Compromise of 1850
-A series of five bills that were intended to stave off sectional strife, its goal was to deal with the spread of slavery to territories to balance North-South interests
-Did not truly solve anything, even ignited conflict by creating controversial laws (Fugitive Slave Act), but did promote an important idea, popular sovereignty
-Summary of the Five Bills:
QUOTES
“It being desirable, for the peace, concord, and harmony of the Union of these States, to settle and adjust amicably all existing questions of controversy between them arising out of the institution of slavery upon a fair, equitable and just basis.” (HENRY CLAY'S RESOLUTIONS, PREAMBLE)
“Secession! Peaceable secession! Sir, your eyes and mine are never destined to see the miracle. The dismemberment of this vast country without convulsion! The breaking up of the fountains of the great deep without ruffling the surface! Who is so foolish—I beg everybody's pardon—as to expect to see any such thing?” (DANIEL WEBSTER, IN SENATE SPEECH OF MARCH 7, 1850; TEFFT, P. 530)
“The Constitution regulates our stewardship; the Constitution devotes the domain to union, to justice, to defense, to welfare, and to liberty. But there is a higher law than the Constitution, which regulates our authority over the domain, and devotes it to the same noble purposes.”(WILLIAM H. SEWARD, IN SENATE SPEECH OF MARCH 11, 1850; SEWARD, P. 126)
“Let us go to the fountains of unadulterated patriotism, and, performing a solemn lustration, return divested of all selfish, sinister, and sordid impurities, and think alone of our God, our country, our conscience, and our glorious Union. ”(HENRY CLAY, IN SENATE SPEECH OF JULY 22, 1850; SCHURZ, P. 356)
“In no trial or hearing under this act shall the testimony of such alleged fugitive be admitted as evidence.” (FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT OF 1850, SECTION 6)
-Did not truly solve anything, even ignited conflict by creating controversial laws (Fugitive Slave Act), but did promote an important idea, popular sovereignty
-Summary of the Five Bills:
- California was entered as a free state.
- New Mexico and Utah were each allowed to use popular sovereignty to decide the issue of slavery. In other words, the people would pick whether the states would be free or slave.
- The Republic of Texas gave up lands that it claimed in present day New Mexico and received $10 million to pay its debt to Mexico.
- The slave trade was abolished in the District of Columbia.
- The Fugitive Slave Act made any federal official who did not arrest a runaway slave liable to pay a fine. This was the most controversial part of the Compromise of 1850 and caused many abolitionists to increase their efforts against slavery.
QUOTES
“It being desirable, for the peace, concord, and harmony of the Union of these States, to settle and adjust amicably all existing questions of controversy between them arising out of the institution of slavery upon a fair, equitable and just basis.” (HENRY CLAY'S RESOLUTIONS, PREAMBLE)
“Secession! Peaceable secession! Sir, your eyes and mine are never destined to see the miracle. The dismemberment of this vast country without convulsion! The breaking up of the fountains of the great deep without ruffling the surface! Who is so foolish—I beg everybody's pardon—as to expect to see any such thing?” (DANIEL WEBSTER, IN SENATE SPEECH OF MARCH 7, 1850; TEFFT, P. 530)
“The Constitution regulates our stewardship; the Constitution devotes the domain to union, to justice, to defense, to welfare, and to liberty. But there is a higher law than the Constitution, which regulates our authority over the domain, and devotes it to the same noble purposes.”(WILLIAM H. SEWARD, IN SENATE SPEECH OF MARCH 11, 1850; SEWARD, P. 126)
“Let us go to the fountains of unadulterated patriotism, and, performing a solemn lustration, return divested of all selfish, sinister, and sordid impurities, and think alone of our God, our country, our conscience, and our glorious Union. ”(HENRY CLAY, IN SENATE SPEECH OF JULY 22, 1850; SCHURZ, P. 356)
“In no trial or hearing under this act shall the testimony of such alleged fugitive be admitted as evidence.” (FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT OF 1850, SECTION 6)