Question

During the debate of 1850, _____ argued that there was a higher law than the constitution that compelled him to demand the exclusion of slavery from the territories.

A. william h. seward
B. henry clay
C. daniel webster
D. stephen a. douglas
E. zachary taylor

Answer 1

William H. Seward (option A) argued for the exclusion of slavery from the territories during the debate of 1850, citing a higher moral law than the Constitution.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the debate of 1850, William H. Seward argued that there was a higher law than the Constitution that compelled him to demand the exclusion of slavery from the territories. Seward, a Whig senator who aspired to be president, declared that slavery was incompatible with the assertion in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal".


Moreover, he believed that even if the Constitution did recognize slavery, it was repugnant to the law of nature and of nations. Seward's speech, which invoked the idea of a higher moral law, secured his reputation in the Senate as an advocate of abolition. While others such as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and Stephen A. Douglas promoted compromises, Seward stood firmly against the expansion of slavery, representing the feelings of much of the upper North.