The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-02-23


north Of that line slavery shall he prohibited.
and that south of that line neither Congress
nor the Territorial Legislature shall here.
after pass any law abollshing. prohibiting, or
in any manner interfering with African
slavery. and that when any Territory con.
tanning sufficient population for one men,
Der Of Congress in an area of GO 600 square
miles shall apply for admission as State, it
shall be admitted, with or without slavery,
as its constitution may determine.
THE ADAMS, OR CORWIN PLAN.
This is the plan Of pacitication suggested
by the House Committee Of Thlrty-three, of
which Mr.. Curwin. of Ohio, is chairman.
The essential points Of this compromise
are contained in the following passage Of Mr.
Corwin's report
at is contended. on the one hand. that all
the territory now in possession of the United
States. not embraced within the limits uf any
State. and lying south ofthe parallel of sc
deg. 80 mir. north, slavery shall be estab.
lishcd and protected by a law Of Congrc S.
The territory thus defined. comprchcndS the
now organized territory Of New. Next Co
including Arizona. which last, by law Of
Congress, has been attached to and made part
OF New Mexico. This territory was organ.
,zed il. 1850. By it's organic law the terri.
torlal legislature was authorized to enact
laws and report th,m to Congress. II was
provided in the same act, that il Congress
should diSapprove the laws thus made, they
should lie null and void.
- In the year 1859. the territorial lcgisla.
turc Of New-Mrxioo established slavery in
that territory. This law was annu:led Mt
the last session Of Congress, 10y vote Of the
House, but the Senate have not yet acted
upon the bill. So the law of the territory,
not having been annuled by both Houses of
Congress- remains in full force and slavery
is thus established, and now Exists by law in
New Mexico.
at is further provided BY the act Of 1850,
that New Mexico. when she is admitted into
the Union, shall be admitted with or without
slavery, as her constitution may ordain.-
ne COMMITTEE now propose 10 admit New.
Mexico into the Union as S:ste, on an
equal footing with the original States By
this course the faith of the nation. pledged in
the act Of 1850. will he preserved, aad terri.
tory lying south Of the parallel SO deg. 80
min. will be disposed Of and the subject
matter Of controversy removed from the
jurisdiction ofihe Federal Government. Thus
all claimed by the South will be obtained,
while the northern portion Of our rem aiming
territory will be subject to such law as the
Constitution and Congress may furnish for
It's government.
by this adjustment Of the present terri,
tory of the Union, including the territory of
all the States, it will be found that the area
Of all the free States and territories, including
all north Of the line SO deg. 80 min, contains
l,G4S.179 square miles, and population Of
10 036.139. making a population Of about
III ~ to the square mile.
The area Of the slaycholding States, in
GLIDING New.Mexico, Is 1,OJ4, 5O4 square
miles, with a federal population Of 7-lV 10
the square mile"
MR.. SEWARD'S PLAN.
On Saturday. Jan. 18th, Mr.. Seward, in
his elaborate speech upon the Union, init
mated his willingness to adjust our Difficult.
ties upon tho following plan. at the same
time confessins that there would be some
constitutional difficulties in the way OF its
execution:
First. While prudence and justice would
combine in persuading you to modify the
acts Of Congress on that subject, SO as as not
to ob'ige private persons to assist in their
execution. and to protect freemen from being
by abuse Of the laws. carried into slavery, !
agree that all laws Of the States, whether
free States or slave States, which relate to
this class OF persons, or any others recently
coming from or resident III other States. and
which laws con,ravene the Constitution Of
the United States, or any law of Congress
passed. in conformity thereto, ought u BE-
repealed.
.Secondly, Experience in public affairs has
confirmed my opilfion. shat domestic slavery.
existing in any State. is wisely left by the
Constitution Of the United States exclusively
to the care, management. and disposition Of
that State: and if it were in my power,
would not alter the Constitution in that
respect. IL rnisapprehension Of my position
needs SO strong u remedy. | am willing 10
vote for an amendment to the Constitution
declaring that it shall not. by any future
amendment be so altered as TO confer OH
Congress power to abolish DR. iatcf fore with
slavery in any State.
"1hndly. While think that Congress
has exclusive and sovereign authority to
legislatc. on all subjects whatever in the com.
mon territories OF the United States. and
while certainly shall never. directly or
indirectly. give my vote to sanction or estab.
lish slavery III such territories. or anywhere
else in the world, yet the question what con.
stitutional laws shall at any time I've passed
in regard TO the territories, Is, like every
other question, to be determined on practical
grounds. voted Tor enabling acts in tho
cases of Oregon. Minnesota. and Kansas.
without being able % secure in them such
provisions as I would have preferred and
yet voted wisely. So now. am we'll salts.
fled that, under existing circumstances. a
happy and satisfactory solution Of the diff.
culties in the remaining territories would be
obtained by similar laws, providing for their
organization, if such organization were other.
wise practicable. II, therefore. Kansas were
admitted as y State, under the Wyandot
Constitution. as think she ought to be, and
if the organic laws Of oil the other eriitor,es
could be repealed, could vote to authorize
the organization and admission Of two new
States which shoul Id include them, reserving
the right to effect sub. divisions Of them when.
ever necessary, in several convenient States
but do not lind tina: such reservations could
he constitutionally made"
l. MR. KELLOGG'S PLAN.
This plan, which was offered as a substi.
tute for the Adams or Corwin plan, is as