Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-30
lst Irticle Critkch1cn

cnee PropoSition. Propositions
"SECTloS |. In all "ARTEcLE !. In all
the present territory the territory Of the
OF the United States United States now
north of the parallel held Or hereafter to be
Of thirty.six degrees acquired, situate north
and thirty minutes OF of latitude thrty.six
north latitude, inyol- degrees thirty min.
untary servitude, ex- utes, slavery or invol.
ccpt in punishment of untary scrvitude, 81.
crime, is prohibited. ccpt as punishment
In all the present ter for crime is prohibit
rt0ry south Of that ell, while sch terrific.
line the status of per- r. shall remain under
sons held to service or territorial government.
labor, rs it now exists, In all the trrritcrr
shall not be changed south Of said line Of
f,a-'.h- a., ~"'s ~- - i-|:-.' Ecd a..
the Territorial Legis- Qnircd, slavery u! the
lature to hinder or pre- Africsn race is hereby
vent the taking of such recognized as existing.
persons from any Of anu shall not be inter-
the States Of this fered with by Con.
Union to said Terri gress; but shall be
tory nor 10 impair the protected as property
rights arising from by all the departments
said relation; but the Of the territorial gov
same shall be subject crnlncnt during lis
to judicial cognizance continuance; and when
in the federal courts, any Territory north
according TO the or south Of said line,
course of the common within such bounda-
| law. When any Ter rles as Congress may
ritory north or south prescribe, shall con-
of said line, within tain the population
such boundary as Con. requisite for member
rress may prescribe, Of Congress, accord
shall contain a popu. ing to the then federal
| lation equal to that re- ratio OF representation
ouircd for member Of the people Of the
Of Congress, it shall, United States, it shall,
| if its form of govern. if its form of govern
ment be republican, ment be republican,
he admitted into the he admitted INTO the
| Union on an equal Union on an equal
footing with the crigi- footing with the orIgI-
nal States with or nal States with or
without involuntary without slavery, as
Scryitude, as such con- the constitution ol
stitution OF the State such new State may
may provide" provide.
There yuu have the comp arisen. or more
properly contrast, before you. In MIR. Critten-
dcn's programme things are called by their
right names. There is no wrapping up, no
conccalment of rintcnlien-al is fair and plain.
1t is so exceedingly simple and explicit that no
child can lnisinterpret it. You may run and
read as you rum and yet it will still be plain
and Ealpable. Like its author, sir, plain; dis
tinguishcd for his urbanity, with his heart in
his hand, his tongue not given, as Tallcyrand
declared his to be, "to use words 10 conceal his
ideas" but given to utter vols of truth, Of
power and of force This T. ICE Conference
proposition" palters with us in 4 double sense
"keeps the promise TO the ea,, hut breaks It to
the hope"
This (the Crittenden propos .tion) tells us OF
-, gl =
be protected. The Legislatures Of the Terrific
ries shall protect it. Notwithstanding the Chi.
cago platform. Why, sir, let him who can
jndgc choose between that and this. The
counterfeit presentment of two minds.
Those who accept this Peace Conference propo'
stion would find themselves in tho dilemma
in which IIamlet's mother was when shc cast
aside her "prccclent lord" and married with
1.-THE cut.pursc of the Emire and the rnle. "
No, sir, there can be no nstaking it. Now
. nv friend, (Mr SyMMEns) thinks that upon
the subject Of the Territories, he has accom-
plished q great good by the SECOND section.
+ do not by any means wish to deny, but that
the principle upon which he acts ought to be
consecratcd The principle is y lofty one. II
+ is the principle of concurrent lnajorites Sir,
it is the very principle which will save us.
The only principle that can restore this Union
, which we have lost If we can have concur
rent majority on all public questions, my de-
libernte opinion is that all will be safe; major
tiles to concur before either section can harrass
or disturb the other. In the crisis Of leglsla
ton do not care about dual Presidents, bll
concurrent msjoriiies are essential. But What
docs this concurrent majority accomplish when
applied solely to territory? Why it gives to the
seven States a great power, provided that there
is anything for the power to act upon. But
there lies the rub.
Now look at the North What of territory
: remains for them? 1t has reached the Frayzer's
e River. 1t is in dispute about the island of San
Juan under o treaty with Great Britain. with
| its foot planted upon the estuary which divides
Vancouyer's Island from the riain land, 1t has
| got to its ultima thule Of territorial acqnisl'
tion-nothing lies beyond but the British !: ru,
! company possessions, or what may be cane"
t the Nova Zembla Of the Russian-Czar, lying
y in the lap of perpetual winter, wrapped up IN
: furs against frost and ice. They will not 60
there am sure.
n Does it look to Canada? My friend tols-us
o there was wire-worker in our Peace Con
ference. who talked to him about Canada, New