The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-06-27

distinguished Free-Scter of New 1ork,
said:
"Slavery cannot exist where there is no pcs-
tive law 10 uphold il, I; is not necessary that il
should be forbidden II il il enough that it is
not specially authorized. If the owner of slaves
removes with, or sends them into, any country,
State, or Territory, where slavery does not exist
by law, they will from that moment become free
men, and viii have as good right TO command
the master as be has 10 command them. State
laws have no extra authority; and law of VIr-
ginia which makes man slave there, cannot
make him slave in New York, nor beyond the
Rocky Mountains"
Hon. Edward Bates, distinguished
lawyer Of Missouri, recently declared he
did not believe that the Constitution. by its
proper vigor. carries slavery into all the
Territories that may be acquired by the
United States. He believes that freedom
is the rule, and slavery the exception. He
does not believe that slavery can exist in
any territory acquired by the United States
except by positive law of Congress"
The Detroit Free Press, which is the
organ Of the Administration, and of the
party, in Michigan, said
for the all sufficient reason that there is 10 law
there per,nit,ingit. 1t is perfectly welestab-
lshed lega proposition, that slavery is the cres-
ture of local law, and that ii can nowhere exist
except by the force of law"
Democratic authority could be multiplied
ad iafnitana to prove the truth of this po-
sition, but the above must suffice. This
short-lived doctrine has already been dis
placed; and the accepted theory now is,
that slavery exists in the Territories by
virtue of the Constitution.
i But, Mr.. President, the fatal step had
been taken in the surrender of high prin.
ciple Henceforward the Northern De-
mocracy were reduced to do the dirty
work imposed by their Southern masters
If they envinced the slightest disposition to
rebel, threat to dissolve the Union at
once reduced them to submission. At
last, when their subjection was deemed
complete, the abrogation of that sacred and
time.honored Missouri compromise was de.
manded
If a prophet had appered to the honora-
bic Senator from Illinois in 1856, when
at Springfield, the capital of his adopted
State. be uttered the following beautiful
aspostrophe to the Missouri Compromise.
he might have said, with Hazael of old !:
But what I. is thy servant dog, that he
should do this great thing"
"The Missouri compromise has been in prac.
tical operation for about quarter of a century,
and received the sanction and appreciation ofmen
OF all parties in every section of the Union. 1t
had alayed all sectional ealousies and irritatons
growing out of the vexed question, and har-
monized and tranquilized the whole country. 1t
had an origin akin to the constitution, conceived
in the same spirit of affection, and calculated to
remove forever the only danger which seems to
threaten to sever the Union. All the evidences
OF public opinion seemed to indicate that this
compromise had been CANONlZED in the hearts
OF the American people as SACRED THING,
uhich no ruthless hand ,couid ecer be reckless
enough to disturb"
In a speech in the United States Senate,
delivered in lS45, Mr.. Buchanan said:
"The resolutions went to re-establish the Mis-
souri, compromise, by fixing line within which
slavery was to be forever confined. That con.
troversy-the Missouri question--had nearly
shaken this Union to the centre in an earlier and
better period of our history; but this compro-
mise, should it now be re-established, would pre-.
vent the recurrence Of similar dangers hereafter.
| Should this question be now left open for one or
two years, the country would be involved in one
{ continued struggle. We should witness fever.
ish excitement in the public mind Parties
, would divide on the dangerous and exciting ques
ton of abolition, and the irritation would reach
, such an extreme as to endanger the existence OF
the Union itself; but close it now, and it would
r be closed forever. Was it desirable again to
have the Missouri question brought home to the
. people, to goad them to fury? That great ques
tiOn between the two great interests of our coun
try had been well discussed and decided in the
, Missouri compromise, and from that moment he
had sat down his foot on the solid ground ther
established, and there he would let the question
6 stand forever. Who could complain of the terml
of that compromise"
In letter of Mr.. James Buchanan, da
ted Washington, August %, 1S47, direc
> ted to a Harvest Home of the Democracy
! Of Berks county, Pennsylvania, l find thi.
language:
o "Atter Louisiana was acquired from France
by Mr.. Jefferson, and when the State of Missouri
: which constituted part Of it, was about to b,
q admitted into the Union, the Missouri questio,
arose, and, in its progress, threatened the dsso
Il iutlOn Oh tne l Mon. has was settled Dy tn
q men OF the last generation, as other importan
: and dangerous questions have been settled, in
Is spirit of mutual concession. Under the Missouri
e compromise, slavery was forever prohibited
G north OF Sc deg. 50 min.; and south of this par
allel, the question was left to be decided by tn
. people. Congress, in the admission of Texas
= following in the footsteps OF their predecessors
q adopted the same rule; and, in my opinion, tn
II harmony of the States and even the security @
Al the Union ITSELF require that the line of the Mis-
2 souri, compromise should be extended to an
" new territory which We may acquire from Mel
e ico'
= Again. in the same letter he says:
:. "Such has been my individual opinion, openl
Il and freely expressed, ever since the commence
'e ment OF the present unfortunate agitation ans
Y OF all places in the world, prefer to put thel
:. on record before the incorruptible Democracy
N old Berks. therefore beg leave 10 offer 80
- the following sentiment:
y 1.-The Missouri compromise: its adoption,
% 1920, saved the Union from threatened conyu
sion. Its extension, in lS4s, to any new terr
m tory, which We may acquire, will secure the Ek
i. like happy results."
I'd The ostensible reason for the repeal ,
ri the Missouri compromise was its allege
e. unconstitutiOnality. To this it may be sal
that, in 1920, it received the sanction
u an able Congress, and was approved
u Mr.. Monroe and all bis cabinet-a major
rs rz,,.l ho,p- e