Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-01-01

national forum, ooBsploooos iof toe Pte
oedina quarter Of 9 century. appeared in
imposing DEMONSTRATIONS
10 the Senate were Webster, the Co.
Iosyas Of The North. the hero Of the
Web ter Hsyns contest; Calhoun, the
bold nolli6sr. the scholar and logician !;
CLAW, the alvsr-tongued advocate of
protective tarif and national improve
ments Benton. the solid champion OF
hard money, the senior uaemoer OF the
Senate Hannibal Hsmlin, the fsture
Vice President. rhs upright, pare states
man; Stephen A. Douglas, the &" Little
Grant A" of the West, inst coming into
NATIONAL prominence Lewis Cas-, ven
srable IN the service of his country, the
sou utter cham yion Of the Northwest !;
William II. SeSaId, the great advocate
Of tse " higher law" Salmon p. Chase,
the learned jurist and able statesman !:
beside others whose names are indisso
lQbly connected With American history.
In tue House we're Andrew Johnson,
the suture Pre.ideut. the rising states
man from Tennessee Horace Mann,
the enlightened educ Asor and philan-
tnropis, Robert @. Winthrop, of Puri
tanic fame, ard others whose names are
prominent IN the history OF those and
after tunes.
The great issues that had stirred the
country for N re than b if a century
were practically silent. The tariff, the
United States Bank, the acquisition OF
foreign l rri.Gry, tbs topics that had led
ia nation u discussion, we're fast giving
way % one thst, At times, pai engaged
the attention Of Congress and the pc pie.
Toirty years before a similar question
had been sgIta,eI, aud then began the
ara % compromises. All the great lead
ers who had cAAmpioned the leading
issues IL years ptst, were brought 10 the
front OF the compounds OF $50. Now
II Vas California instead OF Missouri.
The Golden State Was seeking admission
into the Uaisn snail IL comy In vita
or without slavery, was Ehe problem
that presented it-el. IN formidable As
poet. Tue three prominent figures in
the stormy agitatiop # this matter were
Clay, Webster aud Calhoun. More
tLan oxce had the Nation witnessed
conflicts waged by them in ghict
/ "Likest gods they seemed, lit to decide
the empire OF great heaven" Theil
views on public questions had oftcr
/ been at variance, but they had Learned
to compromise their differences. az q
1 final expedient, and the usual resourc,
was had IN this case. They approved o.
the famous 'Oplnibus Bill" and thu
the great American triumvirate of thu
first half Of the nineteenth csntur,
passed into history. as the yielding
forces to an evil that was wssiRe an ''ir
reprsssible conflict" in our Republic
and for the settlement Of which ever,
compromise bat postpOsed the fsts
day. in this instance, a. 10 most other
when justice and liberty struggle 70
the mastery, freedom found her advo
oates, and here they appeared In gran,
contest With the old triumvirate. VII,
always approached the slavery question
tinidiy, and never dared openly to I'D
yocate its overthrow. Chase and Sew
ard appeared as the enlightened cham
pions Of referm. and manfBlly did the,
contend with those whose fame anS
abilities had rendered the PUiitica
events OF our country. for more thar
forty years past, famous in the eyes o.
the world.
Seward, the sseadfast friend of Csji
fornia, soorned the idea of slavery de
oasing her fair cline, where the ives
dies away into the rising east" bu
rather than have her refused admission
would see her come into the Union bur
/ deDed with the evil institution.
| With the breadth of view Of Vattel
and the eioquence of Burke. be PRO
claimed his fam'us higher Law" doc
trine, which fell like a thunderbolt OF
the slavery champions.
Chase, supported by the doctrines oil
Washington and jefferson, pleaded
logically and eloquently against the
odious idea of slavery entering Calf
fornia soil. or any other free Territory
In close sympathy with his iiiustrieus
compeer from New York, he fought the
| compromise and the claims of the siay.
| cry advocates.
But the influence of Chase and Sew.
ard, Combined With that of Benton
(whs though q statesman Of the old
school, looked unfsvorsbly upon slav-
ery) could not prevent the comprouiise
from becoming a law, though somewhat
mosincd IN Its original features. Cali.
fornia came into the Unieu a. free
state, bot by the same compromise TIE
Fugitive slave Law was fastened upon
the American people.
Among the sad pages OF Mr.. Web
ster's history 10 this event, which links
bis name With the infamous Law which
cast bat another burden upon the an
fortunate slave, and tended to excite
mere bitter feelings between the North
ern and Southern sections Of the
country.
But Mr.. Webster vas NO, 10 remain
lone In the Senate. Called TO the hioh.
est place in Mr.. Fillmore's cabinet-a
place once before adorned by him under
President Tyler-his plsoe in the Senate
was filled by Charles Sumner. the
erudIte scholar. reforner and statesman
Of Msssacb vests.
Mr.. Suuner took his seat In the Sen.
ate on the very day shat Henry Clay
made rvs farewell speech in that body:
and the Sage OF Ashland survived bns
few months sitter bis retirement from
the Senate, the arena Of his most bril-
liant trinmphs. Mr.. Webster soon fol-
lowed his mighty contemporary TO the
grave, where Cashoan had rested for
more than a year. Thus passed from
earth Americas frst great triumvirate.
Chase, Sumner and Seward were now
active members Of the Senate, and there
they became the new triamylrate who
espoased the cause OF freedom on the
slavery issue, question in which slavery
vas either openly advocated or timidly
defended by the old tsiunvirate.
Ere long another agitation arose
scarcely lees violent than the one which
attended the admission Of California.
The vast domain between the Missouri
river and the Rocky Mountaips began
10 Be haliing place for the Western
heDe seeker. Though California sill
attracted the gold hunter, the Great
Amessc ,n Desert" Was fast redesmiup
itself from thai opprobridus name. and
the vast plains Of prairie 9rs0 began to
be soppisnted by rich grain fields. Gov
ernmens vas necessary - she rapidly
tncreauna population of Kansas, and
soon tue vieofsus young Territory
knocked for admission into the Union.
The slavery qaestion again doomed into
public viev. Faithful 10 the principles
they hsd advocated on the ed mission of
California IN lsSo. the nev triumvirats
stood boldly for freedom and beheld
With indignant eye the effort 10 plant
slavery 10 free territory.
bleeding kansas led 10 BLEEDING
summer, and nov the conflict bstv,en
slavery and Freedom vas more seresly
vNeed than ever before. Kansas, pass
ing through her unhappy period Of Dor.
der v<rfsre. came int the Union as A
fresState. The star Of Ianerty led her