The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-02-19

embraced in the resolutions presented to the
Senate of the United States by tho Hon. ]
} j. Crttenden, so modified as that the first ar.
ticle proposed a. an amendment to the Con
, stituton Of the United States shall apply tc
all the territory of the United States now
I held or hereafter acquired south of latitude
thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes, and
provi e that slavery Of tho African &C shal
} be clfectually protected as property therein
! during the continuance Of the territorial gov.
ernment, and the fourth article shall secure
to the owners Of slaves tho right Of transit
b with their slaves between and through the
non slave holding States and territories, con
stitute the basis Of such an adjustment Of the
! unhappy controversy which now divides the
States Of this Confederation, as would he ac.
cepled by the people Of this Commonwealth
So far from being conciliatory, this resolu-
ton precludes all possibility Of adjustment.
: 1t not onl, makes slave code for present
territories south Of sc 80 an ultimalum, but
demand is that all the domain hereafter ac-
qued shall also be dedicated to slavery
No territory south Of sc 80 shall ever be ad-
mtled into the Union as free soil. No mat,
ter what the choice Of the people may be who
inhabit these regions: no matter what the
climate or productions may be; no matter
what the character of the people or the capa.
billies Of the country, from the moment it il,
recognized as territory Of tho United States
slavery is lcgalizcd, protected and established
throughout its length and breadth. The
resolution demands that slavery shall be fore
ed ca them in defiance Of their wishes and
protests AMI powers Of rc.istance
Without stopping to analyzo further ills
proposed basis in all its bearings, your com
mittee unhesitatingly express their belief that
the people Of this State should not aud would
not consent to any compromise with the slave
States which allowed or favored the extension
of American slavery into any of the common
territories of. the nation. to say nothing of
granting the further compromises and demands
therein contained. which would practically
annul and render void one Of the most cher.
shed and sacred provisions Of our State Con.
sttution-that providing that slavery shall
aeuer exist in this State, except in punish
ment.
Your c. mmittee have also met another TO
them serious objection. The assembly Of
Commissioners is called at a place and time
when and where undue excitement cxists,and
where the danger that men may to swayed
toy passions and prejudice, rather than by rea-
son, patriotism and judgement, is most, immi-
nent The time ior couyeuing the convcn
ton is by far too summary and hurried to al
low that careful and cautious dellberatiun the
magnitude Of the Interests which it is to as
sumo to dispersc and decide, imperatively re
quiro. Sixteen days from the passage of the
resolutions to the assembling Of the Comnis-
soncrs is much too brief period Of time to
transmit the resolutions to distant States, al
low them to be presented TO the various legis.
laturcs, to allow the Legislatures to calmly
and judiciou>ly mark out a course of action
and settle upon enlightened and patriotic cit
izens to represent and enforce their views, and
after all this TO allow the Commissioners 10
reach the place Of assembling in our national
capitol. Iour committee cannot but look up.
on this undue haste either as 4 great over
light in the General Assembly of Nir, mia, or
else intended to put it entirely out of power
to consult the wishes Of the PEOPLE of this
S'ato upon the momentous issues involved,
and hasten us into precipitous acticn, or COM
pei remote States TO an apparent refusal Of
their request. In either case the effect is bad,
and prudence seems to dictate that we keep
cu,ir.ly aloof, rather than jeopardzo the great
interests aud principles of human liberty by
hasry, ill.timcd and inconsiderate action.
Your committee beg leave TO further tres
pass upon tic the Of the Senate by discuss.
ing a further objection. The resolutions re-
fcrred to your committee provide that if said
Commissioners after full and free inference,
shall agree upon any plan Of adjustment re
curing amendments Of the Constitution for
the further security Of the rights Of the poo
pie of the slaveholing States, they are re.
.qlested to communicate such amendments to
Congress, to be by it submitted to the peo
pie for ratification, BY this resolution it
would seem to be indicated that the powers of
the Commissioners were to be restricted to
providing further security to the rights Of the
people of the slavcholding States. This your
committee regard rs qualification of the
pretencc that the General Assembly of Nir-
ginia are willing TO unite in an earnest cffoit
TO adjust the controversies they secm 10 de-
procate in the spirit in which the consltu
ton was originally formed, and consistent
with its principles. The spirit Of the trainers
Of the constitution was honorable concession,
when it was essential to the happiness and
prosperity Of the people. The spirit which
animated tie fathers was to establish justice,
and to secure the blessings Of liberty to them
selves and their posterity. After the most
careful investigation, your committee have
failed to discoyc%Nhy such spirit of concssejsa
manifested in those resolutions as was mani
fe,t,d by the fathers, and none of tho spirit
of hatred Of human slavery or love Of equal
and exact Just ce to all men, which animated
the famers Of the federal constitution.
Again your committee consider the fact
that the action Of the commissioners can oaly
be considered advisory as anolber serious OBJ
lection. If they cannot agree upon any com.
mon basis Of settlement, the sectional animosi
tv, now 90 rife, must be greatly increas.
ed, and indeed, if they do agree it still de.
pends upon Congress TO say whether action
Shall be submitted to The people. The mode
proposed Of agreeing to amendments Of tie
Constitution is novel and new; il is taking
from Congress its constitutional privileges,
and making it sulseryieat to the temaui, Of
a few dissatisfied States Whenever they sGck
a modification Of that instrument. All the
loyal States are now represented in Congress,
and all the dissatisfied States may be if they
choose, and thus assembled in the Congress,
each State upon an equal footing with the
H.. ,l,, ,,i, H., 4 o,,,rl tln Cpps'itu-