The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1861-01-30
Crlltenaen.s Amendments.

II is diMcdlt, II not impossible, fer Congress
to concur by the requisite majority, go as to
enable 1t TO take such measures, to recon.
mend the States such amsndments to the
Constitution as are necessary to avert the
danger whereas, in so great an emergency
the opinion and judgment OF the people ought
to be heard therefore,
Rcsolvsd, That provision be made BY law
without delay for taking the sense of the
people, end submitting to them the follow.
ing resolution -..
Resolved, By the Senate and House OF
Representatives of the United States OF
America in Congress assembled, two.thirds
OF both Houses COncNEring. that the follow.
ing articles be, aud are hereby, proposed
and submitted az amendments to the consti.
tuition of the United States, which shall be
valid to all intents and purposes as part Of
said constitution, when ratified by conven.
tons Of three. fourths Of the several States.
ART. l. In sll the Territory of the Uni.
ted States now held or hereafter acquired,
situate north of latitude thirty.six degrees
and thirty minutes, slavery or involuntary
servitude, except as punishment fer crime,
is prohibited, while such territory shall re.
main upder territorial government. In all
the territory south of said line of latitude
slavery OF the African race is hereby recog.
nized as existing, and shall not be interfered
with by Congress, but shall be protected as
! property by all the departments of the terri.
torial government during its continuance /;
and when any territory north or south Of
said line, within such boundaries as Con.
sress may prescribe, shall contain the popu.
lation requisite for q member Of Congress,
according to the then federal ratio OF repre-.
-sentation Of ths speUple Of the United States,
it shall, If it's form Of government be repub-
lican, be admitted into the Union on an
equsl footing with the original States, with
or without slavery, as the constitution Of
) such new State may provide.
ART. 2. Congress shall have no power
TO abolish slavery in places under its exclu.
sive jurisdiction, and situate within the lin.
its of States that permit the holding oil
slaves.
ART. 3. Congress shall have no power
to abolish slavery within the District of CO.
Iunbia, so long as it exists in the adjoining
States OF Virginia and Maryland, or either,
HSA "'thSuS tuO VI
ncr without just compensation first'made to
such owners of slaves as do not consent to
such abolshment. Nor shall Congress at
any time prohibi, officers Of the federal gov
eminent or members of Congress, whose
duties require them to be in ssd District
from bringing with them their slaves and
holding them thsm,. as such, during the time
their duties may require them to remain
there, and Afterwards taking them from the
District.
ART. 4. Congress shall have no power
to prohibit or hinder the transportation OF
slaves from one Slate TO another or to a
territory in which slaves are by law permit.
ted to be held, whether that transportation
be by land, navigable rivers or by the sea.
ART. 5. That in addition to the provi
sions Of the third paragraph of the second
section OF the fourth article of the constitu.
ton of The United States, Congress shall
nave power to provide by law, and it shall
be its duty SO to provide, that the United
Stotes shall pay to the owner who shall ap.
ply for it, the full value of his fugitive slave,
in a II cases. when the Marshal, or other eff.
Ger, whose duly it was to arrest said fugitive,
YVES prevented from so doing by violence or
Intimidation, or when, after arrest said fugi.
tive was rescued by force, and the owner
thereby prevented and obstructed in the pur.
Tt OF his remedy for the recovery of his
fugitive slave, under the said clause of the
constitution and the laws made in pursuance
thereof. And In all such cases, when the
United States shall pay for such fugitive,
IIpv ahnlI hauo tho i1bF In
to sue the county in which said violence, in.
tinidation, or rescue was committed, and to
receiver from il, with interest and damages,
ibe amount paid by thea Tor said fugitive
slave. And the said county, after 1t has paid
the amount TO the United States, may, for its
indemnify, sue and recover from the wrong
doers, or fescuefs, by WHOM the owner was
prevented from the recovery of his fugitive
slave, in like manner as the owner himself
might have sued and recovered.
ART s. No future amendment of the
constitution shall effect the FIVE preceding
articles, nor the third paragraph of tha sec.
ond section OF the first article of the consti.
tuition, nor ths third paragraph of the second
section OF the fourth article of said constitu.
ton, and no amendment shall be made to
the constitution which will authorize or give
to Congress any power to abolish or inter.
fere with slavery in any of the states BY
whose laws it is or may be allowed or per
milted.
And whereas, also besides those causea of
ciSsension embraced in the foregoing amend
ments proposed to the constitution OF the
United States, there are others which come
within the jurisdiction of Congress, and may
be remedied by its legislative power, and
whereas, ii is the desire Of Congress, as far
Is its power vii! extend, to remove all Just
cause fer the popular discontent and agila-
ion which now disturb the peace of the
country, and threaten the stability of its in.
therefore,
/. Resolved by The Senate and House of
Representatives. Of the United States of Ameri.
"a in Congress assembled, That the laws now
n force tor the recovery of fugitive slaves
IRE in strict pursuance Of the plain and man
lstory provisions OF the Constitution, and
lavs been sanctioned as valid and eonstitu.
ional by the judgment OF the Supreme
Court of the United States that the slave,
lo|dng States are entitled to the faithful
observance and execution of those laws, and
hat they ought not to be repealed or 80
modified or changed as to impair their eff
;isncy and that laws ought to be made for
he punishment of those who attempt, by
escue of the slave or other illegal means,
0 hinder or defeat the due execution of said
avs. ..
2. That all state laws which conflict
With the fugitive slave acts, or any other
constitutional acts oil Congress, or which in
heir operation impede, hinder, or delay the