Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-02-21
THE GUTHRIE PROPOSITION,
As Amended ard Passed by n Commit
tee of the Peace Congress.

Mr.. GurHRin proposed the following
amendments TO the Constitution. They
had in substance been recommended by
the Kentucky Legislature and by decid.
ed majority of the subcommittee of one
from each State appointed by the Peace
Congress. 1t is now to come before that
body in Committee of the Whole and if
successful, submitted to the action of
Congress and to the people;
Article l. That all the Territory of the
United States be divided by line from
east to west, on the parallel of 36 degrees
80 minutes north latitude; and in all ter
ritory north of that line involuntary serv-
itude, except in punishment OF crime, is
prohibited whilst it shall belong to the
United States, or he Under Territorial
Government; and in all territory south of
said line involuntary servitude is recog-
nized as it exists in the Southern States
of the Union, whilst such territory shall
belong to the United States, or be under
Territorial Government; and neither
Congress nor the Territorial Government
shall have power to hinder or prevent
cwigrants to said territory from taking
with them persons held to labor or invol-
untary service, according to the laws and
usages Of the State from which such per-
sons may be taken, nor to impair the
right arising out of said relations, and be
subject to judicial cognizance; the United
| Statay (N,r,t nc p,,l, fN,,,;tD,, ho1 ba
jurisdiction thereof, and those rights shall
be protected by the courts and all the de-
partments of the Territorial Government;
under or according to the laws of the
State from which the person bound to
such service may have been taken; and
when any territory north or south Of said
line, within such boundary as Congress
may prescribe, shall contain population
required for a member of Congress, accor-
ding to the then Federal ratio of repre-
sentation of the people of the United
States, it may, if its form of government
be republican, he admitted into the Union
on an equal footing with the original
States, with or without involuntary serv-
itude or labor. as the Constitution ol
such new State may provide.
Article 2. That no territory shall here.
, after be acquired by the United States
without the concurrence of majority o
the Senators of the States north of Alasor
) and Dixon's line, and also majority o
; the Senators south OF said line; but nc
. treaty by which territory shall he acqur
: ed shall be ratified without three-fourth'
vote of the Senators, as required by the
r Constitution.
Article 3. That the Constitution, ant
no amendment thereof, shall be construed
, to give Congress power to regulate, abol
t ish, or control, within any State or Ter
r rtory of the United States the relation
established or recognized by the laws
e thereof touching persons bound to labor
@ or involuntary service therein, nor to in
terfere with or abolish involuntary ser
r vice in the District of Columbia withou
the consent of Maryland and Virginii
= and the owners, or without making tn,
t owners who do not consent, previously
| full compensation; nor the power to in
| terfere with or abolish involuntary serv
: ice in places under the exclusive iurisdic
l tlOn OF tne tnl1Pu HtuteS Wlliin IUOS
{ States and Territories where the same i
e established or recognized; or the powe
t to prohibit the removal or trans portatiol
$ of persons held to labor or involuntar
= service in any State or Territory of tn
, United States, to any other State or Ter
r ritory thereof, where it is established o
: recognzed; nor to authorize specific ia,
4 hi,rb,r &C
bound to labor, than on land in proper
, ton to value nor to authorize any of tn
African race or their descendants to be
n come citizens, or to exercise the right c
suffrage in the choice of Federal officers
It Article 4. That hereafter the paragrap
= Of the fourth article of the Constitutio
e shall not be construed to prevent any c
n the States, by appropriate legislation, an
: through the action of their judicial an
d ministerial officers, from enforcing th
!. delivery of fugtives from labor from an
d other State or Territory of the Unite
If States to the person to whom such sci
= vice or labor is due.
Article 5. The emigration or importa
e ton of the African race into any State o
y territory OF the tnlted states, Wnetne
IS for residence or involuntary service, is fol
h ever prohibited, and Congress shall haH
$ the power. by appropriate legislation, t
i enforce the provisions of this article.
II Article6 That the first second. thir
IS and fifth articles Oft these amendments, an
- the third paragraph of the second secto
/. of the first article of the Constitution
it and the third paragraph of the fourth al
IS ticle thereof, shall not be amended {
,e abolished without the consent of all Il
= States.