The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-02-26

! Mr.. MAYNARD. Will the gentleman allow
/ me to ask him question
Mr.. ALBRIGHT must object TO thesa atar
4 ruptions. There IL bnt ono gentleman VINO
| has rrescriptive right to interrupt and ask
questions, and that il the gentleman from
ArkaLsas, mir. Hindman. will permit
him to do it. Laughter
MIR. Hindman.--l have few questions TO
PROFOUND to the gentleman.
Mr.. Vandever.- Now, Mr.. Speaker, in re-
spect to the propositions madsto amend the
Federal Constitution so as to afford new
guarantees and protection to the peculiar in
stitution of the South, | cannot, as they are
made under these circumstances. vote for
any OF them. Sir under these ciroumstan-
ces, compromise lie out Of the question with
me. II, at future time, q convention
should assemble upon the application OF the
| States of this Union, as prescribed BY the
| Constitution, in that convention, for my part,
would meet our brethren from the siave-
holding States in spirit OF mutual f0rbsar
ance and Cancellation, and, II possible, for
| ever quiet this slavery controversy. But, at
this particular period Of time, when the pub
lie mind IL excited, In the last expiring ago.
MES OF this Congress, the alternative 10 pre-
sented by a minority, smartiDg under the
sting of cefeat, OF concession, or dissolu-
ton OF the Union and hopeless bankruptcy
OF the National Treasury. Under such con-
straints, will not cosent to compromiss.
Nov, what is the pretext for this crusade
| against the Union, which, must be permit
ted to say, il one Of the most treasoable and
1 wicked undertakings ever projected against
this or any other Government, and witch
honestlv believe deserves, and will receive
the just judgment OF Heaven upon the heads
or ito guilty authors? What s tho pretext |?
That a party has succeeded 10 electing
President OF the United States--a party that
believes in the ancient policy Of restricting
Slavery III the Territories. There il no claim
OF a right to interfere with or attack Slavery
in the States. Such design 10 expressly dis,
claimed and condemned BY all parties. But
! In reference to tho common domain, We are
in favor Of tbs ancient policy. Our oppo-
nents ask our consent TO incorporate into the
4 Gcnstitaeiea Be~ guarantees which shall re.
verse TIE past action Of the Government, and
il We do ret, they threaten 10 break up the
Government.
Il Let me call the attention Of gentlemen to the
condition of the Territories when We formed
this Constitution. From the Northwest Terri
| tory, out Ct which so many States have been
formed, Slavery was excluded by the act Of
the Government. That restrictive policy was
adopted before the Constitution. Who con
scented to it.? The people Of Virginia. The
Statesmen OF Virginia Of that day sanctioned
that policy. IL at that day they saw no good
reason for not consenting to the ratification
Of the Constitution merely because Slavery
was not protected or guaranteed in the Ter
| - IL 80
lection be made condition for the continu-
, anco OF the Union now2 The Ordinance OF
1887 excluded Slavery from the Northwest.
The new Constitution did not remove the
restriction, and nobody then thought that it
should. Constitution guarantying the
/, right to extend Slavery into the Territories
would then have been rejected BY men Of oil
parties. ] see no good reason for changing
. thst policy.
/ Virginia ceded the Northwest Territory to
! the United States, and she had special
reason for agreeing to the exclusion OF
, Slavery therefrom. We had just emerged
from that revolutionary struggle 10 which
she had made great sacrifices. She had be-
come impoverished by tae sacrifices made TO
Q achieve our liberties. Many old Virgins
c families, with q numerous progeny growing
J. up around them, impoverished by the bur
q dens of the Revolution, looking TO the North
Z west IA q field for enterprise upon which
e their offspring, reared in rehnement, nigh
J. retrieve their broken fortunes. At HON,
j. slabor was despised because performed b,
]. slayes,'' a. Mr.. Mas0u expressed II; and will
!. the yearning tenderness VI mother, Vir
,r ginia determined to redeem that Terrltor,
m from the blight Of Slave labor, regarding i
g. Is n heritage for her own children.
., Ii 10 sueh policy and such an exampl
i, which the Republican party Of to-day pro
D. pose to emulate and follow.
T. Mr.. Hammond said trnthfully in an address
in to bis constituents, maca ut Beech Island, il
n 1858, that
Q. "All the measures Of which the Sout
r. complains she herself inasgurated. Ia th
no matter Of Slavery, Washington and effer
be son set the evil exampls-th North has Dor
re rowed 1t from them"
TX Now, passing from that yerod Of our biz
to tory, and coming down TO 1870, there 10 an
he other sigma! instance in which the power 9
en- Congress to exclude Slavery from the Tel
les ritories was asserted, ard the people OF th
II. South themselves acqaiesced in the cxercis
be Of that power, because that was the act {
at the South.
Rn Passing from that time nnd over acts il
lis tervenirg. we come dosn To lS45, when v
il acquired Texas. One Of the conditions upo
ZEE which she was annexed TO this Union and b
i'm came one Of the States, 10 found in the
,ry words:
Sand in such State or States ~ shall
lie; formed out OF said Territory north Of -
he Missouri compromise line, Slavery, or invo
Of nntary servitude, Except for criiue), shall
he prohibited"
he That Was = southern measure, indursudi
,se Calhoun in lS45, and the great measure
80. Democratic party. Texas came into II
Union upon On express recognition OF I
power in the Congress Of the United Stat
in TO exclude Slavery, not only from the Ter
md tories. but from her own limits; and no vol
tic was raised against it. 1t Was . Southe
ing measure, md the resolution was framed b.