Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-08-30
CHAPTER XII.
The Seeond Mebrnakn Ri


On the 4th of January, 1854. Douglas a,
Chairman Of the Committee on Territories
reported 70 the Senate his second Nebraska
Bill, 1.-THE first having failed for want of time,
during the former SESSION. This second act,
like the first contained no repeal, and was
accompanied by the following report from
Mr.. Douglas:
Douglas Report IN Senate, January "a.
" Your Committee do not feel themselves
called upon to enter into the discussion Of
these controverted questions. They involve
the same grave issues which produced the
agitation, the sectional strife and the fearful
struggle Of 1850. As Congress deemed it
wise and prudent to refrain from deciding
the matter in controversy then, either by
affirming or repeating the Mexican laws, or
by an act declaratory Of the true intent of
the Constitution and the extent of the pro-
lection afforded by it to slave property in
the territories so your committee is not pre-
pared now to recommend a departure from
the course pursued On that occasion, either by
affirming or repeating the eighth section of
the Missouri act, or by any act declaratory
OF the meaning of the Constitution in respect
to the legal points Of dispute" "-TDouglas'
Report as Chairman of the Committee on
Territories, in Senate, January 4, 1854.
The Nebraska Bin.
Up to this time we see that Mr.. DOUGLAS had
kept the Missouri Compromise "sacred. ~
But now amiraculous change comes Ger the
spirit Of his dream, and on the 23d dav of
January, 1854, only nineteen days after his
former report he brings in his third Nebraska
Bill, IN the shape ofa substitute for his former
report dividing the territory of Nebraska into
TWO territories, Kansas and Nebraska, and
repeating the Missouri Compromise.
Senator Atchison accounts for the milk in
cocoa nut" and explains how and why
Douglas repealed the Missouri Compromise.
The following is report of his speech made
at " Atchison City" in Kansas, in September
1854, as reported in the "Parkville Lumi- |
nary"
For myself am entirely devoted to the !
interests Of the South, and / would sacrifice |
everything but my hope in Heavent to advance !
her welfare. He thought the Missouri Com |
promise ought to be repealed and had pledged |
himself to his public addresses to vote for no /
territorial organization that would not yir-
tually annul it: and with this feeling in his
heart he desired to be the Chairman of fine
Senate Committee on Territories, when a bill
was introduced.
" With this object in view he had a private
interview with Mr. Douglas, and informed him
d what he desired-the Introduction of a bill
or Nebraska Ike that be had promised to vote
or and that he would like to be Chairman of
ne Committee on Territories, in order to pro-
luce such a measure; and, ifhe could not get
hat position he would Immediately RESIGN as
President of the Senate. Judge Douglas re-
luested twenty-four hours to consider the
natter, and ii, at the expiration of that time,
le could not introduce such a bill as he (AIr
Atchison) proposed, which would at the same
lme accord with his own sense of Justice to
ne South, he would resign as Chairman of the
Territorial Committee in Democratic caucus.
md exert his influence to get him (Atchisonl
-ppointed- At the expiration of the time
'iyen, Senator Douglas signifed his intention
o introduce such bill as he had spoken of
Concluded tomorrow