Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-02-13

| was aG opted n ulll wns introduced 10 place
two. millions in tho Presidents hands TO be
used at his discretion in making u treaty.
Wllmot moved n proylso to this bill that slavos
ry should ncvcr oxistin any territory acquired
from Mexico ff '-lu1r elnn .
This proviso was adopted in Committee OF
the wholo, only three Northern Democrats
passing through the tclcrs TO vote no. 1t
promptly passed the House and was lost with
the bill In the closing moments of tho session
without coming to n vote, The .proviso was
brought up again at the next session and
again passed tho House, but was ncvoradopt
cd by Congress. But the subsequent result
was that tho attempt TO- create territorial gov
dofeated by Tho holding OF his sWroyiso over
them. Because OF this California was kept
under military government
In spite of all the efforts of tho Admlnistra-
ton and of the army influence pnd of tho
Southern bulles that were sent thcre, the ciri.
igration from tho free States defeated the
purpose 10 mako two slave States of CALI
forria, by forininga free State Constitution
aud asking admission. .., .
another way For military glory. added to the
ecetcS the @bs General sS 3 fRy ayor p PcsScnt s
was , opposed OBJ Is by The Dcmocratic ex-pfcsidcnt,
Mart II Van Buren,, on the platform of opposi.
tion to any extension of slavery.
Tho now House OF Representatives, after u
long struggle over the election of Speaker,
adopted the plurality rule, by which Howell
Cobb, of Georgia. Democrat, was chosen
President Taylor used his influence in favor
of the formation OF n free State of California
and free Territory of New Mexico; but tho
slave power refused TO admit California ms a
tornl Government for New McXico, because
the Wilmot provlso was held over IL.
THE COMPROMISE OF 1850. re
And now tho great compromisor, Henry
Clay, thought the timc had come for another
great compromise to save the Union again.
Strange that compromise should have to be
made by giving compensation for the admis
sion of u State with II free constitution fnirly
formed by her own people! But freedom hpd
always to compensate for Its existence In the
good old time. MIR. Clay's propositions, sfted
from their cjrcumlocution, were the follow
| ing; California TO he admitted with her own
Constitution; territorial governments in the
| territory ncqured from Mexico to he silent as
| TO slavery: thai il was inoNpcdientto to abolish
| slavery i'll the District of Columbia that the
slave Trade In the District ought to be forbid
den; that u more effective law for recaptur.
turing fugitive slaves ought to be made; that
Congress has not power to obstruct the inter
| State slave trade.
| After Il long debate. during which President
| Taylor died, the Alternatives of these PROPOSE
| tions were enacted into laws. California was
| admitted, the territories of New Mexico end
| Utah were organ zcd without any anti-slnvery
proviso, the slave trade was forbidden in the
| District of Columbia, and a thorough law for
| the recapturing of escaped slaves was cuact-
| ed And as u rider to all, under pretense of
defining the northern boundary of Texas, ten
millions We're given her to rcinGnish her
probation was caused In Texas bonds, n part
of which had been placed where they would
do the most good.
| SLAVERY ELIMINATED FROM porIyICs.
And now was proclaimed that the slavery
question wns compromised and settled for all
| Tine, and that any further agitation of anti
Slavery measures measure would be inexcusabls .i and
and South, united in declaring that the millen-
| ium had come The eod-like Daniel Webster
% putting aTy % slavery @ EXCLUSION into The Utah al
and New Mexico bills, because he said the
climnte and soil had forbidden slavery there,
and to forbid it by law would be to re-enact
| the law of God.
The slave auction block was the bright jewel
| in the. snout of our National capital. From
the adjacent savebreeding States men and
| women, boys and girls, were brought to the
capital, and under the pgis of the great Re-
| public were knocked down to the highest
| bidder, to be driven off by the traders to the
! cotton States. The quarters in which these
people were kept for the auction block were
not pleasant to look at, Besides that effective
persuader, the whip, they had mechanical APP
| pliances for slave torture, which showed that
| these sons of Noah did not always pay rever-
| encc to their fathers drunken curse.
The sight of men and women on the auction
| block, imported by the rough hands of the
| traders, was trying to. the faith of the North.
| ern people, even while they believed slavery
u Divine ordinance. Even the arrogant slave.
| breeders thought that this displayed their pro.
| fessiop in an unfayorable aspect. So they al
lowed it to be forbidden 6t the Capital, and
that great slave mart was removed to Alexan-
dria, few niles away. AS New Mexico was
| not attractive to cmigrants, and as Utah was
|
| tural In lnarrying,were not scriptural in slave
| hOldng-nbout all the present compensation
the South got for letting in FREQ California
was the permission for hunting escaped
| slaves.
| THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT.
| This act Is the finest illustration of the har-
monious and happy state of our country i'm
the good old Democratic time, when the Con-
! stitution was held sacred. Under II al that
| any man had to do to seize any man or woman
| in free State to carry into slavery was to
| make affidavit that lie or she was an escaped
slave; He could seize person himself, could
| take him before United States Commission.
| er, and by simply swearing to his identity
| could carry him of. Any Interference with
this summary proceeding was subject to se-
The United States officers charged with the
| duty of nrrestlng persons for such claimants
were empowered TO call on all bystanders to
assist and to summon the posse of the coun.
| try. The act knew neither color nor previous
| condition save as sworn to by the claimant
1t carried of the victim even from the midst
witnesses, without II jury trial. without any
examination save the declaration of the claim
| ant.
Hunting is the nohlest pastme of men. II
| is noble in degree according TO the elevation
| of the game in the scale of being. Whathunt
| ing so ennobling as that of men and women,
which was now opened i'm all the free States to
| the gentry and negro traders and thieves of
| the slave Statesg horde of deputy marshals
| was appointed to do their bidding, and Com
| mlSsiOners were created mt places handy to
| expedite these abductions.
The act abolished all protection of freedom.
| Many free persons were carried into slavery.
| Many cruel scenes were enacted, causing
much feeling in the observers. But the com
| promise of 1859 was declared to be II finality
and II sacred compact, and the power of the
Shareholders over the politics and conscience
of the Nation was probably not so great at any
| previous time rs from the compromise OF
1850 But in less than three years the slave
| power violated this compromise, and plunged
into n new conflict to extend slavery into new
| territory.
| THE KANsAs-NEDRAsKA CONTEST
The proposed Territory of Nebraska EN-
braced what is now Nebraska and Kansas. As
i is north of the compromise line, n Territorial
Government which was silent on slavery
would be regarded rs free because north of
that line. The bill was innocently introduced
by Northern Democrat, silent as to slavery
but il encountered in the senate the almost
| solid opposition of the South. This opened Il
conflict which lnsted until the Southern States
| dissolved the Union.
The thought may occur to the reader that
the subject of slavery in politics is nll OF
American politics. Without doubt slavery is
the Divine order. But the true accounts show
that the Divine order never did have an easy
time. ltwas continually beaten by the Other
order. Thus tho Divine order of slavery was
shown as much by its conflicts and adversities
rs by Its power.
Taking up casually u periodical entitled the
"homilotic Magnzine,, which seemed to be :
mons, to be filled In by the sernonizcr, there
turned upthe framew ,rk of n sermon on tht
cheerful theme that disappointment is tht
common lot.
II began far back, and said that the Creator
was disappointed I'm his work of crcation-"I
repented Him that He had made man" ii,
drowned all men and began anew, and tina
did not better 1t. 1t said that Eve was disap
pointed in the knowledge she gained by dis
obedience; that Solomon was disappointed II
his expectation of happiness from riches ant
Il thousand wives. With the usual musculin,
unconsclousness of the feeling and rights o
woman. II never mentioned the thousand dis
appointments of his thousand wives And 1
went on I'm the like cheerful strain There
fore that incessant militant state OF the sluv,
power, and Its Anal disappointment, only con
firms the evidence that slavery is the divin
order.
The first Nebraska bill was introduced II
tho House In lS52.53, and was passed by tn,
House but defeated In the Senate. The sec
ond bill was introduced In the Senate in 1855
and was similar, and this like the previous
was fayorably reported by Stephen A. Doug
las. Chairman of the Committee on Territories
But the slave power resisted the oIgarzatO
of n territory which would come In on the fre
side of the compromise. IT had now deye
. opod the logical doctrine TINT the Constitution
carried slavery throughout the Nation. II di
not put tue rugged end of this principle int
enactment, but went Mt II by stritegy
The bill was passed In May, 1854. 1t got I