The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-08-31

comprehensive and enduring effect than the
| mere adjustment of the difficulties arising out
of the recent acquisition of Mexican territory.
They were designed to establish certain great
principles, which would not only furnish ade-
! quate remedies for existing evils. but, in all
time to come, avoid the perils of similar agi-
tation, by withdrawing the question of slavery
| from the halls of Congress and the political
arena, and committing it to the arbtrament of
| those who were Immediately interested in and
| alone responsible for its consequences. With
view Of conforming their action to the settled
| policy of the government, sanctioned by the
| approving voice Of the American people, your
committee have deemed it their duty to incor.
pOrate and perpetuate, in their territorial bill
the principle and spirit of those measures
After presenting and reviewing certain pro-
visions of the bill, the committee conclude
as follows:
| "From these provisions, it is apparent that
the Compromise Measures of 1850 affirm and
rest upon the following propositions:
| First-That all questions pertaining to
slavery in the territories, and in the new States
| to be formed therefrom are to be left to the
decision of the people residing therein by their
| appropriate representatives to be chosen by
| them for that purpose.
"Second That all cases involving title to
slaves and questions of personal freedom, are
referred to the adjudication of the local tribu.
uoios Will tuC IISut VI appear w Tic supreme
| Court of the United States.
"Third-That the provisions of the Constitu.
ton OF the United States in respect to fugitives
| from service, is to be carried into faithful exc
cutiOn in all the organized territories the same
as in the States. The substitute for the bill which
your committee have prepared, and which is
| commended to the favorable action of the
Senate, proposes to carry these propositions
and principles iutO practical operation, in the
| precise language of the Compromise Measures
of $780,"
By reference to that section of the
kansas Nebraska act" as it now stands on
the statute book, which prescribed and
defined the power of the territorial legsla-
ture, it will be seen that it is, in the pre-
else language Of the Compromise Measures
of $780," extending the legislative power
of the territory "to all rightful subjects of
legislation consistent with the constitution"
without excepting African slavery.
1t having been suggested, with some
plausibility, during the discussion of the
bill, that the act of Congress of March 6,
| 1920, prohibiting slavery north of the
parallel of Sc degrees 30 minutes, would
deprive the people of the territory of the
the power of regulating tie slavery question
to suit themselves while they should remain
in territorial condition, and before they
should have the requisite population to
entltle them to admission into the Union as
State, an amendment was prepared by
the chairman of the committee, and incor-
porated into the bill to remove this obstacle
to the free exercise of the principle of popu-
lar sovereignty in the territory, while it
remained in a territorial condition, by
repeating the said act of Congress, and de-
claring the true intent and meaning of all
the friends of the bill in these words:
"That the constitution and all laws of the
| United States which are not locally inapplica-
BILE, shall have the same force and effect within
the said territory as elsewhere within the Uni
ted States, except the eighth section of the act
| preparatory to the admission of Missouri into
the Union, approved March 6, 1920, which be-
ing inconsistent with the principle of non inter
vention by Congress with slavery in the States
and territories, as recognized by the legislation
of 1850, commonly called the Compromise
Measures is hereby declared imperative and
void, it being the true intent and meaning of
this act not to legislate slavery into any terri.
tory or State, nor to exclude it therefrom, but
to leave the people thereof perfectly tree to
form and regulate their domestic institutions in
their own way, subject only to the Constitution
of the United States"
To which was added, on motion of Mr..
Badger, the following
''ProUided, That nothing herein contained
shall be construed to revive or put in force any
law or regulation which may have existed prior
to the act of the sixth of March, 1920, either
protecting, establishing, or abolshing slavery"
In this form, and with this distinct under
standing of its I" true intent and meaning"
the bill passed the two houses of Congress,
and became the law of the land by the ap-
prevail of the President, May 80, 1854.
In 1856, the Democratic party, assembled
in National Convention at Cincinnati, de-
clared by unanimous vote of the delegates
from every State in the Union, that
"The American Democracy recognize and
adopt the principles contained in the organic
laws establishing the territories of Kansas and
Nebraska as embOdying the only sound and
safe solution of tho slavery question upon
which the great national idea of the people of
this whole country can repOse in its determined
conservatism of the Union-non intervention
by Congress with slavery in state and territory,
or in the District of Columbia"
"That this was the basis of the Compromise
of 1850, confirmed by both the Democratic and
Wing parties in national conventiOns-ratifed
by the people in the election of l352-and right
ly applied to the organization of the territories
in 1854 that by the uniform application of this
Democratic principle to the organization Of
territories and to the admission Of new States,
with or without domestic slavery as they may
elect, the equal rights of all will be preserved
intact-the original cOmpacts of the constitu.
ton maintained inviolate-and the perpetuity
and expansion of this Union insured to its ut
most capacity of embracing in peace and har-
mony any future American State that may be
constituted or annexed with Republican form
of government"
In accepting the nomination of this con-
vention, Mr.. Buchanan, in letter dated
June l6, 1856, said
.sThe agitation of the question of domestic
slavery has too long distracted and divided the
people of this Union and alenated their affec-
tions from each other. This agitation has as
sumed many forms since its commencement,
but it now seems to be directed chiefly to the
territories: and judging from the present char.
acter, l think we may safely anticipate that it
is rapidly approaching 'fnality.' The recent
legislation of Congress respecting domestic
slavery, derived, as it has been. from the orgi.
nal and pure fountain of legitimate political
power, the will of the majority, promises, ere
long, to allay the dangerous excitement. This
legislation is founded upon principles as ancient
as free government itself, and in accordance
with them has simply declared that the people
of territory, like those of State, shall decide
for Themselves ,chether Slavery shall or shall not
erist ,cithin their limits"
The exposition of the history of these
oboxuo oono1uc;rolx, &L.x IL ~