THE PEACE CONFERENCE

The Peace Conference of the States, called by Virginia, met on February 4. Thirteen free States (the New England and Middle Atlantic States, and Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa) and seven slave States (the border States and Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee) were represented. Ex-President John Tyler was made president. A committee was formed of a representative from each State in the conference (James Guthrie, of Kentucky, being chairman) to report a plan of conciliation. On the 15th it presented a majority and two minority reports. The majority report was in seven sections. As subsequently amended these sections

were:

1. Establishment of the Missouri Compromise.

2. New territory to be acquired only with the consent of a majority of the Southern Senators and of a majority of the Northern Senators.

3. Congress to have no power to abolish slavery in the States, nor in the District of Columbia, save with consent of Maryland and with compensation to slaveowners, but the slave market in the District shall be abolished.

4. Enforcement of Fugitive Slave Law.

Slave trade forever prohibited.

6. The parts of the Constitution guaranteeing equality of the States not to be amended nor abolished save with the concurrence of all the States.

7. The Government to indemnify owners of slaves lost through resistance to the Fugitive Slave Law.

Gov. Roger S. Baldwin [Conn.] presented a minority report as a substitute for the majority report, recommending a general constitutional convention of the States.

James A. Seddon [Va.] presented a minority report, supplementary to the majority report, declaring that all territory south of 36 degrees 30 minutes north latitude would be open to slavery without submitting the questions to the inhabitants, and that slaveholders should have the right to take their property through free States and be protected at sea in similar transit.

The minority reports were negatived in the convention, as well as a number of independent propositions made from the floor.

Section one of the majority report was adopted by 9 votes to 8, each State having one vote; section two by 11 to 8; section three, by 12 to 7; section four by 15 to 4; section five, by 16 to 5; section six, by 11 to 9; section seven, by 12 to 7.

President Tyler gave the plan of conciliation to Vice-President Breckenridge, who laid it before the Senate, which referred it to a select committee of five (John J. Crittenden, of Kentucky, chairman). Senator Crittenden reported it on February 28, where, after considerable debate in which arguments already familiar were repeated, it was rejected by a vote of 24 to 12. The plan was also presented to the House and there shelved in favor of the Corwin plan.

HOUSE DEBATE OF THE CONCILIATION BILL

In the House of Representatives Alexander R. Boteler [Va.] had moved to refer that part of the President's message which related "to the present perilous condition of the country" to a select committee composed of a representation from each State. The motion was adopted, and the Speaker, William Pennington [N. J.], who was strongly inclined toward conciliation, appointed on the committee sixteen Republicans and seventeen Democrats (two being from Oregon and California)-both Republicans and Democrats, so far as it was possible to choose them, being men of moderate views. Thomas Corwin [O.], probably the least radical Republican in the House, and, because of his former Senatorial service, its most distinguished member, was made chairman, Mr. Boteler having declined to serve on the committee.

Many plans of conciliation were presented to the House, which were referred to the committee.

John Sherman, of Ohio, suggested a faithful observance on all hands of the requirements and compromises of the Constitution, with an immediate division of the

Territories into embryo States with a view to their prompt admission into the Union. John Cochrane, of New York, revived the old scheme of dividing the Territories between free and slave labor on the line of 36 degrees 30 minutes. William H. English, of Indiana, proposed substantially the same thing. John W. Noell, of Missouri, proposed an abolition of the office of PresiIdent of the United States and a division of the Union into three districts, each to elect one member of an "Executive Council," to which the functions of President should be intrusted. He suggested, moreover, a "restoration of the equilibrium between the free and slave States" by a division of several of the latter into two or more States each. Thomas C. Hindman, of Arkansas, proposed so to amend the Constitution as to protect slave property in the Territories, etc., and that any State which should pass an act impairing or defeating the operation of the Fugutive Slave Law should thereupon be deprived of her right of representation in Congress. Charles H. Larrabee, of Wisconsin, proposed a convention of the States.

That committee, on December 13, united in a resolve, moved by Justin S. Morrill, of Vermont, as a substitute for one moved by William McKee Dunn, of Indiana, affirming the necessity of proffering to the slave States "additional and more special guaranties of their peculiar rights and interests." Mr. Morrill's affirmation was as follows:

"Resolved, That, in the opinion of the committee, the existing discontents among the Southern people, and the growing hostility among them to the Federal Government, are greatly to be regretted; and that any reasonable, proper, and constitutional remedies, necessary to preserve the peace of the country and the perpetuation of the Union, should be promptly and cheerfully granted."

Twenty-two votes were cast for this proposition, including those of all the members from slave States who voted. Reuben Davis [Miss.] was present but did not vote. The nays (eight) were all Republicans.

On motion of Garnett B. Adrian (Douglas Democrat), of New Jersey, the House, on December 17, by 151 yeas to 14 nays:

"Resolved, That we deprecate the spirit of disobedience to the Constitution, wherever manifested; and that we earnestly recommend the repeal of all statutes by the State legislatures in conflict with, and in violation of, that sacred instrument, and the laws of Congress passed in pursuance thereof."

Owen Lovejoy (radical Republican), of Illinois, hereupon proposed this counterpart of the foregoing:

"Whereas, The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land, and ready and faithful obedience to it a duty of all good and law-abiding citizens: Therefore,

"Resolved, That we deprecate the spirit of disobedience to that Constitution wherever manifested, and that we earnestly recommend the repeal of all statutes, including nullification laws so called, enacted by State legislatures, conflicting with, and in violation of, that sacred instrument and the laws of Congress made in pursuance thereof; and it is the duty of the President of the United States to protect and defend the property of the United States.

The yeas were 124; the nays, none-most of the Southern men refusing to vote.

Isaac N. Morris (Democrat), of Illinois, next moved:

That we have seen nothing in the past, nor do we see anything in the present, either in the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency of the United States, or from any other existing cause, to justify its dissolution.

On this yeas were 115; nays 44, two votes in the negative being cast by Northern Democrats, Daniel E. Sickels [N. Y.] and Thomas B. Florence [Pa.].

On the same day (December 17) Albert Rust [Ark.] submitted to the committee a plan of conciliation substantially the same as one presented in the Senate by John J. Crittenden [Ky.], and it was voted down some days later by 12 yeas and 15 nays, no Republican voting in the affirmative. On the 18th Henry Winter Davis [Md.] offered a resolution that the State legislatures re

vise their laws concerning the Fugitive Slave Act so that no obstacles would prevent its enforcement. This was unanimously adopted.

On December 21, South Carolina having seceded, the representatives of that State resigned their seats.

William A. Howard [Mich.] offered a resolution referring the message of the President to a special committee of five, to report on the exact situation of the Federal property in Charleston; what demands, if any, had been made for its surrender; what pledges, if any, had been given to the secessionists not to send reinforcements to Fort Sumter; what efforts, if any, had been made to recover Federal property which had been seized by the secessionists, etc. The resolution was adopted by 133 yeas to 62 nays.

On January 14, 1861, the Committee of Thirty-three presented three reports, that of the majority, embracing Mr. Davis's resolution, recognizing slavery in the States and the right of these that it should not be interfered with; proposing the admission of New Mexico into the Union, with slavery if its people so voted; maintaining the duty of the Federal Government to enforce the Federal laws, protect the Federal property, and preserve the Union," and to protect citizens of one State when traveling in another in all these civil rights, and requesting the States to enact laws preventing and punishing attempts within their borders lawlessly to invade other States.

One of the two minority reports, presented by two radical Republicans, Cadwalader C. Washburn [Wis.] and Mason W. Tappan [N. H.], declared that, in view of the rebellion now in progress, no concessions should be made. The other minority resolution, presented by John C. Burch [Cal.] and Lansing Stout [Ore.], propose a convention of the States to amend the Constitution.

The Crittenden (Senate) plan was moved in the House as a substitute for the majority report and rejected by 80 yeas to 113 nays, and the majority report was adopted by 136 yeas to 53 nays, the ratio of Republicans to Democrats being about the same in the yeas as in the nays. Mr. Corwin further reported a joint reso