218 



CONGRESS, U. S. 



4. That the laws for the suppression of the African 

 slave trade, and especially those prohibiting the im- 

 portation of slaves into 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. 



This proposition was rejected. Ayes, 80; 

 noes, 113. 



The first series of resolutions reported by 

 the Committee of Thirty -three were next put 

 to vote. They were as follows : 



Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 

 of the United, States of America in, Congrats assembled, 

 That all attempts on the parts of the Legislatures of 

 any of the States to obstruct or hinder the recovery 

 and surrender of fugitives from service or labor, are 

 in derogation of the Constitution of the United States, 

 inconsistent with the comity and good neighborhood 

 that should prevail among the several States, and dan- 

 gerous to the peace of the Union. 



Resolved, That the several States be respectfully re- 

 quested to cause their statutes to be revised, with a 

 view to ascertain if any of them are in conflict with 

 or tend to embarrass or hinder the execution of the 

 laws of the United States, made in pursuance of the 

 second section of the fourth article of the Constitution 

 of the United States for the delivering up of persons 

 held to labor by the laws of any State and escaping 

 therefrom ; and the Senate and House of Represent- 

 atives earnestly request that all enactments having 

 such tendency be forthwith repealed, as required by a 

 just sense of constitutional obligations, and by a due 

 regard for the peace of the Republic ; and the Presi- 

 dent of the United States is requested to communicate 

 these resolutions to the Governors of the several States, 

 with a request that they will lay the same before the 

 Legislatures thereof respectively. 



Resolved, That we recognize slavery as now existing 

 in fifteen of the United States by the usages and laws 

 of those States ; and we recognize no authority, legally 

 or otherwise, outside of a State where it so exists, 

 to interfere with slaves or slavery in such States, in 

 disregard of the rights of their owners or the peace 

 of society. 



Resolved, That we recognize the justice and pro- 

 priety of a faithful execution of the Constitution, and 

 laws made in pursuance thereof, on the subject of fugi- 

 tive slaves, or fugitives from service or labor, and dis- 

 countenance all mobs or hindrances to the execution 

 of such laws, and that citizens of each State shall be 

 entitled to all the privileges and immunities of citizens 

 in the several States. 



Resolved, That we recognize no such conflicting ele- 

 ments in its composition, or sufficient cause from any 

 source, for a dissolution of this Government; that we 

 were not sent here to destroy, but to sustain and har- 

 monize the institutions of the country, and to see that 

 equal justice is done to all parts of the same ; and 

 finally, to perpetuate its existence on terms of equality 

 and justice to all the States. 



Resolved, That a faithful observance, on the part of 

 all the States, of all their constitutional obligations to 

 each other and to the Federal Government, is essential 

 to the peace of the country. 



Resolved, That it is the duty of the Federal Govern- 

 ment to enforce the Federal laws, protect the Federal 

 property, and preserve the Union of these States. 



Resolved, That each State be requested to revise its 

 statutes, and, if necessary, so to amend the same as to 

 secure, without legislation by Congress, to citizens of 

 other States travelling therein, the same protection as 

 citizens of such State enjoy ; and also to protect the 

 citizens of other States travelling or sojourning therein 

 against popular violence or illegal summary punish- 

 ment, without trial in due form of law, for imputed 

 crimes. 



Resolved, That each State be also respectfully re- 

 quested to enact such laws as will prevent and punish 



any attempt whatever in such State to recognize or set 

 on foot the lawless invasion of any other State or ter- 

 ritory. 



Resolved, That the President be requested to trans- 

 mit copies of the foregoing resolutions to the Gov- 

 ernors of the several States, with a request that they 

 be communicated to their respective Legislatures. 



These resolutions were passed. Ayes, 136 ; 

 noes, 53. 



The next proposition was the report of the 

 committee for an amendment of the Consti- 

 tution, as follows : 



Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Repre- 

 sentatives of the United, States of America in Congress 

 assembled, (two-thirds of both Houses concurring,) 

 That the following article be proposed to the Legis- 

 latures of the several States as an amendment to the 

 Constitution of the United States, which, when ratified 

 by three-fourths of said Legislatures, shall be valid, to 

 all intents and purposes, as a part of the said Consti- 

 tution, namely : 



ART. 12. No amendment shall be made to the Con- 

 stitution which will authorize or give to Congress the 

 power to abolish or interfere, within any State, with 

 the domestic institutions thereof, including that of per- 

 sons held to labor or service by the laws of said State. 



This proposition failed to receive a two-thirds 

 vote, and was therefore rejected. Ayes, 123 ; 

 noes, 71. 



The vote was subsequently reconsidered, and 

 the resolution was then passed by the consti- 

 tutional majority. Ayes, 133 ; noes, 65. 



The bill granting to fugitives from labor a 

 trial by jury in certain cases, was then passed. 



The next proposition of the committee rela- 

 tive to fugitives from justice was rejected. 



In the Senate a bill was introduced which 

 provided that whenever, in the opinion of the 

 Postmaster-General, the postal service cannot 

 be safely continued, or the post-office revenues 

 collected, or the postal laws maintained, or the 

 contents of the mails preserved inviolate till 

 delivered to the proper address, or any post 

 route, by reason of any insurrection or resist- 

 ance to the laws of the United States, he may 

 discontinue the postal service on such route, or 

 any part thereof, and any post-offices thereon, 

 till the same can be safely restored, and he 

 shall report his action to Congress. 



Mr. Douglas, of Illinois, said : " It strikes me 

 it is rather a peace measure than otherwise." 



Mr. Wade, of Ohio, said : " I hope that this 

 simple bill, that has been said to be a peaceful 

 measure, which contemplates nothing but peace, 

 will be suffered to pass without involving any 

 of the controverted subjects that undoubtedly 

 will come up better on some other occasion. I 

 am anxious to get it through without any un- 

 necessary delay. "We have no time to debate." 



Mr. Green, of Missouri, replied : " I am not 

 certain but that the substitute proposed by the 

 Senator from Texas will accomplish all that I 

 desire. It is useless for us to try to deceive 

 each other, and blink a question which under- 

 lies the whole proceeding. There is no insur- 

 rection in this Union ; there is no obstruction 

 to the passage of the mails within this Union ; 



