The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12

1908, was MADE, Mr.. Dixon was not IN the CITY
OF Washington. He had had. in September ol
the previous year. an almost fatal attack Of
cholera. and a severe attack Of pleurisy had
supervened, It was not until December. 1853,
that he was sufficiently improved in health to
return to the Federal capital. 1t was during
the ensuing session that he proposed the re-
peal OF the Missouri Compromise. The fail
ure In the previous session OF the bill TO
organize Nebraska had not lcssened tho inter-
est felt In it's passage. for or against, and on the
first day OF the session Mr.. Dodge OF Iowa, a
Democrat, gave notice OF his purpose TO intro
duoe n bill TO organize n territorial govern
ment for tho Territory Ct Nebraska. and on
Dec. Ii 1t was read and referred to the Com
mittee on Territories. OF which stephen A.
Douglas was the Chairman. On Jan. 4 Mr..
Douglas reported the bill back with amend
ments. and accompanied by a special report.
An examination OF this report. the important
passages OF which are quoted IN this
book, will show that the policy proposed
was identical with that advocated In 1850. that
Is to say, strict non-intcrvention. Judge
Douglass bill was. evidently, intended to be In
full accord with the legislation of 1850. whereof
he was the real author. and wherein Mr.. Dixon
had sustained Mr.. Clay at the cost Of defeat to
himself. But, while verbally the same. and.
no doubt. Intended honestly to carry out the
W tllNlDus III III VI
Judge Douglass bill to annul the pre-
vious act OF Intervention 10y Congress-. to
wit. The Missouri Compromise. stamped
II. In MIR. Dixon's opinion. as inefficient
and inadequate to carry into practical
operation the principles Of the compromise
measures OF 1850" so far as their application
to the Territory In question was concerned.
With n directness OF purpose which. in our
authors Judgment, was entirely Incompatible
with the "intrigues'' or plots imputed to
him, Mr.. Dixon determined to remedy the de-
fciencies of the bill. and to'secure the absolute
repeal Of the restriction imposed by the Mis-
souri, Compromise so az to leave the Ter
ritories open to the South equally with
the North. and then to let climate. soil and
spontaneous immigration shape the character
or the settlers therein who, in due time. should
decide for themselves the question Of slavery
or no slavery. Mr.. Dixon believed that the act
OF 1870 was an unconstitutional act; he knew
that MIR. Clay was not the author of il: that 1t
was proposed by a Northern man. and was as
sented to by the South solely from n fear Of the
disruption OF the Union to which she was then
most devotedly attached. He knew it was not
a compact in any sense Of the word. and not
regarded as such when made. for it was
repudiated by the Northern majority in
less than a year after it was passed,
but that 1t was only an act OF Congress
which any future Congress could repeal
at Its will. He knew that it had been rejected
as a settlement of the California question again
and again. and that the principle of non inter-
Vention had been adopted in its stead. He be-
lieved from the election of Franklin Pierce by
an overwhelming majority on the platform Of
non-intervention that the Northern people
were now ready to do that justice to the South
which Mr.. Clay had claimed for her in 1850.
hnt dnOIn ra1 Gould NOT ha tLAr 1lto;Nal IT.
believed also in the patriotism and sense OF
justice OF the North. and that the in
telligence and patriotism of the many !
would control the folly and tanatlcism
OF the few. He felt that to allow such q pre-
tence OF non intervention as was embodied in
the bill originally reported by Judge Douglas
to take the place Of the reality for which he had
In his own State In 1851, would be |
to stultify himself; that it would be to accept
the shadow for the substance. and TO sacrifice
the rights OF an entire section. as well as the
principle he had contended for so strongly, and
to the support of which he had pledged himself,
We are told that Mr.. Dixon detected the
OF the proposal that the new
States KANSAS and Nebraskal might com in
with or without slavery. as their Constitu-
ions might prescribe at the time of their ad-
when not a stakeholder could enter
he Territory with his property until after the
OF the State had been made per-
hitting slavery. What possible chance would
here be for the insertion of such a provision
n a state Constitution made exclusively
~ people who owned no slaves. Mr.. Dixon
Jaw that only by the removal OF the ~restric-
ion OF 1920 could the South be restored to her
'Gual rights in the Territories Of the United
states. and non-intervention be made to mean
more than a mere phrase. We are
that in 1854 there was no place of
'Sodus for the negroes Of the United States.
The free States had all. or with rare excep-
ions, passed laws prohibiting slaves from
their borders. The territOries no.
Iuired from Mexico were closed to them nv
orce oil the law of nature. and that part
Il the Louisiana Territory. from which
laVes had been excluded by act of Congress
n lS2o, was the only tract to which they could
c possibly removed. The repeal of that act.
n the other hand. would open a wide re-
ion to the South equally with the North. so
ar as Intervention by Congress was concerned
nd. in Mr.. DiXon's opinion. such a repeal was
by the necessity for self preserya-
ION on the part OF the Southern people. as well
s by the principle Of equality of the States.
The author of this book tells us that, on the
before Senator Dixon gave notice of
is amendment to the Nebraska BILL, he re-
uested her to get pen and paper. as he wished
er 10 90 some writing Tor him. Walking IN
nd down the room with his hands behind him.
favorite attitude. he dictated to me his mo- ,
on for the repeal of so much Of the act Of
$50 as prohibited slavery north of the line OF
u 30. knowing. at that time, nothing what
yer OF the question. / had great din i,
llty In following his rapid dictation. and
I'D to write and rewrite the motion
number or times. At last. however. ,
in getting 1t written so that it was :
to him. He copied the draft which
On the following morning, Senator =
ixon showed the paper to Gov. Jones OF Ten :
essee. also a Wing Senator and his warm per- ,
'nal friend. In the course OF the same day. ,
an. lo. 1884. he gave notice In the Senate that =
hon the bill TO establish a Territorial gov :
in the Territory Of Nebraska should ;
up for consideration he should offer an ;
repeating so much OF the act OF ,
$40 as prohibited slavery north OF the .
ne OF 36' 30. so that the citizens Of the several =
.ates could be at liberty to take and hold =
leir slaves within any ofthe Territories OF the :
nitod States rs II the said act of 1890 had q
ever been passed. We learn from Mrs. Dixon 7