Year: 1861

Mr.. Crittenden's proposition to extend the Mis-
souri, Compromise line to the Pacific, though
rejected in the Congressional committee of the
Senate, finds a great deal of favor with the
public The people of the country sick of
the negro slavery discussion in Congress and in
the partisan newspapers. They would gladly get
rid of the whole subject at almost any compro-
mise which would forever take it out of Congress
and leave it to the natural laws, which eventually
must decide the question of slavery or no slavery
in new Territories Nothing less than the total
withdrawal of this subject from Congress win
ever restore peace to the country, no matter what
present compromise may be made. 1t must be
placed beyond any ones power to revive the
subject in our National Councils, or use it for
partisan purposes in Presidential campaigns
The peace and prosperity of more than thirty
millions of people are now in jeopardy on
account of an abstraction which, when it comes
to be practical reality, will be decided by the
people themselves according to the existing wants
of the times and the requirements of the country.
At present, these Territories are barren wastes,
and it will be many years before they will
become occupied. If civil war takes place
among us, the day will be still more remote
With peace and continued prosperity, they will
be settled according to the natural laws which
regulate the emigration and the industry of the
country, and, settled in this way, they will be
disposed of to the best advantage of the country


Mr.. Crttenden's proposition to extend the
Missouri COMPROMISE line to the Pacific, or the
other proposition divide all the Territories into
two great States, one orth and one South, would
take the subject out of Congress- especially if the
coming into the Union of any State
made dependent upon the proclamation of the Pres
ident merely, on proof of possessing the required
population, and not upon any action of Congress
The people are looking anxiously for some peace
full remedy for the present dangers which threaten
Il, lo1 to tho
Union, as the best safeguard of their political
rights but are not disposed to allow their patriotic
feelings to be used for the purpose of perpetuatng
injustice to any of the States of the Union. Fair
and honorable compromise is what is demanded
by them-nOthing more-nothing less. Those
who obsruct this should consider the responsibility
they incur. The interests of more than thirty
millions of people are not to be trifed with for
any mere partisan sectional purpose. Some
pacific measure like Mr.. Crittenden's would render
powerless any attempt at secession for the sole
purpose of breaking up the Union, which is the
avowed purpose of at least one of the States.


If such measure can not receive the required
majority in Congressional Committee, why should
not majority of both Houses of Congress pass
it at once into a law for the present and send it
to the people of the various States to be ratified
or rejected by them constitutional amendment,
on some specified day fixed by Congress? This
would unite all the friends of the Union over the
whole country, into one great cooperating party
and having so noble an object in view to animate
their work, as the perpetuation of the Union and
the permanence of our present political nstitu-
tions, we believe it would be irresistible. The
extreme Republicans would have to yield or else
lose their hold upon power. There is other
principle upon which they could be half
cesfully combatted as this. The people are now
aware of the mischiefs of the slavery agitation,
and would settle il by their votes if it is ever to
be settled by public opinion and fair compromise.
The South would be protected in its equality
while the measure existed law of Congre =,
and if it should fail with the people. it would give
the Southern States so much more time u con
cert proper measures of resistance, inSeld of
sending them in a hurried and nprep,rei state
out of the Union, and for re isOns which will not
justify them before the Phiiadeiplia led
ger, Neutral