The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-06-01

stood, covered the entire doctrine of nor.;n-
tervention by Congress in States and Terri.
tories. That is what he wanted, that Con.
gress should not intervene, leaving it for tho
Territories to do as they pleased, so that
they did not violate the Constitution; and
the judiciary to correct their errors if thew
did violate the Constitution. Mr.. McAllis.
ter, of Georgia, explained that Georgia voted
for the resolution because they did not think
it went so far as was claimed by Mr.. Yam.
cey in his speech; in effect, disavowing the
doctrine of Intervention, which Mr.. Yancey
intended to affirm.
Now, Mr.. President, l think l have
shown conclusively that in l84S the Demo-
cratic creed was non-intervention by Con.
gress with slavery in the Territories, either
for or against it; that Congress should not
interfere either to establish or abolish it, or
protect or maintain it-unquali6ed non-in-
tervention. The Democratic party was
committed to the doctrine. It is true there
were individual exceptions, men who did not
believe in this doctrine of non intervention,
and the Senator from Mississippi was one of
them. He supported General Cass under
protest, making speeches for him, and pro-
testing against his Nicholson letter, and the
doctrines contained in it. The Senator from
Mississippi has clean record, but a record
outside of the Democratic party--a record
at war with the Democratic platform-re>
belling against its principles and acquiescing
in its nomination. The senator then, as now,
granted no quarter to squatter sovereignty,
but be made speeches for the squatter SOW
ereignty chief.
THE COMPROMISE MEASURES OF 1850 CARRIED
OUT NoN-INTERvENTIoN.
l pass now, sir, to 1850 in order to show
clearly by the record, as was stated by the
Senator from Mississippi, that the same
doctrine of nOn>intervention was incorpora-
ted into the compromise measures of 1850
against his will, and on my motion. We
differed then, as we differ now he against
those measures, for them. deem it my
duty, even at the risk of being little tedi
Gus, to show that this doctrine was then
thoroughly discussed, and that, after de-
liberate debate, which ran over two months,
it was affirmed by vote of nearly two to
one in the Senate, and incorporated into the
compromise measures of 1850. On the
twenty-fiIth of March, 1850, the chairman
of the Committee on Territories of this body
Mr.. Douglas reported two bills-one for
the admission of California as State; the
other, to organize the Territories of Utah
and New Mexico, and to adjust the dispu>
ted boundary with Texas. On the 10th of
April the Senate appointed the celebrated
committee of thirteen, with Mr. Clay at its
head, to consider the whole question. On
the 9th of May, Mr.. Clay, as chairman of
the committee of thirteen, reported the GEL
ebrated Omnibus bill to the Senate, which
as your records will show, consisted of the
two printed bills previously reported by
myself from the Territorial committee, with
a water between them, and certain amend
ments interlined in writing. One of the
amendments which was made in the CON-
mittee of thirteen, 1 will point out, for it
involves this distinct question now in dis
pute. The bill, as it was originally reported
by myself, defined the powers of the terrific
rial legislature in these words:
And be at further enacted That the legislative
rightful subjects Of legislation consistent with
the Constitution of the United States and the
provisions of this act, but no law shall be passed
interfering with the primary disposition of the
SOIL" etc.
As reported from the Territorial Com>
mittee, the bill was silent on the subject of
slavery; the bill ignored the slavery question
and conferred on the territorial legislature
power over all rightful subjects of legislation
consistent with the constitution, without
excepting slavery. The committee of thir.
teen reported this amendment to it, after the
clause L" but no law shall be passed inter-
fering with the primary disposition of the
soil, by adding "nor in respect to African
slavery" so that the committee of thirteen
reported against the territorial legislature
passing any law in respect to African sIa-
very. Mr.. Clay stated that that limitation
on the territorial legislature had been in
corporated into the bill against his will and
his judgment. General Cass in debate,
made the same statement that it had been
incorporated against his judgment. They
were in favor of allowing the territorial leg
islature to act on all rightful subjects of
legislation consistent with the constitution,
without excepting African slavery but
a majority of the committee overruled them
When this report came in, the Senator from
Mississippi objected to the bill, and proposed
an amendment to the very section which I
refer, which will ask my friend to read,
with the explanatory remarks of the Sena>
tor in Offering it.
Mr.. Pugh--When the bill came up for
action on the 18th of May, Mr.. Davis, of
Mississippi, said:
1 offer the following amendment: to strike
out in the sixth line of the tenth section the
words san respect to african slaUe,y," and in
sert the words auth those rights Of property
gro,ving out Of the institution of african slavery
as 1t erists in any Of the States of the Union.'
The object of the amendment is to prevent the
the rights ut Of property growing out of the nst.
will leave to the territorial legislatures those
rights and powers which are essentially neces-
sary, not only to the preservation of property.
but to the peace of the Territory. 1t will
leave the right to make such police regulations
as are necessary to prevent disorders, and
which will be absolutely necessary with such
as that to secure its beneficial use to
its owners. With this brief explanation SUBJ
nit the amendment.
Mr.. Douglas-Thus it will be seen that
the Senator from Mississippi objected to the
bill, because it did not contain prohibition
on the legislature of the Territory against
in manner hostile to slavery.
He wished the territorial Legislature to have
the power to protect, but not the power to