they wanted 1t
quieted the North; it enabled them to obtain
from the North these various measures But,
sir, when they had gotten them all through /;
when there was no more expectation of OBJ
tanning anything south of the line when
they had secured every advantage it was prac-
ticable to have from it, now they must lust at
once take down the stool-pigeon, destroy this
decoy, oblitorate the line, and spread their
peculiar institution as much north of it as
they could. That was attempted to be done
in 1854, by the legislation of that year
Now come to the point that the Senator
from Louisiana suggests. Why was that
compromise repealed? Why was that line
obiterated; Here let me say that the more
excuses a man makes for a thing the less we
are satisfied with it. A good excuse or rea-
son is perfect in itself; it is not made by col
ecting together half dozen imperfect ones /;
/ and | will now call attention to some Of what
arc said to be the causes of that obliteration
d First, we are told by the honorable Senator
from Louisiana that the North were unfaith-
ful to the agreement. know the honorable
Senator from Louisiana, in putting the ques-
ton to me, does not use those terms but
they are the terms that are attempted to be
used in presenting the proposition to the com
munity; that the North were unfaithful and
untrue to that Missouri compromise line -
How What do you mean by being true and
faithful to a compact? What is meant by it
in the English language: / take it, it is car
,
ing to its terms, according to the understand
ing of it when it was made What was tho
understanding in relation to that compromise
line when it was made in 1920; 1t was to
run through the French purchase-the Lou
isiana purchase if you plcase--from tho Mis-
sissippi River to the Rocky Mountains Had
not that always been carried out until it was
repealed What had ever the Northern peo-
pie done that was untrue to that compact
Nothing, nothing. Nothing is pretended
Then that pretended excuse is unfoundod
The allegation that they had been untrue to it
themselves is simply untrue.
But we are told that they would not vote
to extend it after the Mexican war and our
obtaining from Mexico territory towards the
Pacific. 1t is said that they would not con.
sent to extend that same line through to the
Pacific. In relation to that point, | say, first,
1t is no matter what there reason was it is
not true that there was any sort of obligation
on them to make another bargain and extend
it over other country. II never was any part
Of the original compact that it was to be ex-
tended over other territory; and therefore it
is matter of no sort Of importance what
the reason for their action was. | wns not
present at the time those gentlemen objected
to that. am not possessed of what their
true reasons were. | do not think they mood
ed any When one man proposes to another
to enter into compact, he has simply to say.
81 do not intend to entertain it," What then
I II is very obvious that the gentlemen who
represented the free States on that occa-
sion were in very different condition about
that territory, for the country obtained rom
Mexico had no slavery in il; it had boon
abolished while the country belonged to Mex
leo it was not slayehoding country at all
and therefore they probably may have thought,
though do not know it, that their eonstitu-
ents would not have approved of their max
ing bargain to give away and make into
slave territory that which was already free By
any meaos Bat gentlemen say they agreed
to divide the new Territories that we're slave
holding. Very well you may have besn
generous on that occasion; that makes no de-
mand on the other side % roeiprocato it on a
different OCCASION But that is not the great
difficulty with the thing Suppose the North,
as you say, would not agree to extend that
line over the newly acquired territory; what
\ then; You might fnd fault, if you pleased
perhaps you would have occasion to do so
do not say whether you would or not bat
this | say what sort Of excuse can man Of