The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-08-10
ion, and extend it to the introduction as well
as to the prohibition of slavery in the new Ter
rit0ries, does exist in Congress.

IlCOrle6 does exist IN congress.
In the same year he said:
1t is better for them, I said to myself, it is
better for the South, that there should be non.
action as to slavery both north and south of
that line-far better that there should be non
action both sides of the line, than that there
should be action by Introduction on the one
side, ,Uithout action for the admission upon the
other side of the line. Is it not o?-[Globe
appx., vol. %, pt l, p. 1851
Again, Mr.. Clay says:
If there be majority who are in favor of
lnterdicting slavery North of that line, there
ought to be a majority, if justice is done to the
South, to admit slavery south Of that line
lAppx. Globe, vol. %, pit. l, p. 1861
Thus, it is to be seen, that the position of
Mr.. Lincoln is that Congress must prohibit
Slavery, and the position of Mr.. clay is, that
If it prohibits, it must also corresponding.
ly establish, but he is in favor of Congress
doing neither.
wILMOT PROvIs0.
Mr.. Lincoln is pledged to the Wilmot
Proviso, by every platform and speech which
be has made in the past thirteen years. In
1858, he boosted that he had voted forty
taDo times for the Wilmot Proviso, and
would have voted as many more times if he
could.-[See Lincoln and Douglas De-
bates" Lincoln's edition, p. 237, also Globe,
vol. 2O.] His position, as stated at Free.
port, August 9th, 1858, Judge Bates
statement to the contrary Notwithstanding,
is:
! am implicitly, if not expressly, pledged to
belief in the right and duty Of Congress to
prohibit slavery in the United States Terrific
ries.
Mr.. Lincoln being thus unequivocally
committed to the Wilmot Proviso, let US
now examine the record of Mr.. Clay on this
subject. Mr.. Clay is early committed
against it. From the National Intelkgencer,
February 9th, 1920, we copy the following:
MISSOURI BILL.-The House then went into
Committee of the Whole, Mr.. Baldwin in the
Chair, on this bill, the restrictive amendment
Prohib iting slavery north of sc degrees 80
minutes, being under consideration, Mr.. Speak
er Clay rose and addressed the Committee near
four hours against the right and against the er-
pediency of the proposed mendment.-[See, also,
annals of Congress, 1880, p. l,l7O.]
From Mr.. Charless' paper, (since the Mis-
souri, Republican, Of the LIST March, 1920,
we learn that
He (Mr. Clay commended, that each State
and the people thereof had the right to deter
mine for themselves whether slavery should or
should not exist within her borders. Such
restriction as this is an act of gross injustice
to the people who, in after times, may inhabit
the territory north of the proper line; is an act
unauthorized by the Constitution of the United
States.
On the 5th of June, 1850, Mr.. Seward
offered the "Wilmot Proviso" in order to
clog the compromise measures, then under
consideration. Mr.. Clay voted against it,
while Chase, Corwin, Hale, Hamlin and
every other of the present Republican party
voted in favor of it. (See Senate Journal,
1849-5O, p. 1861 Mr.. Chase also moved
it, and Mr.. Clay again voted against it.
(Senate Journal, p. 1851 While the CON-
promise measures were under consideration,
the friends of the measures were continually
harassed with this proviso from the Opposi.
ton, now Republican, side of the Senate,
Mr.. Clay, becoming vexed with their persis-
tency, spoke thus of the Proviso:
1t is in high degree of probability that all
the newly. acquired Territories will ultimately
be dedicated to the cause of freesoil, without
the Wilmot Provis0, Do they hug that precious
'Wilmot to their bOsOms that nothing but that
will do that no other obstacles, no other pre-.
ventatves to the introduction of slavery in the
Territories will satisfy them but Wilmot, VII
mot, WILMoT? Congressional Globe Appen.
dix, vol. %, pt 2, p. l4l5.
Mr.. Clay as uniformly voted against the
Wilmot Proviso, whenever it was proposed,
as Mr.. Lincoln did for it.
ADMISSION OF SLAVE STATES.
On the 9th of February, 1855, in the first
Republican Legislature ever assembled in
the State of Illinois, Rev. Owen Lovejoy
offered the following resolution:
RESOLVED, that our Senators in Congress be
instructed, and our Representatives be request
ed to VOTE AGAINST THE ADMISSION of any State
into the Union, the Constitution of which does
not prohibit slavery, whether the Territory out
of which such State may have been formed shall
have been acquired by conquest, treaty, pur.
chase, or from original Territory of the United
States.
Every Republican in the House, with but
six exceptions, voted in favor of the resolu-
ton. Upon the platform of ''no more slave
States" the Republican party Of Illinois,
with MIR. Lincoln as its recognized leader,
was founded. The first State Convention
of the party, in their platform, thus state
their objects. October, 1854:
RESOLVED, That the times lmperatlvely de.
mand the reorganization of parties, and, repu-
dating all previous party attachments. names
and predictions, we unite ourselves together
in defence of the liberty and constitution of the
country, and will hereafter cooperate as the
REPUBLICAN PARTY, PLEDGED to accom-
plish the following purposes TO bring the ad-
ministration of the Government back to the
control of the first principles; to restore Ne
braska and Kansas to the position of free Terri
tories; that, as the Constitution of the United
States rests in the States, and not in Congress;
the power to legislate for the ertradtion Of fugi-
tives from labor, TO REPEAL AND ENTIRELY ABRO.
GATE THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW to restrict slGue-
ny to those States in ,chch it EXISTS; TO PROHIBIT
THE ADMISSION OF ANY MORE SLAVE STATES INTO
TIE UNION; to abolish Slavery in the District Of
Columbia; TO &c clude slavery from all the Terri.
tories over which the general government has
exclusive Jurisdiction and to resist the &C.
practice of slavery therein forever shall have
been prohibited"
Mr.. Lincoln was member of the State
Central Committee, under this platform and
pledge. The candidates for Congress in the
three northern districts of this State placed
themselves upon this platform, and the Chi
cago Tribune, the organ which caused the
nomination of Lincoln, for the Presidency,
kept it flying at its mast head during the
entire campaign of 1854. In 1858, Mr..
Lincoln retired somewhat behind the Re-
publican position of 1854, and, from de-
clared enemy became only an unfriendly op-
nnnept tn the admission IF Slave States