The northern Democrats had long justified the character given to them, of being " the natural allies" of the slave- holders. Anti-slavery sentiments had recently made rapid progress at the north, and the tone of the elections in various States, warned them that their devotion to slavery, was undermining their own power. The grant of three milUons, afforded them an opportunity of strengthening their waning popularity at home, without, as they con- tended, dissolving an alliance, from which they had derived so many pecuniary and political advantages. As Democrats, they were bound to support the war, and 16* to give the President the appropriation lie had asked for.
But to this appropriation, they attached the Wilmot pro- viso. This now- famous proviso was in these terms : " Pro- vided always, that there shall be neither slavery nor invo- luntary servitude, in any territory, on the continent of America, which shall hereafter be acquired by or annexed to the United States by virtue of this appropriation, or in any other manner whatsoever, except for crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted." To this was added a provision for the return of fugitive slaves found in such territory. In this attempt to prevent the extension of slavery, the northern Democrats endeavored to shelter themselves from the reproaches of their southern friends by calHng their proposal " the Thomas Jefferson proviso,"^" its language being copied from the ordinance for the Government of the North-Western territory, orig- inally drafted by Mr. Jefferson, in I784.t The northern Whigs gave the proviso their cordial support. It may, how- ever, be asked with what propriety they could vote for an appropriation even with the proviso, which they themselves contended, was to be used for the purposes of bribery and corruption. To this question they gave a far more satisfac- tory answer, than they ever returned to the question why they voted for a war which they denounced as iniquitous.
IMr. Stewart of Pennsylvania, thus ably vindicated the poHcy and duty of voting for the appropriation with the 'proviso :