The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1862-04-23


them 60 as they wished north of it. 1t was
hard TO answer this argument, and those
of US who were for acquiescing in the Mis-
sorri Com promise based our action upon
the ground that we wished to preserve the
peace of the country, and save the Union
from these drelul consequences which nor
thern and southern sectional parties then
threatened
Well the Missouri Compromise was bea-
ten, rot because the Union men did not de
sire 10 carry il out but because the free
soiers would not allow themsto do 1t. The
result of that defeat was The fearful section
al strife OF 1850 The history OF that con-
troversy is TOO fresh in your recollection TO
need any detailed account on this occasion.
/ 1t is enough TO remind you that HENRY
CLAY, who had performed his mission Of
4 earth, as he supposed ard had retired to
the shades of Ashland TO prepare for ano'h-
er world, fell bound 10 come forward and
+ resume his seat in The Senate, TO see if he,
by his wisdom, his long experience, and
the renown OF his great name, could not do
something to restore peace to distracted
country. For many long months Congress
was in session, in the Council Chamber
every morning, with Clay and WEBSTER in
their seats, devising means by which the
friends of the Union could defeat the North
ern Aboliiioniis and the Southern fire eaters.
The result of these deliberations was The
adoption OF the Compromise measures OF
1850 These measures were The joint work
OF the Union Wings and Union Democrats,
and they rested on the great theory that
Congress was not TO interfere with The ones
ton of slavery, but that the people were TO
act upon That matter as they pleased in the
territories as well as in the States. Thus
the Government was brought back TO its
ancient policy, as established by he Con-
slluiion, and the question of slavery was
again banished from the Halls OF Congress.
From the facts | have stated, il appears
that for the first thirty years. after the Fed
eral Government went into operation, the
doctrine oil non-interveniion and popular
sovereignty prevailed and peace was the
result that for the next twenty years the
doc rine of non-in;erveniion with slavery
existed, and there were strife and turmoil
every time that Congress attempted TO exer-
else the power and hat in 1850 the Dem
ocrals GOT back again 10 the doctrine of the
Constitution and the people were willing tc
acquiesce in il. II is true that after the
compromise measures were adopted. the
free-soileTs as they were then called, or the
Republicans as they now cal! themselves
, endeavored TO get up ar excitement and
even TO use violence, to prevent those mea
sures from being carried out. Reader, yot
will remember that, wheH the City Council
of Chicago passed resolutions nul!iying tht
fugitive slave law, and raising the standard
of rebellion against the action of Congress
| that the fire eaters of the south appealed tc
, the people of that section 10 resist the same
measures
Seward, Sumner Chase, Giddings, an'
others of the northern opponents of the
Compromise measures, told the nor.herr
| people that the Democrats had sold ont II
the South; or in other words, that The north
had sold ont and Davis Hunter, Mason anC
, other southern fire eaters, told the soulherr
people that by these measures the sonth ha'
been sold out 10 the north Each appeaie
10 the passions and prejudices OF the peopl'
, of their section, against the peace and har
mony OF the whoie country, but the IInior
Wings and Union Democrats forgetting par
- strife for the time, until the Union wa
, safe rallied in their might and put dowr
northern Aboitionism and southern seces
sion So effectually were these agitation
; crushed out, for the time being, tn at TIVE
; years after, when the whig party assem-
bled in national Convention al Baltimor
and nominated General Scott, they adopted
an article in their platform, affirming th'
i doctrine of non-iniervention by Congress
and when the Democratic party assembled
in national Convention, the same year anC
? at the same place, they adopted the sam
| principle as a fundamental principle o
5 their creed. Thus it will be seen that onl,
! eight years ago every Whig and Dem
+ ocrat in America stood pledged by the plat
form of his party, TO maintain this doctrine
, that Congress was not to interfere with ;h
, institution of slavery, but that the peoph
were TO decide il for themselves.
In 1S54it became necessary for Mr.. Dong
las, as chairman of the committee on terrific
| ries, TO report bill organizing the terrific
t ries of Kansas and Nebraska, and iE doin
} so he followed the precedent set by the com
/ promise measures of 1850 The Nebrask
] and Kansas bill, as offered, carried out tn
very spirit and letter of the platform OF th'
, Whig party, as well as that OF the Demo
, cratic party, adopted al Baltimore in 1885,
5 In that clause of the bill repeating the Mis-
I souri, restriction, il was distinctly set foril
i that that restriction was repealed because
/ was Inconsistent with the doctrine OF non
: Intervention by Congress with slavery ]
{ the territories as affirmed in the compromis
/ measures of 1850; and in order 10 prever