East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1860-10-25
EAST SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, OCTOBER Is, 1860

country. For many months we assem-
bled every day in the council chamber,
with Clay in the chair, and the Union
wings and the Union democrats mingled
promiscuonsly, devising measures by
which we should put down northern
abolitionism and southern disuuion, and
thus restore peace. ("Thats 50, and
"Hurrah for Douglas) The compro.
mise measure of 1850 were the result of
these deliberations, and they were the
Joint work of the Union wings and the
Union democrats. {" Good.D They
were adopted over the Joint opposition OF
/ the northern free-soilers, headed by
Seward, Chase, Sumner, Giddings, and
that class of men, acting in concert with
Hunter, Mason, Davis and other southern
fire eaters. [Cheers.] Then as now the
northern sectional party coaleseed with
the southern sectional party; then as now
the northern free-soilers and the southern
! fire-eaters acted in concert with each
other, although protesting to have an
irrepressble conflict between them
daughter and applause. But the Union
men triumphed over them both, and the
compromise measures Of 1850 were
adopted They rested upon the Just
principles of non-interference by Con
gress with the question of slavery in the
Territories. Great applause, and cries
of douglas for ever"
Thus you see that, by the adoption Of
these compromise measures, the doctrine
of non-interventon, which had prevailed
from the formation of the constitution
down to 1920, was re-allirmed as the
policy Of this country. From these facts
it appears that the government began on
this principle in relation to the subject of
slavery; that it continued that line of
policy up to 1920; but during that year,
according to Mr.. Seward and according
to historical facts, it made grand devia-
ton, and adopted the principle of Con-
gressional Intervention in place Of non.
intervention. This national deviation
Mr. Seward informs us, did not begin in
1888, when the constitution was adopted,
nor in the revolution of 1900, when jeff
erson was elected, nor in the memorable
period of 1912, but had its origin in 1920,
when Congress passed its first law inter-
fering with the question Of slavery in
the Territories (Cheers.) The result
Of that grand deviation was sectional
strife and alienation of feeling, produc-
ing almost a disruption of the Union.--
That strife was continued up to the year
1850, when, by the united efforts of the
Union wings and Union democrats, un-
der the lead Of Clay and Webster, the
government was brought back to the
old track Of non Intervention. ZAP
plause.) | was one of the supporters Of
those measures, and | then hoped that
the question of slavery was placed on a
basis which would restore peace They,
in effect, declared to the world that the
slavery question was TO be banished forey
er from the halls of Congressman remain
ded to the people of the Territories to do
just as they please.
Ii the American people had only con-
sented to have stood by that principle,
there would have been peace between
the North and the South--peace between
the free States and the slave States.--
Why could we not stand by it F? In
1852, when the whig party assembled at
Baltimore in national convention and
nominated Gen. Scott for President, they
affirmed the doctrine of non-interference
by Congress with slavery in the Terrific
ries as fundamental article in their
creed. (Cheers.) When the democratic
party assembled at the same place, in the
same year, and nominated our candidate
for the Presidency, we affirmed the same
principle as the cardinal plank in our
platform. Thus you find that only eight
years ago every whig and every demo-
crat in America stood pledged, by the
platform of his party, TO carry out in
good faith this great principle
Yet, in the very face of these stub
born historical facts, Mr.. Seward, in his
Detroit speech, declares that tho system
advocated by Clay aud Webster had
failed. How has it failed Has the
country yet abandoned it? (Cries of
"No, no,') That system stands firmly
on the statute books. The compromise
measures Of 1850 have never been re-
pcalcd. ("Hurrah for Henry Clay y
They are to-day the law Of tho land
(''IIurrah for Daniel Webster"1 In 1854
they were reaifirmed and extended to all
the territories by the Kansas-Ncbraska
bill. Immense applause.) In that bill,
and in the very clause which repealed
the old Missouri line, it is declared that
the repeal is made because the Missouri
line was inconsistent with the doctrine
of non-iutervention by Congress with
the subject of slavery in the States and
Territories, as affirmed in the compro-
mise measures of 80. And there is add
ed these words 'It being the true in
tent and meaning of this act not to leg
islatc slavery into any State or Territory,
nor to exclude il thorcfrom, but to leave
the people thereof perfectly free to form
and regulate their domestic institutions
in their own way, subject only to the
constitution Of the United States."--
There you find the identical principle Of
the compromise measures of 1850. ! /
believe the Kansas and Nebraska bill is
still in force. (Checrs) Your Terrific
ries arc now being governed under it,
and, hence, under the very system devils
ed and established by Clay and Web |
stor v,l;ch NJ Gom.r1 telIs tts woe n |