Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-02-16
The Peace Congress.

The telegraph announces that the Com
mittee have adopted the propositions of Mr..
GUTHRIE, of KY. For the information of the
reader we suhjoin these propositions:
ARTICLE l. That all territory of the United
States shall be divided By line from east to
west, on the parallel of SO deg. 80 min.
nor tn latitude; and in all territory north of
that line, involuntary servitude, except in
punishment OF crime. Is prohibited whilst it
shall belong to the United States, or be un-
der Territorial Government; and in all ter
ritory south of said line involuntary servi-
tude is recognized as it exists in the South
eFn States OF the Union, whilst such territory
shall belong to the United States, or be I'M
der Territorial Government; and neither
Congress nor the Territorial Government
shall have power 10 hinder or prevent emf
| grants to said territory from taking with them
persons held to labor or involuntary service,
| according to the laws and usages of the
State from which such persons may be taken,
nor to impair tie right arising out of said re-
lations, and be subject to judicial cognizance;
the United States Courts Of such Territory
shall have jurisdiction thereof, and those
rights shall be protected by the courts and
| all the departments of the Territorial Gov
eminent, under or according to the laws OF
| the State nom which the person bound to
any territory north of said lie. within such
boundary as Congress may prescribe, shall
| contain population required for member
of Congress, according to the then Federal
ratio of representation of the people OF the
| United States, it may, If its form of Govern
meut be Republican, be admitted into the
Union on an equal footing with the original
States, with or without involuntary seryitude
or labor, as the Constitution of such new
| State may provide.
ARR g. That no territory hereafter shall
| be acquired by the United States without the
concurrence of a majority of the Senators OF
the States north of Mason & Dixon's line, and
also a majority OF the Senators south of said
line, but no treaty by which territory shall
be acquired shall be ratified without the two
thirds vote OF the Senators, as required by
the Constitution.
ART. 8. That the Constitution, and no
amendment thereof, shall be construed to
give Congress power to regulate, abolish, or
control, within any State or Territory of the
United States, the relation established or re
cognized by the laws thereof touching per-
sons bound to labor or involuntary service
therein, nor to interfere with or abolish in
voluntary service in the District of Columbia
without the consent of Maryland and Vir-
ginia and the owners; or without making the
owners who do not consent, previously, full
with or abolish involuntary service in places
under the exclusive jurisdiction OF the
United States within those States and Terri
tories where th e same is established or recog-
nized; nor the power to prohibit the removal
or transportation of persons held to labor or
involuntary service in any State or Territory
of the United States, to any other State or
Territory thereof, where it is established or
recognized; nor to authorize a specific tax or
any higher rate of taxes on persons bound
to labor, than on land in proportion to value;
nor to authorize any of the African race or
their descendants to become citizens, or to
exercise the right of suffrage in the choice of
Federal officers.
ART. 4. That hereafter the paragraph of
the fourth article of the Constitution shall
not be construed to prevent any of the
States, by appropriate legislation. and
through thu action of their judicial and min
isterial officers, from enforcing the delivery
of fugitives from labor from any other State
CT Territory of the United States, to the per-
son to whom such service or labor is due.
ART. 5. The emigration or importation OF
the African race into any State or any Terri
tory of the United States, W neither for resi-
dence or involuntary service, is forever pro-
hibited. and Congress shall have the power,
by appropriate legislation, to enforce the pro-
visions of this article.
ART. 6. That the first, shcond, third and
fifth articles of these amendments, and the
third paragraph of the second section OF the
first article of the Constitution, and third
paragraph of the fourth article thereof,
shall not be amended or abolished without
the consent of all the States.