The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-03-05

lion dill not remove the restriction, and
nobody then thought that it should. A
Constitution guaranteeing the right 10
extend Slavery into Territories would
then have been rejected by men of all
parties. see no good reason for chang
ing that policy.
Virginia ceded the Northwest territory
to the United States, and she had spe-
cial reason FOR agreeing to the exclusion
of slavery lherefrom. We had just
emerged from that revolutionary strug
gle in which she had made great sacri
tee, She had become impoverished by
the sacrifices made to achieve our liber
ties. Many old Virginia families, with
numerous progeny growing up around
shem, impoverished by the burdens of
the Revolution, looked TO the Northwest
as field for enterprise upon which their
offspring, reared in refinement, might re-
trieve their broken fortunes. AT home,
1" labor was despised because performed
by slaves" as Mr. Mason expressed it !;
and with the yearning tenderness of a
mother Virginia determined to redeem
that Territory from the blight of slave la
Dor, regarding it as the heritage of her
own children.
tits such policy and such an exam
pie which the Republican party of to-day
proposes to emulate and follow.
Mr.. Hammond said truthfully. in an
address to his constituents, made at
Beech Island, in 1853, that
All the measures of which the South com
plains, she herself inaugurated. In the matter
of slavery Washington and jefferson set the
evil example-the North have borrowed it from
them.
Now, passing from that period Of our
history and coming down to 1920, there
as another signal instance in which the
power Of Congress to exclude this insti-
tulon from the Territories was asserted,
and the people of the South themselves
acquiesced in the exercise of that power,
because that was the act of the South.
Passing from that time, and over 9TH
err acts intervening, we come down to
l845. when we acquired Texas. One of
the very conditions upon which she was
annexed to this Union, and became one
of the States, is found in these identical
words:
"And in such State or States as shall be
formed out of said territory north of said Mis-
sour compromise line, slavery, or involuntary
s-rvitude, except for crime,) shall be prohibit
ed
That was Southern measure, indoors
ed by Calhoun, in 1874, and the great
measure of the Democratic party. Tex
rs came into the Union upon an express
recognition of power in the Congress
Of the United States to exclude this IN
sttution not only from the Territories
but from her own limits and not voice
was raised against it. 1t was Southern
measure and the resolution was framed
by Southern man.
Passing from that period. we come
down to 1850, when we were again call
ed upon to compromise this question
and this condition upon which Texas was
admitted was again expressly reaffirmed.
Congress then passed a series of COM
promise measures, one of which gave
S10,000,o00 10 Texas, to reconcile her
toa change of boundaries. 1t was ex-
pressly incorporated into that act, that it
should not interfere with the conditions
upon which Texas was originally annex
ed to the United States. This $4,000
900 was in the nature Of ransom for
the recognition of this great privilege of
The Government to exclude this institu-
ton from the Territories of the United
States, and was part of the compromise
measures of 1850.
Then we come down to 1852, when
the two great parties Of the couatry, in
their national conventions, mutually
pledged themselves to abide and stand
bv those compromises as fnality. Who,
let me ask, has receded from those com
promises and agreements thus solemnly
made You, gentlemen, i answer, on
that side of the Hall-the South herself
A gentleman from North Carolina, Mr..
Winslow, the other day, while comment
: ins upon the alleged wrongs of the
South, spoke of the action of the North,
and characterized ii by the term punic
faith" | respectfully submit that like
examples of punic faith can be found up
OH the part OF no people OF any section
ot this country, or oil any country. as is
found in the memorable cases 10 which |
have alluded.
Sir, if this Union is to be broken up,
and this war is to be waged, | can only
say, in the eloquent words of Henry
Clay, whose ashes sleep in the district OF
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Simms J,
who addressed the house the other day,
that sit will be war in which you will
have no sympathy, for all mankind will
be against you"
But, sir, some gentlemen say that the
cause Of our present troubles is not SO
much the attempt 10 exclude slavery from
the Territories of the United States, and
the failure to execute the fugitive slave
law, as it is this everlasting discussion OF
the slavery question among the people OF
the North and | call attention to that
rem arkable declaration to be found in
the Presidents last message declara-
ton unparalleled by any expression in
any American State paper, that | have
ever seen-lhat the agitation of The slav.
cry question has at length, as he says,