The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1861-01-23
Mr.. Douglas Plan of Adjustment.

Mr.. Douglas Plan of Adjustment.
On Monday, December 94th, Mr..
Douglas introduced joint resolution into
the Senate, proposing amendments to the
Constitution of the United States, with q
view OF restoring peace and preserving
the Unioa.oI His proposition was read a
f5st and second time, and referred to the
Committee OF, Thirteen. 1t is as follows:
JOINT RESOLUTION. 1a
Resolse1 by The Senate and House of
Representatives Of the United States of
Amer'ca tn Congress, (t,oo thirds Of both
Houses c2ncmr,fng) that the following ar.
ticles' be, and are hereby proposed and
submitted, as au amendment to the Con-
stitution of the United States, which
shall be valid, to all intents and purposes,
as part of the said Constitution, when
ratified by conventions of three .fourths of
the several States. 81 s5rfgg@. ,...,,, :.
.y:auo5 eos ARTICLE XIII. ara ID t.q,s
SEC ..ap Congress shall make no laws
10 respect to slavery or servitude in any
territory of the United States; and the
status of each territory in respect to ser
vitude, as the same now exists by law,
shall remain unchanged until the terrific
~, with such boundaries as Congress may
prescribe, shall have population of fifty
thoasand white inhabitants, when the
white Haaie citizens thereof, over the age
of twenty one years, may proceed to form
. constitution aud government for them.
selves. and exercise all the rights of self
government consistent with the Constitu>
tion Of the United States; and when such
State, shall contain the requisite popula.
tion for member of Congress, according
to the then Federal ratio of representa-
tion, It shall be admitted into the Union
on an equal footing with the original
-States, with or without slavery, as the
constitution of such Eew State shall pro.
vide at eitinae of admission; and in the
mean time such new State shall be entitled
to one delegate in the Senate, to be chosen
by the Legislature, and one delegate in
the House Of Representatives, to be cho.
sen by'the people having the qualifications
requisite for electors Of the most numerous
branch of the Legislature; and said dele
gates shall have all the rights and privi-
leges1,of Senators and Representatives,
respectively, except that of voting.
SEQ ;. No more territory shall be .ac-
quireduby the United States, except by
treaty. or by the concurrent vote of two
thirds of each House of Congress, and
when 50 acquired, the status thereof in
respect to servitude, as it existed at the
time of acquisition, shall remain un-
changed until it shall contain the popula-
tion aforesaid for the formation Of new
States, when it shall be subject to the
terms. conditions and. privileges herein
provided for the existing Territories. X
SEC. 3. The area of all the new States
shall be as nearly uniform in size as may
be practicable, having dueregard to con-
yenient boundaries and natural capacities;
and shall not be less than sixty nor more
than eighty thousand square miles, except
In cases OF Islands which may contain
less than that amount 6a sH .Vr',Ta,,E
SEe. 4. The second and third clauses
OF the second section Of the fourth article
of the Constitution, which provides for
delivering ap fugitiyes from justice and
fugitiyes from service or labor, shall have
the ssme force in the Territories and new
Ststessas in the States of the Union; and
the said clause iAf respect to fugitives
from justice shall be construed to include
all crimes. committed within and against
the lawsaof7 the State from which the fu.
gitive aed, whether the acts charged be
criminal or not in the State where the fu-
gitiyegwasfouhd. ai45 st1as 9i' syss6 8 go
SEc.s5. dThe second section Of the third
article 6f the Constitution, in respect to
the Judicial power Of the United States,
shall be deemedoapplicable to the Terrific.
yies and new States as well az. to the
States Of the Union. ;, m.
ARTICLE XIV.
SEo. l. The elective franchise and the
right to hold Office, whether federal, state
territorial or municipal, shall not be exer'
cised BY. persons of the African race
whether in whole or In part. i1ges s@ q
SEQ, 3. The United States shall have
power. from lime to time, to acquire dis
tricts of country in Africa and South
America TO: the colonization, at the ex.
pense ofnthel Federal treasury, Of such
free negroes and mulattoes as the several
States may wish to have removed from
their limits, and from the District of 90.
lunbia and snch other places as may be
under the jurisdiction of Congress. .s7q
SEC. 8. Congress shall have no power
to abolish slavery in the places under its
exclusive Jurisdiction and situate within
the limits. Of States that permit the hold
ing of slayes, '..,,y ~ - -. : -
SHc. 4. Congress shall have no power