LESTER BURRELL SHIPPEE

282 slaves to

Oregon rested upon

was nothing Badger (North Carolina) another way by submitting as a

in the Constitution to prohibit

tried to get at the

problem in 1

substitute for Foote's

the fact that there it.

amendment the provision

of the Ordi-

nance of 1787 omitting the slavery clause.

Here the discussion rested until the twenty-third of June when previous orders were again postponed to let the bill come 29 At that time Badger withdrew his amendment, and up. Berrien, who had previously renewed the amendment to strike out section 12, said that his proposition put the whole issue squarely before the Senate, the best way to come at the whole Nevertheless, Jefferson Davis presented an amendment, which he proposed should come at the end of the bill, question.

reading

"Provided, That nothing contained in this act shall be so construed as to authorize the prohibition of domestic slavery in said Territory whilst it remains in the condition of a territory of the United States."

The whole measure appeared

to be in danger of meeting

predecessor of the year before. In desperation the friends of the bill brought up the question with the Presithe fate of

dent

who

its

advised them to bring forward and press the adoption 30 Compromise line to the Pacific. Hannegan,

of the Missouri

whom

Polk

made

the suggestion, agreed that it was the of only practicable way settling the difficulty; Breese (Illinois), and the members of the Cabinet, concurred in Bright, Foote, to

first

Even Bradbury, a Maine Democrat, while he the opinion. did not exhibit any enthusiasm over the proposition, admitted that it seemed the only way out especially in view of the

New York, who had bolted the Democratic platform as framed at Baltimore. Accordingly at the President's table Foote wrote out, at Polk's dictation, the amendment which Bright copied and proposed on the twentyaction of the Barnburners of

seventh of June. 31 29 Ibid., 871; Appen., 861 seq. 30 Polk, Diary, III, 501-4. 31 Ibid., 505.