y. Nevertheless, I shall vote against the amendment
of the gentleman from North Carolina.

I belong to that class of politicians which believes that the people
of every section of the Union have a right to go into all the
Territories of the Union, and take with them their property and hold
it in safety. But we ought not, in our proposals of amendment to the
Constitution, to insist upon what will be repulsive to any section of
the Union. I think the amendment is unnecessary--that the right we
claim is sufficiently protected without it. As it stands, neither
Congress nor the Territorial Government has the right to impair the
_status_ of the slave. What farther protection do we need? What other
can we have? Why should we insist upon the adoption of a new style of
language? We ought not to be unreasonable; we ought to content
ourselves with the proposition as it stands, and not put expressions
into it which will make the whole repulsive to a large section of the
country, and which, in all probability, will defeat the whole
amendment when it comes before the country. I am not even sure that we
could get it there. I doubt whether it would pass Congress.

This is a very serious and important question. We wish to stay the
hands of extremists on both sides. We wish to stand by the Union. If
war comes, our soil is to be the battle ground. I wish to avoid war. I
will insist upon this, and I will consent to no extreme opinions.

Mr. VANDEVER:--I do not see why Mr. GUTHRIE cannot accept the proposed
amendment. He and the gentleman from North Carolina are both aiming at
the same thing. The amendment is certainly the clearest. Do you
suppose the people are not going to understand the subject thoroughly?
Do you suppose that they will be deceived by any such transparent
disguise of words? You do not pay them a very high compliment by such
a supposition.

I must vote against the amendment, because I am opposed to the
_principle_ of protecting slavery in the Territories. Such is the
sentiment of the North. If it was not, I should vote for the
amendment.

Mr. MOREHEAD, of Kentucky:--As I intend to vote against the amendment,
it is due to the Convention that I should state the reasons for my
vote. I am in favor of a clear recognition of all the rights of the
South, especially of our rights in the Territories. I voted for the
CRITTENDEN amendment in the committee. I thought the North ought, in
justice to us, to adopt that amendment. We