which of the following was a failed attempt by congress to settle the slavery issue as southern states stated seceding from the union

Answer: Compromise of 1850

Explanation: The Compromise of 1850 was a series of five laws that were passed in September of 1850 to deal with the issue of slavery. In 1849, California requested permission to enter the Union as a free state, potentially altering the balance between the free and the slave states in the Senate. The document was introduced as an attempt to seek a compromise between North and South and avoid a crisis.

As part of this compromise, the Fugitive Slave Act was amended and the slave trade in Washington, D. C. was abolished.