New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-01
TE.g PGACE CONVENTIONS Cove
pRSsssaR.

Convention at Washington be added az amend
ments to the Constitution Of the United States,
it viii form the most curious chapter Of Political
History on record A young and vigorous party,
after five years of most diligent labor, with one
very positive dominant idea resting for its basis,
upon a great moral principle, with most
thorough understanding Of their purpose, have
carried their point by the largest popular vote ever
polled, and decided that Slavery SHALL NOT be ex-
tended intD the Territories of tho United States.
! The first section Of the proposed Compromise,
offered by Mr. Franklin, provides not only that
| Slavery shall be extended into all such Terrific
| res, and prohibits Congress from interfering with
it there, but absolutely forbids the people them
selves of those Territories from interfering with
| it, no matter what may be their sentiments us
! TO the morality Of the system, or their opin-
ions of il az question OF political
| economy. or even Of police regulation
Should an amendment be proposed to the Con
sttution prohibiting the people of Massachusetts
from interfering by legislation with the existence
| of Slavery, polygamy, or any other system which
they DO, or may hereafter come TO consider as
| barbarous, such n proposition would be held as
simply barbarous; and yet it would not be one
whit more 20 than this constitutional amendment
! in relation 70 the Territories. Either Slavery
is or it is not likely to go into these now almost
unsettled regioas. II it is, then the expecta.
ton that the ;wo millions of voters who have 20
! recently and 60 cmpha!cally recorded their de-
cision upon the subjec. will now change that
=. A H.. h.lia hat
| Of intelligent men who have been educated by a
| training OF years up to this point, viii, BY
threats of violence and apprebensions Of political
! iurbulcnce, be moved 10 fOrego their strongest
intellectual convictions end conscientious impulses.
! Ia this probable Are we 80 yacillating and so
| tmid people "a there anything in our past
history, melancholy il is this very subject that
can justify any such expectation On the con-
trary, is Lot the fac! that we have been 80 long
in coming 10 this conviction Of what our duty is
upon this subject, tie very reason why We may
! feel assured that that conviction is unaterable
| But if on the other hand there is no proba.
biiity that Sa'ery, either from soil, climate, or
| the habits Of Tue people 10 ever Likely 10 get
/ foo!hold in those regions, is it likely that the
| people Of the North will consent to SO solemn and
/ important ali at as aR amendment of the Con-
stituIion for purpose so totally uncaied for,
! and which can terge no other end than to afii1
| upon that instrument of Government what all the
rest Of the civilized world, except ourselves re-
! CARDS as stigma Ii is little else than an in.
suit to the intelligence of the North, to submit to
it such proposition, in the one casei and injury
| added to insult in the other, to offer the South
such .tone when they ask for bread. Granther
| at least the cvility OF decent refusal TO her
! preposterous demands.
Tie same imbeciliy Of purpose, the same want
Of logical yigor, and the same utter abnegs.ion
Of any Difference to Northern feeling, characterize
every other proposition Of this miscaled Compro-
mise. The Constitution is wisely confined to the
general proposition OF leaving TO the States tho
management of their internal afiairs leaving it
10 the wisdom Of the people and of Congress to
make any occasional exception when any exigency
shall arise that may mike such interference i'm
perative. II might, for instance, in case of o
formidable seryile instruction, or of foreign
invasion melting to such instruction, or of
strong desire on the part of some State 70 rid
itself, by aid of the Federal Government of
Slavery BIO wise, according to the universal
judgment, to interfere With the condition of
"persons held to service" A Government
wants the frat element of stability that ia dest-
tute of good faith among its citizens. Ii there
really be any ground for tao mistrust implied in
such an amendment az s here proposed, the
South may well doubt if tle North is to BIO held
back by Constitutional Obligations at all. 1t is
sort OF bond to keep The peace which is in
itself confession of an aggressive will.
The stringent propositions to secure the rendi-
ton Of fugitiyes are as unwise as ali the rest,
and by their severity WI defeat their own OBJ
ject. An incentive is offered to free every fugl-
tive by riot, actual OF pretended, as every
slave 30 rescued becomes free and safe from fur
ther pursuit when prce is paid for him.
SheriGs and Marshals will Grd it en- easy way to
get rid Of q disagreeable duty to permit small
mob to take the prisoner out of their hands.
delegate to the Peace Convention from one
of the Eastern States, said, in this city, on his
way home q few days since, "that those in
swami Of Compromises were likely to get a
"good deal more than they wanted" This one,
which, after all, was only got through that Con.
yention by accident renders the difficulties of
any concession so palpable that there is at least
hope that it will utterly defeat all such plans,
and bring the attention of the country back to