Newbern weekly progress., 1860-10-02
1S5O-lS6O.

Ten years ago, Henry Clay, Lewis Cass,
Daniel Webster, Stephen a. Douglas, Millard
Fillmore, and many others in Congress Of very
opposite politics, united to enact the Compro-
mise Bill, a cardinal principle of which was
leaving to the Territories Of the United States
the selt-g0rernment of their own settlers, in
the matter of Slavery, or Ant-Slavery. Hen
ry Clay sacrificed his life in the great effort.
In 1860, the successors of Clay and Web
ster, the men trained in their school, unite,
practically, to keep the subject Of slave agita-
ton as much as possible out Of Congress- The
creed of Douglas, in 1850, so in 1860, is
their creed Douglas did not invent it. The
patent was with Henry Clay, in his " "Omnibus.' ~
We are sadly abused, though, especially we"
of the E,rpress we" who have been con-
sistent, who have not erred or wandered step
from the great compact of 1S50,-but who
have clung to it, and are clinging to it, to the
end
In 1852, both parties nominated their Presi-
dents upon the principle of quoting Slavery
agitation, and of withdrawing it from Congress,
as much as possible. To do this, they. both
agreed to abandon to the TERRITORIES their own
government-that is, to give them, on this sub
.ject; self-government; to treat them, in this
respect, not as Colonies, but a People capa
BILE of governing themselves. Winfield Scott
accepted the nomination on that principle
Gen. Pierce did the same.
But it is said Douglas disturbed that com
pact" ''and you act with Douglas" Grant,
that Douglas did disturb 1.-THE results of the
disturbance have been alike in Kansas and Ne
braska-what he contended for, the establish
n1e7lt of seLt-g0rernnent-and with ''free soil, y
we may add-what Congressional legislation
never could have given. Grant that he did
disturb it-yet in resisting the Lecompton Bill,
in the very face and eyes of a powerful admin
istration, he manifested the sincerity and puri-
ty of his conviction in insisting upon self-gov-
ernment and fair play for the people both IN
Kansas and Nebraska. Grant that he did dis
turb it again, he was but carrying out for the
Kansas-N ebraska Bill the principle of non-in-
reference and non-ntervention with Kansas
and Nebraska, as agreed upon in 1850, and all
ending in making the Territories Free Soil"
1S6O-Ten years ago, then, presents the
same issue, the same principles that We're pre-
sented when Henry Clay acted with Lewis
Cass, Daniel Webster, and Stephen A. Doug
las, and why should not we vote now, as Clay
voted then, all together? Why should the po-
litical compact of 1852, made by both parties
in Convention at Baltimore, not be kept? Why,
in 1860, should we try to do by WiIna0t-Pr0-
Uis0i7ag the Territories, what we declared should
not be done in 1850, and what we all agreed
not to do in 1852?
Slavery-the negro--must be Withdrawn from
Congress, if the white man is ever to be atten-
ded to there. The Republicans, with no terri
tory needing the Wilmot Proviso slavery re-
striction, yet insist upon it,-lt may be only to
insult and degrade the South, 1t may be only
to excite passion and fanaticism in order to get
office in the North. But why should any old
Whig or old Democrat aid them ?-Ne6o York
EpDreSs