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“It has repudiated the decision of the Supreme Court.

“It has assailed our rights, guaranteed by the plainest provisions of the Constitution, from the floor of each House of Congress, the pulpit, the hustings, the schoolroom, their State Legislatures, and through the public press, dividing churches, and disrupting political parties and civil government.”

The party that had committed the offences enumerated was in possession of the House of Representatives, and had elected one of its leaders to the presidency, and in the progress of events the Supreme Court and Senate must also pass into its hands. With such a party in power, Governor Harris contended that the Union could be preserved only on the condition that certain amendments to the Constitution should be adopted, which would put slavery beyond its attacks.

The amendments he suggested were:

1. Establish a line upon the northern boundary of the present slave States, extend it through the territories to the Pacific Ocean, upon such parallel of latitude as will divide them equitably between North and South, expressly providing that all territory now owned, or that may be hereafter acquired, north of said line shall be forever free, and south of it forever slave.