hich　provided　for　territorial　Governments　for　Utah　and　New　Mexico　with　the　proviso　that；　when　admitted　as　States；　slavery　should　be　permitted　or　prohibited　as　the　citizens　of　those　States　should　determine　at　the　time。　Congress　refrained　from　any　declaration　as　to　slavery　in　the　Territories。　It　was　this　policy　of　〃non…intervention〃　which　four　years　later　furnished　plausible　excuse　for　the　repeal　of　the　Missouri　Compromise。　It　was　not　strange　that　there　was　general　ignorance　in　all　parts　of　the　country　as　to　the　resources　of　the　newly　acquired　territory。　The　rush　to　the　goldfields　precipitated　action　in　respect　to　California。　Before　General　Taylor；　the　newly　elected　President；　was　inaugurated；　there　was　imminent　need　of　an　efficient　government。　An　early　act　of　the　Administration　was　to　send　an　agent　to　assist　in　the　formation　of　a　state　Government；　and　a　convention　was　immediately　called　to　frame　a　constitution。　By　unanimous　vote　of　the　convention；　slavery　was　excluded。　The　constitution　was　approved　by　popular　vote　and　was　presented　to　Congress　for　final　acceptance　in　December；　1849。　In　the　meantime　a　great　commotion　had　arisen　among　the　people。　Southern　state　legislatures　passed　resolutions　demanding　that　the　rights　of　their　peculiar　institution　should　be　recognized　in　the　new　Territory。　Northern　legislatures　responded　with　resolutions　favoring　the　admission　of　California　as　a　State　and　the　application　of　the　Wilmot　Proviso　to　the　remaining　territory。　Northern　Democrats　had　very　generally　denied　that　the　affair　with　Mexico　had　as　a　chief　purpose　the　extension　of　slavery。　Democrats　therefore　united　with　Whigs　in　maintaining　the　principle　of　free　soil。　In　the　South　there　was　a　corresponding　fusion　of　the　two　parties　in　support　of　the　sectional　issue。　General　concern　prevailed　as　to　the　attitude　of　the　Administration。　Taylor's　election　had　been　effected　by　both　a　Southern　and　a　Northern　split　in　the　Democratic　party。　Northern　Democrats　had　voted　for　the　Free…soil　candidate　because　of　the　alleged　pro…slavery　tendencies　of　their　own　party。　Southern　Democrats　voted　for　Taylor　because　of　their　distrust　of　Lewis　Cass；　their　own　candidate。　Some　of　these　met　in　convention　and　formally　nominated　Taylor；　and　Taylor　accepted　their　nomination　with　thanks。　Northern　anti…slavery　Whigs　had　a　difficult　task　to　keep　their　members　in　line。　There　is　evidence　that　Taylor　held　the　traditional　Southern　view　that　the　anti…slavery　North　was　disposed　to　encroach　upon　the　rights　of　the　South。　Meeting　fewer　Northern　Whig　supporters；　he　became　convinced　that　the　more　active　spirit　of　encroachment　was　in　the　pro…slavery　South。　California　needed　a　state　Government；　and　the　President　took　the　most　direct　method　to　supply　that　need。　As　the　inhabitants　were　unanimous　in　their　desire　to　exclude　slavery；　their　wish　should　be　respected。　New　Mexico　was　in　a　similar　situation。　As　slavery　was　already　excluded　from　the　territory　under　Mexican　law；　and　as　there　was　no　wish　on　the　part　of　the　inhabitants　to　introduce　slavery；　the　President　recognized　existing　facts　and　made　no　change。　When　Southern　leaders　projected　a　scheme　to　enlarge　the　boundaries　of　Texas　so　as　to　extend　slavery　over　a　large　part　of　New　Mexico；　President　Taylor　set　a　guard　of　United　States　troops　to　maintain　the　integrity　of　the　Territory。　When　a　deputation　of　Southern　Whigs　endeavored　to　dissuade　him　from　his　purpose；　threatening　a　dissolution　of　the　Union　and　intimating　that　army　officers　would　refuse　to　act　against　citizens　of　Texas；　the　soldier　President　replied　that　in　such　an　event　he　would　take　command　in　person　and　would　hang　any　one　caught　in　acts　of　treason。　When　Henry　Clay　introduced　an　elaborate　project　for　a　compromise　between　the　North　and　the　South；　the　President　insisted　that　each　question　should　be　settled　on　its　own　merits　and　directed　the　forces　of　the　Administration　against　any　sort　of　compromise。　The　debate　over　Clay's　Omnibus　Bill　was　long　and　acrimonious。　On　July　4；　1850；　the　President　seemed　triumphant。　But　upon　that　day；　notwithstanding　his　apparent　robust　health；　he　was　stricken　down　with　an　acute　disease　and　died　five　days　later。　With　his　passing；　the　opposing　Whig　faction　came　into　power。　The　so…called　compromise　measures　were　at　length　one　by　one　passed　by　Congress　and　approved　by　President　Fillmore。　California　was　admitted　as　a　free　State；　but　as　a　palliative　to　the　South；　Congress　passed　bills　for　the　organization　of　territorial　Governments　for　New　Mexico　and　Utah　without　positive　declarations　regarding　the　powers　of　the　territorial　Legislatures　over　slavery。　All　questions　relating　to　title　to　slaves　were　to　be　left　to　the　courts。　Meantime　it　was　left　in　doubt　whether　Mexican　law　excluding　slavery　was　still　in　force。　Southern　malcontents　maintained　that　this　act　was　a　mere　hoax；　using　words　which　suggested　concession　when　no　concession　was　intended。　Northern　anti…slavery　men　criticized　the　act　as　the　entering　wedge　for　another　great　surrender　to　the　enemy。　Because　of　the　uncertainty　regarding　the　meaning　of　the　law　and　the　false　hopes　likely　to　be　created；　they　maintained　that　it　was　fitted　to　foment　discord　and　prolong　the　period　of　distrust　between　the　two　sections。　At　all　events　such　was　its　actual　effect。　A　third　act　in　this　unhappy　series　gave　to　Texas　ten　millions　of　dollars　for　the　alleged　surrender　of　claims　to　a　part　of　New　Mexico。　This　had　little　bearing　on　the　general　subject　of　compromise；　yet　anti…slavery　men　criticized　it　on　the　ground　that　the　issue　raised　was　insincere；　that　the　appropriation　was　in　fact　a　bribe　to　secure　votes　necessary　to　pass　the　other　measures；　that　the　bill　was　passed　through　Congress　by　shameless　bribery；　and　that　even　the　boundaries　conceded　to　Texas　involved　the　surrender　of　free　territory。　The　abolition　of　the　slave…trade　in　the　District　of　Columbia　was　supported　by　both　sections　of　the　country。　The　removal　of　the　slave　pens　within　sight　of　the　Capitol　to　a　neighboring　city　deprived　the　abolitionists　of　one　of　their　weapons　for　effective　agitation；　but　it　did　not　otherwise　affect　the　position　of　slavery。　Of　the　five　acts　included　in　the　compromise　measures；　the　one　which　provided　for　the　return　of　fugitive　slaves　was　most　effective　in　the　promotion　of　hostility　between　the　two　sections。　During　the　six　months　of　debate　on　the　Omnibus　Bill；　numerous　bills　were　presented　to　take　the　place　of　the　law　of　1793。　Webster　brought　forward　a　bill　which　provided　for　the　use　of　a　jury　to　establish　the　validity　of　a　claim　to　an　escaped　slave。　But　that　which　was　finally　adopted　by　a　worn…out　Congress　is　characterized　as　one　of　the　most　barbarous　pieces　of　legislation　ever　enacted　by　a　civilized　country。　A　single　incident　may　indicate　the　nature　of　the　act。　James　Hamlet；　for　three　years　a　resident　of　New　York　City；　a　husband　and　a　father　and　a　member　of　the　Methodist　Church；　was　seized　eight　days　after　the　law　went　into　effect　by　order　of　the　agent　of　Mary　Brown　of　Baltimore；　cut　off　from　all　communication　with　his　friends；　hurried　before　a　commissioner；　and　on　ex　parte　testimony　was　delivered　into　the　hands　of　the　agent；　by　whom　he　was　handcuffed　and　secretly　conveyed　to　Baltimore。　Mr。　Rhodes　accounts　for　the　enactment　in　the　following　words：　〃If　we　look　below　the　surface　we　shall　find　a　strong　impelling　motive　of　the　Southern　clamor　for　this　harsh　enactment　other　than　the　natural　desire　to　recover　lost　property。　Early　in　the　session　it　took　air　that　a　part　of　the　game　of　the　disunionists　was　to　press　a　stringent　fugitive　slave　law；　for　which　no　Northern　man　could　vote；　and　when　it　was　defeated；　the　North　would　be　charged　with　refusal　to　carry　out　a　stipulation　of　the　Constitution　。　。　。　。　The　admission　of　California　was　a　bitter　pill　for　the　Southern　ultras；　but　they　were　forced　to　take　it。　The　Fugitive　Slave　Law　was　a　taunt　and　a　reproach　to　that　part　of　the　North　where　the　anti…slavery　sentiment　ruled　supremely；　and　was　deemed　a　partial　compensation。〃　Clay　expressed　surprise　that　States　from　which　few　slaves　escaped　demanded　a　more　stringent　law　than　Kentucky；　from　which　many　escaped。　Whatever　may　have　been　the　motives　leading　to　the　enactment；　its　immediate　effect　was　the　elimination　of　one　of　the　great　national　parties；　thus　paving　the　way　for　the　formation　of　parties　along　sectional　lines。　Two　years　after　the　passage　of　the　compromise　acts　the　Democratic　national　convention　assembled　to　nominate　a　candidate　for　the　Presidency。　The　platform　adopted　by　the　party　promised　a　faithful　execution　of　the　acts　known　as　the　compromise　measures　and　added　〃the　act　for　reclaiming　fugitives　from　service　or　labor　included；　which　act；　being　designed　to　carry　out　an　express　provision　of　the　Constitution；　cannot；　with　fidelity　thereto；　be　repealed　nor　so　changed　as　to　destroy　or　impair　its　efficiency。〃　When　this　was　read；　the　convention　broke　out　in　uproarious　applause。　Then　there　was　a　demand　that　it　should　be　read　again。　Again　there　was　loud　applause。　Why　was　there　this　demand　that　a　law　which　every　one　knew　had　proved　a　complete　failure　should　be　made　a　permanent　part　of　the　Constitution？　And　why　the　ungovernable　hilarity　over　the　demand　that　its　〃efficiency〃　should　never　be　impaired？　Surely　the　motive　was　something　other　than　a　desire　to　recover　lost　property。　Upo