It gives us sincere pleasure to observe that, on Monday,
Senator Douglas of Illinois introduced an amendment to
the Nebraska bill, intended to remove all room of doubt as
to the true meaning and operation of the compromise of
1850. It declares, says the Union, that "by the
principles
of that Compromise, the Missouri Compromise was superseded,
and, therefore, that the re-enactment of those principles
in the Nebraska bill renders the Missouri Compromise
act inoperative. It is designed, therefore, to carry out in
good faith the principles of the Compromise of 1850; and
as such it cannot fail to command the support of all
Democrats who are standing faithfully and sincerely upon the
compromise of 1850 as a final and permanent settlement of
the slavery question. We cannot but regard the policy of
the administration as directly involved in this question. --
That policy looks to fidelity to the Compromise of 1850 as
an essential requisite to Democratic orthodoxy. The
proposition of Mr. Douglas is a practical execution of the
principles of that Compromise, and therefore cannot but be
regarded by the administration as a test of democratic
orthodoxy.
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