The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1861-02-27
The Plan Of the Committee OF
the Peace COnferemce.

The following are the proposed amend
ments to the Constitution, agreed upon by
the Committee OF the Peace Conference, at
Washington, aud to be reported to the
Conference. 1t is called Mr.. Guthrie's
plan, but it has been materially modified
from that gentleman's original draft:
ARTICLE l. In all the territory of the
United States not embraced within the linn.
its Of the Cherokee treaty grant, north of a
line from east to west, on the parallel of
thirty.six degrees thirty minutes north lati-
tude, involuntary servitude, except 10 pun
ishment of crime, is prohibited whilst il
shall be under a Territorial Government
and in all the territory south of said line the
status of persons owing service or labor as
it now exists shall not be changed by law
while such territory shall be under territori
al Government and neither Congress nor
the Territorial Government shall have pow
er to hinder or prevent the taking to said
territory of persons held to labor or invol-
untary service within the United States, ac-
cor1iDg to the laws or usages Of any State
from which such persons may be taken, nor
to impair the rights arising out Of suid rela-
ton, which shall be subject to judicial cog
nizance in the federal courts according to
the common law and when any territory
north of said line, within such boundary as
Congress may prescribe, shall contain a
population required for member of Con-
gress, according to the federal ratio of rep
resentation, it shall, if its form of Govern
ment be Republican, be admitted into the
Union on an equal footing with the original
Skotoo NTH n JDifhnnf ipu VOL lupBoru o;n
or labor, as the Constitution of such new
State may provide.
Art. 2. Territory shall not be acquired
by the United States unless by treaty, nor,
except for naval and commercial stations
and depots, unless such treaty shall be rati-
fed by four fi!ths of all the members OF the
Senate.
Art. 8. Neither the constitution nor any
amendment thereof shall be constructed to
give Congress power to abolish or contro
within any State or Territory the relation
Of touching persons bound to labor or ia'
voluntary service therein, or to- interfere with
or abolish involuntary service 10 the Distric
of Columbia without the consent Of Mory-
land and without the consent OF the owners
or making the owners who do not consent
just compensation nor the power to inter-
fere with or prohibit representatives, ant
others from bringing with them to the y
Of Washington, retaining and taking away
persons SO bound to labor nor the powc
to interfere with or abolish involuntary ser
vice in places under the exclusive jurisdic
ton OF the United States within those State
and Territories where the same is estabishe
or recognized nor the power to prohibit tn
removal or transportation, by land, sea 0
river, o. persons helpto labor or fnvoluntar
service in any State or Territory Of tn
United States to any 9th er State or Terrtor
thereof where it is esta abshed or recogniz) }
by law or usage, and the right during traus
ports ton OF touching at sh)res, ports an
landings, and OF landing in case OF distress
shpl exist; nor shall Congress have powe
to authorize any higher rate OF taxes o
persons bound to labor on the land.
Art. 4. The third paragraph OF the sec
ond section of the fourth article the Con
stitution shall not be construed to proven
any OF the States, by appropriate legislation
, and through the action Of their judicial an
J ministerial officers, from enforcing the de
livery of fugitves from labor to the peso
to whom such service or labor is due.
Art. 5, The foreign slave trade, and tn
importation Of slaves into the United State
and their Territories, from places beyon
the present limits thereof, are forever pro
hibited.
Art. 6. The first, second, third and fit
articles, together with this article of thes
amendments. and the third paragraph Of til
second section OF the first article of the Con
stitution, and the third paragraph of the sec
ond section of the fourth article thereo
shall not be amended or abolished withou
the consent OF all the States.
Aat. 7. Congress shall provide by la'
that the United States shall pay to the owne
the full value of his fugitives from labor
all cases where the Marshal or other Off
GERS, whose daty it was to arrest such fug
tive, was prevented from so doing by vic
lence or intimidation, or when, after ares
such fugitive was rescued by force, and tn
owner thereby prevented and obstructed
the pursuit OF his remhdy for the recovery {
cuch Fu0itvoe