Year: 1861




We have had imperfect abstract of the
propositions submitted by Senator CRITTENDEN to
the Senate. As there is much interest felt in this
compromise we print it complete as it appears in
the Globe:


A joint resolution Is No SOY proposing certain
amendments to the Constitution of the United


States.


WHEREAS, Serious end alarming dissensions
have arisen between the Northern and Southern
States, concerning the rights and security of the
rights of saveholding States, and especially their
rights in the common territory of the United
States; and whereas il is enlinenty desirable and
proper that these dissensions, which now threaten
the very existence of this Union, should be per-
manently quieted and settled by constitutional
provisions which shall do equal justice to all sec
tons, and thereby restore to the people that pence
and good will which ought to prevail between all
the citizens of the United States: therefore


ReSolred By the Senate and House Of Represen-
tatires of the United States of america in Congress
assembled thirds of both houses concurring.)
That the following articles be, and are hereby
proposed and submitted as amendments to the
Constitution of the United States, which shall be
valid to all intents and purposes, part OF said
Constitution, when ratified by conventions of
three fourths of the several States:


ART. l. In all the territory of the United States
now held, or hereafter acquired, situate north of





servitude except as a punishment for crime, is
prohibited while such territory shall remain under
territorial government. In all the territory south
of said line of latitude, slavery of the African
race is hereby recognized as existing, anil shall
not be interfered with by Congress, but shall be
protected property by all the departments OF the
territorial government during its continuance.
And when any territory, north south of said
line, within such boundaries as Congress may pre-
scribe, shall contain the population requisite for
member of Congress according to the then federal
ratio of representation of the people of the United
States, it shall, if its form of government be re-
publican, be admitted into the Union, equal
footing with the original States, with or without
slavery, as the constitution of such new State
may provide.


ART. 2. Congress shall have power to abol-
ish slavery in places under its exclusive jurisdic-
ton, and situate within the limits of States that
permit the holding of slaves


ART. 3. Congress shall have no power to abol-
ish slavery within the District of Columbia, so
long it exists in the adjoining States of Vir-
gina and Maryland, or either, nor without the
consent of the inhabitants, nor without just COM
pensation first made to such owners of slaves
do not consent to such aboshment. Nor shall
Congress at any time prohibit officers of the Fed
eral Government, or members of Congress, whose
duties require them to be in said District, from
bringing with them their slaves, and holding them





them to remain there. and afterwards taking them
from the District


ART T. Congress shall have no power to pro-
hibit or hinder the transportation of slaves from
State to another, or to Territory, in which
slaves are permitted to be held, whether that
transportation be by land navigable rivers, or by
sea.


ART 5. That in addition to the provisions of
the third paragraph of the second section of the
fourth article of the Constitution of the United
States, Congress shall have power to provide by
law, and it shall be its duty so to provide, that
the United States shall pay to the owner who
shall apply for it. the full value of his fugitive
slave in all cases when the Marshal or other Off
Ger whose duty it was to arrest said fugitive was
prevented from doing by violence, or when
after arrest, said fugitive was rescued by force,
and the owner thereby prevented and obstructed
in the pursuit of his remedy for the recovery of
his fugitive slave under the said clause of the
Constitution and the laws made in pursuance
thereof And in all such cases, when the United
States shall pay for such fugitive, they shall have
the right, in their own name, to sue the county
in which said violence, intimidation, rescue was
committed j, and to recover from it. with interest
and damages, the amount paid by them for said
fugitive slave And the said county, after it has
paid said amount to the United States, may, for
its indemnity, and recover from the wrong
dOers or rescuers, by whom the owner was pre-





like manner the owner himself might have
sued and recovered.


ART. g. No future amendment to the Constitu-
ton shall affect the five predicting articles; the
third paragraph of the second section of the first
article of the Constitution; and no amendment
shall be made to the Constitution which shall
thoriZe give to- Congress any power to abolish
or interfere with slavery in any of the States by
whose law it is or may be, allowed permitted.


And whereas, also, beside those causes of dis
sensiOn embraced in the foregoing amendments
proposed to the Constitution of the United States
there others which come within the jurisdic-
ton of Congress, and may be remedied by its leg
islst.>~o- -po-vr aud whereas ~ 10 trO vir,irv of
Congress, as far as its power will extend, to
move all just cause for the popular discomfort
and agitation which now disturb the peace of the
country and threaten the stability of its institu-
tions: Therefore,


l. Resolued by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatires of the United States of america in Con-
qress assembled That the laws now in force for
the recovery of fugitives in strict pursuance
of the plain and mandatory provisions of the Con-
stitution, and have been sanctioned as valid and
constitutional by the judgment of the Supreme
Court of the United States: that the slavehoding
States are entitled to the faithful observance and
execution of those laws, and that they ought not
to be repealed, or so modified or changed as to
impair their efficiency and that laws ought to be



rescue of the slave, or other illegal means, to
hinder or defeat the due execution OF said laws


2. That all State laws which conflict with the
fugitive slave acts of Congress, any other con-
ftitutonal acts of Congress, or which in their
operation impede, hinder or delay the free course
and due execution of any of said acts are null
and void by the plain provisions of the Constitu-
ton of the United States; vet those State laws,
void they are, have given color to practices, and
led to consequences, which have obstucted the due
administration and execution of acts of Congress,
and especially the acts for the delivery of fugitive
slaves, and have thereby contributed much to the
discord and commOtion now prevailing. Congress,
therefore in the present perous uncture, does not
deem it improper respectfully and earnestly to
recommend the repeal of those laws to the several
States which have enacted them, or such legisla-
tive corrections and explanations of them may
prevent their being used or perverted to such mis-
chevous purposes.


g. That the act of the 18th of September, 1850,
commonly called the fugitive slave law, ought to
be so so amended as to make the fee of the COM
missioner, mentioned in the eighth section of the
act, equal in amount, in the cases decided by him,
whether his decision be in favor of or against the
claimant. And to avoid miscOnstruction the last
clause of the fifth section of said act which author
izes the person holding the for the arrest
or detention of fugitive slave, to summon to his
aid the posse cOmdtus, and which declares it to be
the duty of all good citizens to assist him in its
execution, ought to be amended so to expressly
limit the authority and duty to cases in which
there shall be resistance or danger of resistance or
rescue


A. That the laws for the suppression of the Afri-
can slave trade, and especially those prohibiting
the importation of slaves in the United States
ought to be made effectual and ought to be
thoroughly executed, and all further enactments
necessary to those ends ought to be promptly
made


The Sentiment of Missouri.


A good many members of the Legislature from
various parts of the State, have been in the city
within day or two. So far as we have been able
to see Them we gratifed to hear that they are
entirely Conservative in all their views in regard 10