The Placer herald., 1861-02-23
Tho Crittenden Resolutions.

,he nresent political difficulties which nfllict the
country:
,vhoreos. the Union is in danger and it is diff
c,,t If not impossible for Congress TO concur
~, The reuusite majority, so rs to enable 1T to take
.Hyob ~ measures, to recommend the States such
.nandments to the Constitution, as are necessary
TO avert the danger.
Wboroos in so great An emergency the opinion
and judgement Of the people ought to be heard.
Resolped, That provisions be made by law
without delay for taking the sense of the people
.nd submitting to them the following resolutions:
Resoived by the Senate and House OF Repre-
,ontatives of the United States of America in
Tnnoress assembled, two-thirds of both houses
oncnrrinp. That the following articles be- and
ore hereby proposed and submitted rs amend
ments to the Constitution of the United States,
which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as
nart of said Constitution, when ratified by con-
t,ontons of three .tourths of the several States:
Art. |. In all the territory of the United
ctotos now held. or hereafter acquired, situate
North of latitude thirty-sX degrees aud thirty
minutes. slavery or involuntary servitude. except
as n punishment for crime. is prohibited. while
sncb territory shall remain under Territorial
rovarnment. In all the territory South of said
line of latitude slavery of the African race is
hereby recognized as existing, and shall not be
;ntcrferred with by Congress-; but shall be pro-
tected as property by nll the departments OF the
Territorial government during its continuance;
'ond when any Territory north or south of said
,;no within such boundaries as Congress may pre-
scribe shall contain the population requisite for u
momber of Congress, according to the then fed
oral ratio of representation CT the people OF The
limited States, it shall, if its form of government
be republican, be admitted into the Union on an
eoual footing with the original States, with or
without slavery, as the constitution ol such
new State may provide.
Art g. Congress shall have no power to aDol-
ish slavery in places under its exclusive Iursdlc-
ton. and situate within the limits of States that
permit the holding Of slaves
Art 3. Congress shall have no power to abol-
fish slavery within the District of Columbia, so
long as it exists in the adjoining States of Vlr-
pna and Maryland. or either nor without the
consent of the Inhabitants, nor without Just com
pensation first made to such owners OF slaves as
do not consent to such aboll-hment. Nor Shaii
Congress at any time prohibit officers OF the red
eral Government or members of Congress, whose
duties require them to be in soid District. IRON
bringing with them their slaves and holding
them, as such, during the time their duties may
require them to remain there, ana afterwards Ia
king them from the District
Art. 4. Congress shall have no power TO pro-
bibit or hinder the transportation Of slaves from
one State to another or to Territory IN whlch
slaves are by law permitted to be held, whether
that transportation be by land. nuvigabe rivers
Of by the sea.
"A u, .. IL.
the third para graph of the second section of the
fourth article of the constitution Of the United
States Congress shall have power to provide, that
the United States shall pay to the owner VINO
shall apply for it. the full value OF his luGliVe
slave. in all cases when the Marshall, or other
officer, whose duty it was to arrest SAID fugitive
was prevented from so doing by violence or III
timidation or when, after arrest said fugitive
was rescued by iorce and the owner thereby
prevented and obstrucsed in the pursuit of his
remedy for the recovery OF his fugitive slave
under the said clause of the constitution and the
laws made in pursuance thereof. And in all such
cases. when the United States shall pay for such
fupitiyes they shall have the right in their own
name. to sue the county in which said violence,
intimidation or rescue was commtted ana 10 re-
cover from it. with interest and damages. the
amonnt paid hy them for said fugitive slave
And the sa ID county after it has paid said amount
TO the United States. may for lts indemnity, sue
and recover from t. c wrong doers. or rescuerS'
by whom the owner was prevented from the re-
coverv of his fugitive slave. in like manner us
4bc owner himself might have sued and recovered.
Art g. No future amendment OF the Constlttl-
tion shall affect the five preceding articles. nor
the third paragraph Of the second section
of the first article of the Constitution, nor the
third paragraph of the second section OF the
fourth article of said Constitution, and no amend
ment shall be made to the Constitution which will
authorize or give to Congress any power to
abolish or interfere with slavery in any of the
States by whose laws it is or may be allowed or
permitted ;.
And whereas, also. besides those causes of dis
scnsion embraced in the foregoing amendments
porposed to the constitution OF the United States
there are others which come within the juristilc-
ton of Congress- and may be rcmedleu by us leg
islative power; and whereas, it is the desire OF
Congress- as far as its power Will extend TO re-
move all lust causes for the popular dlscontent
and agitation which now disturb the peace OF the
peace of the country, aud threaten the staolllty
of the constitution therefore,
l. Resolved by the Senate and House OF hepre-
sentrtives of the United States OF America IN
Congress assembled. That the laws now IN force
for the recovery Of fugitive slaves are III strict
pursuance of the plain and mandatory provisions
of the constitutions and have been sanctioned as
valid constitutional by the judgment of the Sit
preme Court of the United States that the slave
holding States are entitled to the faithful obserV-
ancc and execution Of those laws aud that they
ought not to be repealed or so modlheu or ch|hS-
ed as to impair their efficiency; and that laws
ought to be made for the punishment of those
who attempt, by rescue Of the slave or other IL
legal means to hinder or defeat the due eXecu
tion of said laws.
q That all State laws which conflict with the
Fugitive Slave acts, or any ether constitutional
acts OF Congress- or which in their operation lnl-
pede, hinder or decay the free course and due
execution of any of said acts, are null and VOID
by the plain provisions OF the constitution OF 'he
United States Yet those State laws, vold as
they are, have given color to practices and led to
consequences which have obstructed the due adj
ministration and execution ol acts OF Congress
and especially the acts for the delivery OF iugi-
tive slaves and have thereby contributed much
to the dseerd and commoton now pfcValilhS.
Congress therefore, in the present perilous juno,
ture does not deem it improper respectfully and
earnestly to recommend the repeal OF those
laws to the several States which have enacted
them or such legislative corrections or eXplana-
tions of them as may prevent their being used or
perverted to such mischievous purposes.
8. That the act of the eighteenth of September,