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.-1t1 . ) . -:4ot-i : '. , -..f.qt4:oti
SP E ECH !OF. BOX tii. AA DOUGLAS t
- •
-; '1 -- - ' i ...;
. OF. ILLINOTo.. ' - i
. 1
l ll;Senate,lneln COntnittet;nf the r - Whiiie,
.
proceeded to the ionSideratiori l ottliehilltto
organize the Territory of Nebraska. . l
Mrl DoeGLA A .,-, im..i'Pkodell.f,, when 1 pio
pOied On Tnesdayl4ifthat the `Senate shoilld
proceed to the consideration of thelbillto I.r
-ganiie the Territoriei of Sel;raski andi e lsiti.-
'
.s, 4 ,was my purposnonly: 'to occupy ti
:fifteen minutes to explanatton of its provisions.
Uldesi l 'red.. to:refer to, two points ; first to i t,hOse
iprovisions - rehtting to the_ Indians,* and second
tO those which might be supposed to bearup
on.the question,of.slavery. -,
I The Coimnittee, in, drafting • the bill,h,nd
.1 •
in view the great anxiety- which beer 4
had x
. i
Pres+:l" by some members of: he Senatel to
No
protect th e rights of, the Indians, and.to pre-
Nent lifringemezit upen, them. y.the pro
ttisions of the bill, ',dant we ha, , so -Cl4ly
.ucc4e.decl, i n that, respect„as ,to obviateall Pc's
.4iblel objection upon, that score. The billiit
ltelf provides , that it Shall not operate lion
any f the rights or lands Of the Indi ni, nor
~liall they be included witliini the . 17 ',
iltai of
, i,
th 6 .• territories, untik they ilifill by 1 treaty
i'itliltilte United. States .expressly consents , to
i ceme under the operations of the act, and . be
t k
ei:ix:irate' d within th e limi of the
enough ties.. ' This provision certainly 's broad
e nough
' to•protect all the eights of the. Indians ai to
'l le i f . persons and their, property. - 1
1 - r'pon the other point,that pettaining td the
kiu;stion of slavery lin the territories, it iivai
• the intention of the committee :Jo be equVly
I t. W. took ; - th e principl ' tribre ed
,exp lei 1..
. 4 . e _ es 1, \
'le- the coMpromtse ,acts of 1850 as'our guide,
landii.tended to - Make each and every pirvis- -. 1
lion )f the bill accord with those
_principles.
Thoie measures established and rest upon; the
great principle of self-government, that
Ipeotile should be allowed to decid ethe tines
itiont of their domestic institutions , for. Itherri i r
!selyqs, subject only. tO such -- limitations , iand
'restrictions as are imposed by the Constitution
of the United States, instead of having
kletelrmined by an arbitrary . or eographical
I line• . L , i
, i
The original bill, reportedly the commit
;tee 6s a substitute for the bill introduced, by
1 thelSkllator from lotva, [Mr. DODGE,] WEIS' r be
lieved, to have accomplished ) this . obj
r
~Thb amendmenti which was sgibsequen tit re
' Totted by us was only designed to rend ithat
de r and specific,, which• seemed, ila, 1 the
minds of some, to admit of doubt! and' Imis
'! eonsuuction. In some parts of .the country
Ithe original substitute :was deemed andlF,on
i strued to be an annulment or a repeal of
sthat has been known as the Missouri Com
prorn' ise, while in other parts it wits otherw ise. ,
i•contrued. As the, object of the comm ittee
was to conform to-theprincieleQ,„>,..birnen
-1 by the coMpromisA '""lnriite'i 0 f 1650, alfd to
; carry those principles into effect in the fern:
tortes, we thought it was better to recite iii the
`bill precisely whet" we . enderstOod to have
be4n accompllshed by those tmeasures;' viz :
th:it the - 3.-Csseuri eompromiee,, haying, 1 Cele
superseded by the ../e,gislation of 1850,
.bet , be- . •
come and ought to be declared inoperat ve ;
lull hence we propose to leave tlae queStion
a tSe.,# - •ople of the States and tbe terri ', ries,
object only_ to the limitations. andprori ions
the Ceastitution.
ir ,'this is all that I intended, to. "y, if
..
••question had been taken up for'coniider
, •
Tor. on Tuesday . last ;. but since that time
burrences. have transpirM . -which cOmpel
. t
isll to go more, fully into - the. discussion. It
e be borne in mind that the senators from\
Ohio [Mr. CrusE] then objected to the eon-
I sideration. of the bill,.and asked *for its', post
' pclueinent until this day, on the ground that
dike. had not been time to- understand and
its .- „
consider provisions; and the senatot tom
Massaelausetts.[Mr. Seamen] suggested that
th'e postponement - Should be for one week for
tliai purpose. These suggestions seeming to
bd reasonable, id the opinions of. senators
atjr.und nie, 'I. yielded to their request, and.
etinsented.to the postponement of the bill un
til this clay. : , • - = , i
Sir,
little il ia, I suppose, at' the , tinsel that I .
granted that act of courtesy, to those,tWo seri
atbrs that they had , drafted and .published
td, the' werld a dnetiment ; overtheir tern si4 7
nierres, in whia they arraigned mesas hav
irlg been guilty Of a criminal betrayal drily
tMst, as' having been guilty of- an ax.:i. 'Of • bad.
faith and 1e..,-en engaged tri ' an atroc ious - plot
: *glZint'-t the cause, of free governinent; . Littie
iidid I suppose that those tero - senators . bad
~ treen guilty of such conduct, when they call
ed upon me to grant that courtesy,; to give
1 ahem an ;opportunity of inveStigating the .
substitute reported by the comniittee. I hive'
rinse qisco'veredf that on that .'very Morning
the Nation& Era, the abOlition organ -in
' this city, coOsined an address; signed by
,:ertain abolition confederates, to the people,,
i
• 1
n which the bill is"grossly miirepresented,in
which the action,of the committee is grossly
erverted, in Ntbicli our motives arenirainged
and our elaritters ealaininated.. And, sir,
what is more,l find that there was 'apost-
Script added to the address,. published' that,
Li — . port:Line% in which the principal ainend
.., e.. ,
:meat ieported by the committee was set Out
..lind thee. coarse epithets ' applied to me h.Y
aame. Sir, had I known those facii, at the
rime 'I granted that act ..of indulgence, l',
liteildlave, responded to the request of those 1
.senators in such terms as' their conduct de
served, so far as 'the rules of 'the €entite and '
la respect .for my own character would have
i 'permitted me to fi dce • In order "to 'show the
Icharacter of this document; Of whieb. I shall
'hare mud). to say - in ilie course of my argil
meet, I will read eertaitr;pasiagea: 1 i.
"We arraign this bill as a gross violation of
a sacred pledge; as a criminal betrayal of pre-.
ious rights ;as part and pared of ani atrocious.
plot to exclude, from a vast unoccupied region,
emigrants tram the Old World,- andree labor
ers from our ow e States, and Conver t it- into a
.dreary region of despotism, inhabited by masters
and slaves." - - -
' A Sede.AToa : By \0101:11 is the . WddresS
yid?,
, • •
.....
;pot . It is sig ne d eS,.:p. Owe,
senator froth 'Ohio, Charles. Sunier, ' natei
from Massachusetts, J. B. Giddings a d ,
Ed
ward Wade, representatives from ('hiO, Ger,
,rit. Smith, representative from New' York, Al
,-
exander De Wit, representative tram' Massa.
elm,.etts,•" including ,as I understand, all tho
,abolidon party in C on; '-'" -''
Ther„ spe,akieg of the lomniftit.44. Al
l ' ii. ''''' -, 1 -I+ 4, e= c =federates use this Lui )
" The r 6
.I.enc a, lb
. ere f -
o ,e, that the''
covered pro 'blita
- by the positive pm n et: 1820;
similarsus
i'. ;
tains a relation to ; lavery with that ac:
quired from,xico, 'covered by no prohibition
except that of disputed constitutional or Mexi
can law, and' that the compromfses of 18450 re.
qiiire the incorporation of the.Jiro-slavery claus
es of thOUtrih and New MexicO bill in the Ne
braska act, are mere iarenfions, iletigned to .corer'
uilfranspuldic reprvharsidri meditated , bad faith.""
1.," Mere inventions to 'Over l.up bad faith!'
Again.. • 1 • Ir .; '
" Servile demegotes , may tell yen that the.
Union can lah male ineaonli! by submitting to
jilr demands of slavery.' :!. i Ii ~ , , . ,
Then there is a postscript added, equally
offensive to myself, In vibio!..,l am mention
ed by name. The address' gees on to make
an appeal to the legislathresilef the differeit
State!, to public theetings, and to ministers
of th gospel in their pulpits,itei interpose and
arrest the rile ' proceeding which is about to
be consuminaced by the senators who are
thus laenonneed. That ! address, sir, bears
date Souday, January 2.'1 '1844. Thus it ap
pears that, on 'the.holy S i abbath, while Other
divinesenators were engaged in wership,these
abolitiOn confederates werelassetribled inse
cret cenclaye,l Plotting by What means they
should deceive tho people of the United States
nd prostrate the character Of, brother sena
ors. This Was • done on the . Sabbath day
uti by a stet of politicians,to advance their Own
political. stet
ambitious purpose s, in the name ,
of our holy religion. - I .' l l i
But this is not all.' It *is understood
from the newspapers . ' that rest. lutiOns were
pending before the I.oillatti# .of , l Ohio pro
posing to ((express - their opinions upon this
subject. 'lt wins neeiy i ltir these confeder
ates to get u scene , exp*- iiicin of the que
tion by which they' nughtAtieilitate the 'pass
age of the re solutions throtigli that legisla
ture. Ifence l you7find I .that, on the same,
morning that Ithisdoeument appears over th e
nettles` of these confederateOn the abolition
organ of thi s eitn the same doeumeot
appears -in he New 1 York papers—cer
tainly in th — TriVune,Tßne.t,, and Eve
il
nitig Post—i which it is Ltated, by author
ity, that it is
.‘‘signea by the! senators and 'n
majority of t e repreSentatives from the' state
of l Ohio"—a tatement' whieli
! I have every
ti l
reason to beli Ve wasntierlY false, and knoWn
tot be so at O time that'j i these! confederates
appended it t the address. It!was necessa
ry, in order t 'carryout this, work of
.decep
jtion, and toha sten !the action! •of the Ohio
'legislature,. u der al misapprehension of the
real facts, to 4tiitelthat it was signed, not ou
'y by Ile abolition Iconfederat(T, but by the
'whole Whig" represeatation, land ; a portion, of
the Democratic representiition in the other
( House from .t ie Staof Ohio. 1: '
rar . I', 1 Pre s ides ,,
ei.r....masu l i ; air.t- 1 t 1
I Mr. II)OrG AS. ! 1 / 4 r. Pre ident, I do not
yield the floor.; 4nator !who has violated
.s
all the rules of cour tesy and propriety, who
showed a eqnsciOufiness of the character:Of
• &I-LA.:let...be Av.q.g. doing 1-sy 040,-tiliegrfrotro rile
W 1 knowledge of thefact—;who came to tie
ith a smiling face, I and the appearance.of,
friendshiP ' even latter that (pack -the Seri
-been uttered;,—hn--
w c94 l ouritesy - in order to
dte'
r and a triiie s the 'document a ,Wider Circu
get tiit- -
r , t tion be fore iits infamy
right
it' , e exposed ;,
hsenator;hs? no to mv.courte.sy
s ee a
upon iTililit.."...!
I Mr. boas Mr.
misstates th facts—
, 1
Mr. Dou AS. iI.
I lyield the •fl pr.:-!
Mr. Cnasif, - And
pertinent. %NU, n the!
The PIIESODENT. i
Mr. Douglas. Si:
terpose, in vlolatton i
fit/a • a ci-Asict/ 1 Or the
hall he able,'( to nal
II
le .statem(,nts in
ll . over his n ori p l
I s e ig i n t
ion,
and;
i
of this count ry:
,-, T
Mr. 1... ti A9F. .1. C:
The PRE#DENT.
l is certainly out of (
I t Mr. Doc( !Les. '
I shall confide nays
' prove its st t e n: t ea
l
i
lotion of th coon
order. .: 1
Mr. OraN'Ou cannot do' it.
Mr. DM: fLAS.. lie argument-of this man
ifesto is pr ieated upon the riSstnyipton ILltat
i
_the policy ; f the father 4 of the republic was
t
tolpF;yhibit Slaverylin all the territory ceded
by the old States t,i),, the Union, and made
United
. Staies territory; for 6e - purpose of
being orgatiiized!into new States. I,r. take is
sue upon that statement. Such was .. .not; the
practice! in ,the edrly history .. of the govern
. 'tient. It is'true liiit in the !territory north
' west of the'Ohiii river , slavery! .AS . pirohibited
by the ordinande lof 1787; but it is also true
that in • 'the territory south of the Ohio river,'
slavery Was permitted and protected; and it
is also tru' that in the organization of the
I territory o Missis4ppi, in 1798, the provisions
et
of the ord inance of 1787 were applied to it i
with the exception of the tsiith article,which
prohilatedislaverY, Then. sir,' yini find upon
the,statute:-books !under .Washington and the
early Pies • dents, (provisions 'of l law shoving
that s y nth " southwestern' territories the right
hold SI vas was clearly impliedorwog
; rased, wh y e in the northwest territories it was
' prohibited The only conclusion that can be
fairly aid(l!-Ihonestly drawn -from that legisla
tion is z th a t it was the policy' of the fathers
of the republic tO prescribe a line of demar
kation between free territories and slave-hol
ding territories by Si . natural era geographi
cal line, being sure tt io make that ,litte corres
pond,, as near as traght be, to b the laws of •cli
! mate, of Productiian,?and all those other• cau
ses that would icontrol the institution and
make it either de l i sirdble or undesirahle to the
people intaarting the respective ter tortes.
Sir, 1.4-i yos to bear in mind; too, that
_this geogtraphical line, = established by the
founders of the reptiblie between free territo
ries and idave territories, extended as far,west ,
ward as-our territory then -reached; the ob-,
ject beint to. avoid all agitation: upon the!
slayery'q ! estionlbt settling that question!
foreVer as far • nsll our ,
.territory .ektended s i
which was tlien to,' the *.n3iitisipPi river.
f i When,lin 1803, tare acquired from France!
Ilthe territiary Icre:jwil ail Louitiana, it beentne
nocessarY, to lepslaf43 for the ' protection ; of the
inhabitants residing therein,. It will be eeeel
by loOking intOlth,bitl establishing the ter
ritorial Overlay:kepi in. 1805 , ; for the territory
of New 9rleans,'ertibracing.the same country
nOw known SS the,j3tate of Louisana, that the
,ordinanc l e 0f.).707*an expressly extended t)'
that territory, .x4:iepting the sixth section,
i . 1
1 1 Terri
! age : c
tritorsi
I 2t IR
LITERA
IiEW 4
poLITIC,
ED TO
:1 .K7PEE4
A';
•
;11
, . .
rrmabir
Presadene,7l.lltr,
r. Pmident; I decline to
t
I shall matt e mfdenial
-
'';
ir, if the senator does in.
o f tb oftt4e Sen
t fact, it iitaw be that I
1 - ' that denial, as. :I shall,
this addre't,s which are.
ure, :as a 'wicked fabricaL
y'the soleMn legislation
• ,
11 the. Senator to oider.
The Senato'r from Illinois
.rder:
~lien; I *ill: only: say that
•If to this . document, and
a falSe hy the
!
try. Certntnly that in
, I . r
41
gontrose, Ausquttanna ni # Veint r a, ITllitstran ' t ° 4llor 1054.
1 f ,
i'v •
, whit,` prohibited.slavery. • .That aCtimPlied
thatthe . territoiy of New. Orleans -was to.he
dslavholding territory by making that ex
ceptidit id thelniv.. ' But, sir, when they "Caine
to form.what Wan then called the territory of
Leitiiiina,SubßiqUently InoWn as the territo-.
ly ofiMik,rti, Perth . of the - thirty-thiM par
alell,jtheY I used different language : They
did tiht - extend to. it any - of the provisicins of
the.okdinance of 1787.. They_ first provided
that K shOula be governed bylaws made by
the geYernor.and the judges, and, When . in
1812pOngieSs gave to i thatterritory, under the
name; of the i territory of Missouri, a territorial
governmentit e people were' allowed to IdO,as
they jplehOd iii,con the • subject of slavery,
sub)eot; only •tct the-limitations of the Conati-. 4
*tutted of the . United State.: ;Now what ii .
the inference Ifietn that legislation f • IThatl:
slavery. Was, by implication, recognised south'i
of thli thirty-third parallel ; and north et that
I
the _people were..left - to . 'exercise their 'own
jtaiginentiandj de as they 'pleased upon the
subjept, , without any implication - for *orl
against.the existence of the institution. I • „.'
. This continued tote the condition or the
, I
country in the Missouri. Territory up to 18:
20,atihea the j celebrated - net which . IS now
called the MiSsouri compromise was pasSed..
Slayery did - dot, exist in, nor was it exclu-
ded:frm the Country now known as Nebras:
kn., f_jThere.was no vide. of laws upon - the
subject of Slavery' either way; First,. fOr the
.reason that slavery had neYer been introduced
into :Louisiaiiii, and established by po' stive en
,
!I
actment, It had grown up there by l a sort
of common lair, and been supported andprotec
ted.l. When a common law, grows up,lwlien
an institution, becomes established under a
usage, it carries it so far as that usage actu
ally : goes, and •no further. 'lf ithad been es- •
tafdished,by 'direct enactment,. it might hare
carried itso far -as the political jurisdiction
exteaded ; hut, be that as it may i •bY the act'
of Ildl2, creating the Territory • of MisSouri,
that4erritory was , allowed to legislate upon
the Sulject-ef slavery as it saw proper, sub-.
jest only •to the limitations' which -I have
stated; 'and! the ceuntry- not inhabited or
thrOlvdoNn . to settlement was set apart is :
Indian country, and rendered subject to In-'
&art! law.q . . Iflence, the local legislation of
the State of Missouri did not reach into that 1
Indian country, but was - excluded front it{{ by
, .
the Indian code and Indian laws. Thel u
. 1
niCipal regulations of Missouri could Inot go' ;
tliere. until .the Indian title had beert extiii-i
guiabed, and The country uttioe'll'upt.:ili-ru z•ec-'1
:dement. Such being the case, the only •1e
aishitien in existence in Nebraska Territory
.
at the tine: the Missouri act; ;passed,
nanielY, the 6th of March, 1820,. was, a pro
visitin, in effect, that the people should be
alloWed to do as they pleawd .upon the .atti
jectdotslavery. • • .
The territory or !
1 • ,
arPssouri liavieg been left
i
in that' leer 'condition, positive
. opposition
wa 4 . t.... a de7te the bill 'to organize a State goy
(erll-141.eAbli la t t i i:l - ''n' (.' l l.l v i. - , t9 ..j: t 2in dl Y lis At - , i kkr ° -
..fe - Sse, B,.Thomas, introduced an amendment;
knoWni I asihe: eighth Section - of - the bill, in •
which it was prodded that slaver_v shOuld he
prohibited I north of. 36. deg. 30mina north
latitUde, -in-all that country which. we had
acqUireci from France... What was thejobjeet
of
.the enactment of that eighth section ?---
, \\ - .a.n it not.ty go back to the original polica. l '
rati li __l . .eeelaries to the limitation Zfl
,Treelir.stituilorii,'T and fit L - 4 - '.l ,, tittiticins by
•.1 _ , j
'a . geographical line, in•ordQr to arca. :,.,.. - ,: - .7-- .
troVersv in Congress - . upon the subject 'l,---1
Bence they extended that geographiCal line,
thrbugli all the territory puchased- from
• 1 • i
France; which was as far. as our possessions .
they reached. It was not simply to settle
the! question on'-that piece of country, but Lit I
- Was to' carry out a great principle; by j exterid-
linai that d.ilvidiii.,,le• hue as far west as our ter- .
riteryWent, , and - .rinining it onward on each
I nq tic . quisitted of. territory. True, the ;.' , 3r, ,
press, enactment of the eighth section of the ,
•Mitisouri !act, noir - called the Missourt core- j
j prOmise, 'only covered the territory acquired
,
I
frOm France; but the principles of I the act t
the.object of its adoption, the reasons in lita l
I support, required that it should be extended
indefinitely westward, so far as our territory
fr' -•.' (• - new • 'S SII , '
might t ,p, mben..ler. purcha..c i ould i be .
made.: '''' .1 .
\ •- 1 • I I 4
Thus stood - the question tip to 1845, W ,
ett t lie
i
,• 1 -
.1
j01n..t.r...7,4,iuti0n , for 'the annexation Of Teas
passed. There was inserted n, that joint rcs- •
olittion a provision, suggested. - in the firstjin
i ‘•
stiince and, broUght before the House, of Rep
resentatives by, myself, extending the Mis So- 1
ri' • compromise line indefinitely - westward 1
through the territory of Texas. . Why did - I I
bring forward trat preposition ? Why -laid j
.the Congress of the United States adopt it I.
'.'!tot becau.4.:•it•ivaS of the least
,practical lira -1
~
portahee, so far. as the fluesbon of slavery 4
Niithin the links of Texas was . concernedi for I
no 'man ever dreamed that it had any practi
4al effect there. Then why was . itrbronght •
forward ! It Was for the purpose of preserv
ing. the prineiple,.in order - that •it . intight, be ,
extended. still further. 'westward, even to [the
Pacific ,oecan, whenever we should acquire.
the country that far., I will here read . • that.
Clause.: It is the third article; seconilsemion,
and is in these words t.. . I I - :1 -
, "New States, of Convenient Ain; not• ex4eed
iiig four in aumbei.,.in - addition to said State of
',rem's, havio,g . sufficient population,.may hereaf
ter, by the consent of said State, he formed out
'of the territory - thereof, .Which• shall he' entitled'
to admissionunder the provisions of 'the federal
onatitution. And such States as may be forth.]
'' f ed out of that portion•of said territory lying South'
;of 36 dil, 30 minutes north . latitude, Com only
Iknown - as the Missouri Compromise :line, hall
;be admitted into the Union- with or withou sla
'very, as th4cople of-each State asking for ad 7
mission may desire, And; in such scat:or S tates
Itis shall be formed out of said territory north of
sail MiSsouri Compromise line; slivery or
linvol
untary servitude (except for; crime) shall be pro- .
; hi bitedi" - .•
I.
-It will be seen that it Contains tt very re-.
roar - kat& Provision,which: is, that when states
lying north of 36 deg. 30 min. 'apply for ad
mission, slavery shall be prohibited in their
eenstittitions. - I presume no one
, pretends,
that Oongress.could have power thus to fet
ter a State applying for admission : into this,
Union ..but it was necessary to preserve. the
principle of the Missouri !compromise line, in
Order that it might afterwards' be extended,
• and . it,avas supposed that while congress 'had
do Power to impose any such limitation, yet,
as that was a compact with the State of 'l'ex
aa,that State could couOnt for herself that,
when any portion of her own territery,Anb ,
.
jest to her Own jurisdiction and ciontrol, cp
plied.for.adthission, her. constitution should
be'-in a particular forth ; but -that provision
. . , , 4
wonlil 7 noebe, binding on - the new State one ,
day atter it "tits admitted into ' the Union. 4-2
The otheeproyision was Ahitt'sue,h States as
ilionq lie south
,of.. $6 deg. 314,..min should
come into the Union with 'or withouslavly
as each should decide in its constitittion.--
Then, by tha t act, the Miitiouti 'nom mice ,
was extendedjudefinitely Westwa rd, so far *
the StoteOf Texas went, that is, to the• Rio
del Norte"; fo'r"our Governthent at the time
recognized die Rio del Norte asits bcitindaty.
We recogni*d,in• many -ways;,- andi among
them by even paying Texas for,it teni million
of dollarsoitiorder that it !night be included
in and forixt it portion of the Territoqlof "New
4
-:
Mexico.' 1 F . --- ' 1 1 i :
Then, sir, in 1848, we; ailquid from Wil
co thti counttv between the - , tWo del Norte
and the Pacific ocean. ..Imiediately .after
that ticquisition, the Senate, on. my divn n ' ? , o .
tion, toted into a bill a provision to extend
the Misselni" tomprotnise, indefinitely west= -
ward teethe Pacific ocean 'in the satiip sense
and Iyith 014 same undersinding with which,
it was, originally !adopted.;' -, !. That: proviiion
passed this body 'by a delided ;nalority ? I
think by'ten at least, and it:int to the nonse
of liepresentatives, and"waS'defeated ithereby
northern 'Vote's. 1", •
'New, sir, let us pause laid consider fet i
inom i ent. !. The first time that the principles
of thellissetiri compromise *ere/ever aun
doned, the first time they! weir ever, ver, rejl e ted
by Cengre,si was by thelleffit of that pro
vision in the ittouse of Repisettatives:in 1848.
By whoia ~ '-was 'that defeat effected l By
northern '.:vetes with. freesbiloclivities. : it
was the deftiat of Ahnt ri - -Idiss compromise it
thatte-opetted the slavery a R ation; with" all
its f ury. 114 was the defeitt ir that Missouri
compromise, that created, fie trenendnous
struggle' if 7.850., It was tie defeat...of that
Missouri coinprornise thaticreted the necessi
,ty (Or mat zing a new comprqoise inl.B:so.—_
' !dad' we hero faithful to tbe - linciples of .the
hlissouri cotnprothise in. 'tB4 this question'
would not -i'ave . arisen.; Nlho was it that
was faithless I I undertake ti Say it. was-the
very: meat; fwho now insist that. the" Missouri:
compromise';was a solemn conpact and shold
never bONiOlated or depart e from. Every
man whit is now assailing - die principle of
the' bill tinder considerationi so far as I:am ,
advised, WaS opposed to the n tissouri compro
mise in 1848. The very
,4 n who now, ar
raign me ,fer at departure m the ; Missouri
r;
compromise are the men i,i io.successfull vi
o..t'uti 11;;•-4-rAintoa it, I nd - caused it tp be,
Superseded. 03y the .cowl,komise measures of
1850. . Sit, i it i s with rater bad graeethat
the ;;:,, MCII vino proyed ' fait less themselves
shoild eiiitige upon me and t i ers, Olio were
)
ever'', faithful; the responSibi sties And conse-,'
1 quences of their own treacheiv. .1 1 "
Then, sir,: as I before remirked, the, defeat
of the Mi4sonri compromise Of 1848 haying
created the ;necessity for the establishment of
a new one in 1850, let ui, see what that com-
Drowise i Wal. : , I , ; ~,.
1 le egilotg-reitiur r e 911 tut; eQutiCromise of
1850 waszolingronal nint-interyemi......!..... +.....
'shivery in the T erritories;; that the peoPle of
the fTerritOries and of - all the States, were to
be i! i llowed ; to do;as they pleased `i upon the
subject of, itnvery,',sultject only . to the. provis
ions! of .rthe Cormitutien of the United
Sta i tiel:• 4
s i r,,, i
Was the . ,leading feature of •the
comp] (noise measures of f l ÷ Bso. Those'rneas
ures therifOre abandcaied the idea of a:geo
nTatThieal!lihe as the boundary between the
1 fro; rf•rztiei ---`, • ' ••••• States ; . abandoned it '' l
Itotupelled to do, it ....... , •. ,-, iit j
I to inainthin it; and in lieu of that; subs„,,,. {
ted' a great}Principle of 41f-governinent,which
would allow the people
. to do as they thought
1 prOper. 'Now the question is, whe'n that new
j comprooi4e, resting upon, . that great funda
-1 mOhtal priciple of freeclotn, Was established;
wits it notlan abandonmentof the old one—
th6 greaip'aphical line iI, Was it not a super
sedure Of,the old one within the: very lan
" gunge a the substUute,for the bill,whicli is
now under consideriition I -I say it did su
s peisede=, it, because it applied its proisions
1 l asiwell toi the north as.tb the south'uf 36 deg:
30 min - It established, a principle which teas
eqiially.: 4pplicable to the country •• north as
well asoOuth of the'parallell of 36 deg. 30'
k min.—niirinciple of universal application.—
he dlitliors of thi6 abolition manifesto ••••
. ...,-
,„ • t
teninteu V 4, rettZte ins presumption,' and main
tainthat ithe•compromise of 1850 did riot su
percede that of •1820, hy quoting the proviso
to thelirit section of the act to establish the
1 Texan bdundary, and Create the Territory of
1 New li,eiico. That proviso was added, 'by
1 way oCainendment, one mdtion of Mr.; Mason
of Virgitiia. . 1
I repe(tt, that in order to rebut the pre
! simption, as I before s ted, that the: Misson
' ri. compiornise was aba' doned and surkrseded
• •
by theminciples of th compromise of 1850,
these confederates cite, the following .'amend-'
nient,fitreted to the bill; to establish the boun
dary. •Of TexaS and create the Torritory of N.
INIeXicO in 1850. 1, . , ,
"./?4 , ided; That'nothing herein contained
shalt*'leonstrued to impair or qualify any
thing-`contained in the third article of the
second; section of -the [j
Ni oint resolution for an
flexing] Texas to 'the United States; approved
arcliil, 1845, chile/ as regards theaumber
Of Stat*-that may hereafter be fonric4 out of
the Stiites of Texas or otherwise." . ;
• • Aft* quoting this proviso, they make the
folloWrg_ statement,j•anif attempt to' gain
Credit ; for its truth bY suppressing
; material
facts ,which appear ution the face of the same
statute; and which, if, produced, would con-
Clusii-ely disprove the; statement :
j
" It is Solemnly
; declared in the very corn
proph* acts, ` . that iOthin,g herein eontained
shall e., construed, tl'impair or qualify the
prohiliition of slavery north of thirty-six, de
(Tresilhirty minutes;" and yet, in the face of
''this ' declaration;
that sacred prohibition is
'said tO be overthrowil._ Can presumption cur
;tiler gio1"
I Will now •proCenit to show that presump-
Ition 'could not go far, l ther than is exhibited in
ithis Oclaration. -1 1
They suppress thefollowing material facts,
'which if produced, i Would . have_ disproved
thelikatement. They first suppress the fact
' that the same section of the act cuts off ,from
Texati, - and cele's to. ..lie United Slates, all that
"part 'Of Texas which; lies north . 9f. 36, deg.pa
min., They, then . suppress the fnither fact
that the 'same section, of the law cuts off from
Toil's: a large tract 'of „country on 1 the ,west„,
marts than, three degrees of longitude, and
addlst to the Verricory of the United States.
Thq then suppress he -further fact• that this
tertitory has cut.off;froin Texas, and to which
- . ~' • , ..._ s' •
, • •
CULTURE; 'SCIENCE, MD DUEY.
the Missouri deinpraiii4::: lirmapplied, WM in
corporated into that :territory - of - New Mex
ico. And then irliat Willi dime I It was ''in
corporated into that tenfitory with this, clause :
" That, Whea. admitted its aState, the said ter
ritory, or any portion of the same, shall be_ re
ceived into the Union • With or without slavery,
es their constitution May prescilbe at the tithe of
its adoption," „ , i ..- .'' : , , l- --
•
Yes,sir,the very bill and section from Which.
they
I l i iluote buts off -all that -. part of .Texas
whic was t 4 bEi free by the,. : Missouri Com
promise, together wit b. "soriie ,on. the'ffoirth
side if the lino ; inderpOrates' hint° the terri
tory fNew f Mexico; 'and then says that the
territeryr,, aud evM.y. ppnion of the same, 'shall
Come' into the Union 'vtith. or without slavery
as it *iiproper. ' . ,:''l •' • . - -
What else doca it.do I- The sixth, section
Of the seine act provides that the legislative
power and authority of this said Territory of
New Mexico shall extend to all rightftil sub
jects 1 f 'legislation soneistent
! With the Censti
tntion of the United States and the' provisions
of the act, not excepting slai,ery. • ThUs the
New 'Mexican - bill, 'from which they ifil/ke
that quotation , contains the provie4onti that
New Mexico, including that part of Texas
whie i .Was cut off, should come into the Un
ion with or without slavery, as it saw proper,
and in the Mean ttime '',that the territonal leg
islatnre should have all the authority over the
subject of slavery thee, they bad overany oth
er Itibject, restrieted Only by, the limitation
of the Constitution of ! the,UnitetiStatee and
the , rOvisTotis - OFth;;et. : •iicW I ask those
ben itors,; ; do not those pro Visions repeal The
Mi 0 coinproinise, iso far as it applied. to
the country cut .off from • Texas? -DO they
not annuli It I Do they not supersede it !
If t ley! do then the address which hash been
put forth tO, the..world by. t&.:Se - confederateS
is an atrociOns!falsehOod. It. they do not.then
what do they !Mean lwhen ; :they charge - me
with having, in!the Substitnte. !first reported
fro 'the comiliitee, - kepeared it,: with having
an ulled it , with having violated it,'when I
owl copied these precise worcSi ..I copied :
€. l
•th I ,preerse'; words into my bil , as reported
from the ccimmittee,Whicli weft contained in
the New Ntexieo bilk! They say my, bill "an-.
null the Missouri coniprornise. il If it dOeS, it
hai l [, alreadi been tfolae before by! the net of
10 • for. these words were copied froin the
.
q
ac 0f_1859. . .. , i : 1.;
• Mr. WAnn.Why did you do!ittOYer again?
• Mr. DOUGLAS. I wilkome to that!noint
priaentiy: i I am now dealing With the !truth
and veracity of a. :cennbination!of men; Who.
haVe _ assemble(' in !secret caucus upon the
Sabbath day to ar#gn myconduct and be
lie mymotives. , I'say, therefore, that i,.their
manifesto is a slander either way ; for it says
thkt the I‘issouri! coinpromise was, not Super
se edby the measures of 1859, and - then it
-I - .
says that the same - - words in my hill do re
peal and annul it. They limn lie lidjiidged
guilty'of.ope falsehood in order to si,istain the
other assettion. .. . 1 ... .. I; i -- , I—
; Now, sir, I - propose_' go
. 1; little fiirther,-
se t. ti h: t , o re r a rr l o l i tea ‘ n r4 i y in gi g n tlllie
.ainiiildensidlmomOntsl;:f_tthwea's- out
01l whichthese•gentleMen havdtnanufactured .
sO much (*pita' in tho newspaper press; and
have succ4eded by; - that misrepresentation in
pencurinOn expression of epipion from. the
State of RhOde 'lsland in opposition 6 this
bill, I will state What its meaning is. 1 .
'Did l it mean that: the States north 4_36_1
deg. 30.1 nm. should .havO. clause in their
ecinstitntiOns prohibiting ;slaVery ? I . have
sli'fywn that it did:not, mean that, because the
same act says that thqi.o'pris2--,.;r.•-sa- ritlo-nlit:
11 !r1 lb- - - ' l l. ' •• • -
not mean, twat foranottter.reason : The• same
section. dontainfiig that !proviso - cut Off all ,
t iat part. (3f Texas north ;of 36 deg. 39 niiii.
aid hence there was nothing for it to operate!
upon. It did not, . tlleret?.re, - relate
_to the!,
.cOuntry
. ',Cut off. What dill! it relate to li- 1 ,
Why', it :ineafit ,sinwly. this;! By tho-[, joint!
resolaticirl Of 184 . 5, Texas was annexedl!withi
.the rightito forin' . four additional States outt
et her kill-4°ll-i; and such States - as I.were
south of. - 1,30 o .' t*r: 30, min. were to come in'
With_orvfithout ° ,4lavery, as -they
. saw proper;
-th
and in stick Slate or States as were nOrtfi of
that lineislavery,should be prohibited. jWheh
we had 4ut offall north of 30 tleg. 30 min.
and . thusf eircu'inscribed the boundary and di-
Ir.lioosed the territoty of ,Texa.s, the qiiestion
arose, how many States will Texas be entitled
to under this circumscribed boundary. , ' Cet-_
tainly net four, it will. be' argued. Why 1-
13ecauseithe original resolution of annexation
provided that one of the! States, if not more,
should lie north of 36 :deg. 30 min. It 'would
leave it ;then doubtful whether Texas
titled toi two or }three additional States under
the siremseribed boundary.
-
In order to put that matter to rest, in or
der to inake-a4 final settlenient, in order to
have it I explicitly • understood what was:the
meaningof Congress, the Senator from Vir
ginia Offered the amendment that nothing;
thcreinkontained should impair that previs
ion; either as tcO;the numbet of States or oth
orwise, ;that is, that Texas should be entitled
to . the same iimilber Of States with Sher re
duced boundaries as she,would have teen en
titled to under her larger boundaries.; and
these States shall come! • in with or without
slavery', as the .might prefer, being all south
of 36 deg. 50.=3 and nothing to impair that
right shall hel inferred- from the passve of
the act. Such, %sir, was the, meaning Of that
proposition, Any other construction of it
•would stultify the very chacter and purpose of
its movser,•the senator from _Virginias! Such,
then,. was not only' the intent of the mover,
tout such is the legal effect of the lei"; and I
say that nh man, after reading the other sec-
tions of the bill, those tb which I have referr
ed, can doubt' that such was both the intent
and the legal ieffect of that law.
Then .I subinit, to' the Senate if I have not
conyicterthiS manifesto, issued by the abo
lition confederates, of being a gross falsifica
tion of the lain of the land, and-by that fals
ification thatan erroneous and injutions im
pression hag been created upon the public
mind. I. am sorry to be compelled to indulge
in language of severity . ; but there is no other
language. that is
_adept - ate to express'the in
dignation with which I ate this attempt, not
only to reislbad the public, bat, to malign*
My character by deliberate falsification of
the publie statutes and the public records.
In 'order to give greater: plausibility,to the
falsification *of the terms of the teiiiptomitle
measures of 1850; the tenfeclerates also de
clare in their manifesto that they (the terri
torial hills s for the organization of 13tah and
NeW llexicO) " applied to the. territory
.ac
piired frOni Mexico, and to that only. They
Ivens intended as a settlernenc of
.the contro;
, •
versy. growing out of that acqusition, and Of
that controversy , only. They must stand :or
fall by their own-merits." ". '''' .;
I - submit to the Senate if there is an intel
ligent man in America who does., not. know
that,that declaration is falsified by the State
ute from which they; quote& . They say that
'the provisions of.that bill was confined to the i
territory aCquired l y from Mexico, when the ' ! ,
veryseetiort of theflaw froth which they'quo-1
ted, that prOviso did purchaselnpart of that
veri territory from, the State of Texas. ' And
the neitsiection of fthelaw included that ter,
.ritory intlyt new territory of. Mexico. Ittook
a small , portion alsOof the old Louisiana.pun.
chase, and added' that to the territory ofNew
Mexico; and: made up ..the rest out of the
Mexican.oquisitiOns. Then , sir, our stat
utes lehOW, [When • pplied to the mip of the
/ 1
Country, that the territory :of New Mexico
Iral. compered ore nutty acquired from Mex
ice, and alto of te 4 toty acquired from:Texas
and of territory , ' a quired from France; and
et in defiance of that statute,, and in falsit; -
cation of its terms, Weep told, in order to,
decieve thd peo*Lthat the bills were confin
ed
to the p,urchaseimade from Mexico alone;
and in order to give it a greater solemnity,
they repeat it twice; fearing that it would not
be believed the first:time. • What. ls•Xnere,the
territory of 'Utah •was' not • miiifined to ; the
country acquired from' Mexico • That terri
tory, as is ~ .'ell knewitneverynnin who un
derstands the geography ; of , the conntry„ in
eludes a large .tract of rich and fertile coun
try *equity(' froth France in 1863, and to
which the eighth section of the-Missouri act
applied in 1820. If these confederates, do not
know to what country I : nllude, I only reply
'that theyshould have known•• before they ut
tered the falsehood,and imputed a crime tome.
But 'I will tell you to what country I al
lude. By the treaty of 1819; by winch we
acquired 'Florida land fixed a boundary be
tweenthe,United States and Spain, the bmin
dary was'inacie of i l the A.rkansas river to its
source, and then the line raa duenorth of the
source of [the Arkansas to the. 42d parallel,
then along on thel42d para ll el to the Pecifil
ocean. That line,l i due north from the head 1
of the Arliansas !l leaves the whole middle
'part, described. in such glowing terms by',
Colonel Freemont;lto the east of the line, and
hence a part of the Louisiana purchase. Yet,
inasmuchlas that imiddle part is drained! by
the waters flowing into' the Colorado, when 1
the formed the tervitoris - il _limits.a.--thall, In'
stead of running that
_air line, 'we ran along
the ridge of the Mountains, and cutoff. that
part from Nebraska, : or from the Dpuisiana l
purchase, and includ ed it within the Mullis of II
the territory of Utah. .- ,
' Why did we dill it 'I I3eceuse we sought I,
for a natural and Convenient boundary; and
;it was deemed better to fake the mountains
as a.boutidary, tl4ii by aulair line to cut the ,
'valleys on one side of the mountains, and an
nex the; to the country on the other side
And wli .-did we take theSe natural bounda-
ti
ries;set " g at defiance the old boundaries? '
The sim le reason - was that so long as we
, acted u, a the priUciple Of Settling the slave
question Fby o-gAographiCal lite; so long . we
observed [those boundariestst.i..ia r .,.. l 4 3 .lod_.
ly ; but when that f lwas abandoned, in conga:.
queue° of the actin of free-sthlers'and aboll
tionists7when it leas siiperCededi by / thel
compromise measures of 1850, which/tested'
upon a great universal - principle—=there was
no necessity for in view the old and
unnatural boundark. For thatreason, in ina , ,:
kine , the! new territories, ju;i formed nature , fr
;?- ii' l- deriViii.:^Ail iteusug
our titlews . ~thette,b - ,
I paid no attention to' the fact whether , the ti
tle was acquiredfrara Louisiana, from Fran/
or from Mexied ; for what -difference did i
make 1.1 Thnprinciple 'which we had estab,-
fished in the bill Would apply eqnally well tO
either. I I l •
In fixing those, boundaries, I paid no atr,
tention , lto the fact whether they included old
territory or new territor y whetherthe counu
try was{ covered by the Missouri comproinise
Or not Why? Because the principles .es -.
tablished in the bills superseded the Missouri •
' compromise. For !that reason we disregarded
, the old boundarieS; disregarded the territory
to which l it applied,and disregarded the source
from_ Whence tbel, title was derived. I say, !
therefere, that a ',close letaininatiOn of those:
*eta clearly estab lishes: the fact' 'that it wail
the intent, as well nethe legal elect of the;
compromise measures' of 1850, to supersedei
the Misiouri„zmprounie, and all geer,raphi- ,
cal andtecfftorial lines'. - 11
Sir in order tol' a void any misconstructiono l
I will' State ino're distinetly what my- precik
idea" is,; upon this point, • So far as the 'Mehl
and Nev Mexico; bills included the territory!
whichhad been liubject to the Missouri conizi
promiie provision; to that extent they absei
lutehiinnulled the' MiSsouri compromise. 4 1
to thennorganized territory not covered v i
those bills, it 'ems superseded by ;the prinmi
plea of the compromise of 1850. tin'' 'I
know 1 that the , object of the compromiH
measures 'of 1850 -was to establish certain
great prindiples which would avoid- the slab . . .
N 0 .e 11 1 70 - V i ee ta t t
r im il p lti ly a i l o l time to _
i c o is r m a e. tem W po ns ra 4i
evil '1 I, Wits it our object to heal over an old
sore, and leave i l t to break out nein! W4_
it our objedt to-failopt a mere misreahle ,4,
pedient to t applyi to that territory, and to that
algae, and leave ourselves entirelyatsea,Witli
olii:etimpass when new territory was.acquired
(4 1 neW territorial organizations were toe hp.
made? ; - I
:I • l i
.
r a
Was that the `object for Which the ems q eit:
and Venerable Senator , ' from Kentucky f.
Clay), came here and sacrificed even his iSt
energies upon the altar 'of his country 1 WO
that the object for whichWebster,Clay, Cao,
and all the patriots of that jay, struggled
long'and so str4nuo'usly 1 Was , it inerelythe
applic'a'tion of, n, temporary expedient,!] In
agreeing to stand IoY Past and dead legislk
tionAhat the Baltimore platform pledged ini
to mistain thecompromise of 18501 **it
the Understanding of the whig party, Wl4rt i
theY adopted the compromise measures ?A
1150 as, an article Of political faith, that they
, ,
were only agreeing tO that: lidriCh Was
.past,
and had no reference to the future 1 If ,that
'WWI. their meaning; ;if that was their ohjElet,
theY palmed off an' itiocions fistid upon ihe
Alliclican people..: Was it.the taming! of
the demberatio party, W as
we pledged !Oar-,
seWeeto stand by the , compromise of 1800,
that sit; spoke tonly of {the past, - and had trio
- reference to the future? If so, it was a mss
deeeptien. When we pledged our President
tx) Stand by the compromise measures] : , dia
We j not Understand that *8 . pledged bir as
to his' future notion! l Was it as to 14 east
I • 1 - l • - I
, , • tr ;
1
,' J 1 i
~
tiohunt n, sumbmit
Cent nett If it hritlbeeti initiation to volt
cOndact only, the 'pledge would: have" be e n - -
,
Undue' as to a very large p'?ltioti of the deni- ;
eattic party,- 'Men went no ;that conveik , . - -
fie' 'who had beet" oppcsed. VI? the- COMIZZ, '.
inl e t measures —men - ,who. til!horred :..th ' 1
•
Ea Ures when they ,were penduig--menivhcr , ' '.,••
niree would have voted a ffi rtnativelyort them. - „
But, inasmuch those measures had beep
passed- and the country had , acquieseed lit
diem, and it was. important to-,preserve the - 1• . ,
fri ciple in order to, avoid agitation - iii th• •e t
t , these men'said, we waive our peat lite. ' .
jec 'ons, and we will stand by you andl[with
i re
))4 in carrying oet these. principle iri the ,
futare. • - . - ` ;.• i t / ,
Y Such 'understand to be the meaning of .the -: -
tivo great Parties at Baltimore: . Snob 1 nit .. ' l '
ii Land to . have ~been.' the . effect' of their. -
pledges. -If they - did not mean ilds;they
rent merely toadoptresolutions which were • - .
ne .
er to be carried out, an were designed to -
, • did and deceive the, le for the, mere is
pa ose of carrying an election. . , : .
ir hold, thenitliat, alto theierritory cover... t -.:,.
` - et:l b y the Utah and Nev ' Mexico bills, there
art - express. annulnient• Of the Misseuri ' • ,
et? promise; and .ns te . all . the - other unto ., r- ' • ',
ge ired territories, it was superset' . ei:liy the -,...
I.Fg3nciples of that legislation, and .vre . are I ,
und to apply those pr i nciples to the °lgen- •
ition of all new territories;
to all which; we •..
1
e own, or which we ineyherea ft er acqUire.
this construction be, given, -it makes that . / 3
C' promise ri - final adjustment. No' other ~ .
enstruction can possibly impart' finality to
. i
it. 'By any other construed:cm, the - question i ,
!Sit+) be re-opened the 'moment -you - ratify a
new treaty acquiring an inch of country from
Mexico. By any other,;,,constructioni you' re..
opeo•the issue every' tithe You slake a new`
kerritorial government. A But, sir, if you treat, .
the compromisel .
head of 1850 in, the i ' _
pod, of great principles sufficient to remedy 1-• _
ttimporary evils, at the;Same time that they 1 .
prescribe. rules of action-applicable. every- 1 ~
Wherein'all tithe to ccime, then - you avoid 1 • •‘._•
i1..,1 • • for ~. , _
___..,
.tue agitation ever, p you, observe rivet,. ' • '
I :faith to the provisions ilof these enite,traenti, 1r ' * -
and the principles establiihed by them ' - • -
... i Mr. 'President, I repe it . that, so faras,the , . _
Nuestion Of'.slavery is, concernetk them', is,
nothing in the bill under. consideration Which 1 , _
;'dries not carryout the principles'of the nom-':
airotniselneasures of 1000, by leaviriethei
I;people to do as they piettsoubject only tit'th'el
l ia-ovisions of the Constitution of the
t, •tates. If that principle is wrong,"tlie bil l,
1 13 g. If that principle is right, the bill/isl . ,
:right.lt is unneeessry to quibble ribo '-'
' , .. u...;
pltraseology or words, it is not the' , lnere - • _
litords, the mere phraseolcgy, that/ottr, con-! .
sptuents wish to judge. by., They Wish\ tok
know the legal effect of our legislation., .• , . -
i The legal effect of this bifi, if it be iassed;-
t- I- 4 .. . ~
Ins reported by the Committee on_ Territones,, ' •
ii. neither to legislate very len) Om terri-,
' • of ht to "-leave ; 1 1 to
tones nor out , them ;-, - eave peop e
:do as they plerete, unde the provisions.ortili
..he/litnitaticets- of the Constitution, - -
' States,- _ ;Why. should net this;
mil? Why should any riaan,'" •
:h, object to it t. I willespecial
, d ie atgaineur-tir- - eiierzsye -
QP
Ary, alnd ask why should any to _ eret ---- --.
Man object to this principle? lf 70.*.vt . i11.-.
revieir t he :history' of the slavery question in
.hp,United States, you will'-see that all . , the ,
great results in behalf' 'of free institutions
.which have been worked out, hive been 'ea
icomplislied by the 'operation of this prineiple,
land by.it al•4 . ..enci . . , - ''''''..•-i-., , ,,..t...
- ._,-;m1...,....-,,AffMrt - JOAV' B ' 43l '-‘ 4 -reat
Bri'tentieveryene of elnivai a slava:ring
t
province. When the Constitution f the
,- United States Was formed,' twelve outrite
thirteen were slaveholding States. Sin e that':
tithe six l of thoie 'States have become' ,
..--;
llowas thisheen effected ! Was it rvir- .
tue of abolition agitation in Congress ! Was .•.
it
i f :eit
it in obedience to the, dictates of the ' ederal
government ? - ':;Not . at all; but they've be
come free States under the silent by -sure •
"and irresistible working ef that great ~ rinci
hi
ple Of self-goverinnent • Which teaches every '
people to do that which* interests of. them- '
selves and their posterity morally an peen
i
itiatily may_require. '- - . L
Under the operation of this mincipit
Hampshire lietanie free, while South ;1
na centinued, to hal' , slaves; 'Coinii
abolished slaVery,, while Georgia hel
it; 'Rhode, Island abandoned the - ins,
While. Maryland preserved it; New
New Jersey, , (did Pennsylvania abolish
.-e'ry i While- Tirginia, .North Carolin
Kentucky retained it. Did they d
yOur bidding ? -Did they do it at . th
lion of the federal governtnent!
• Diti:
it in obidianee le any' f your•Wilin
visos or ordinances of '81! ' Not at al
did it by virtue of their. rights . awl
under the Constitution 'of the United:
to establish and abolish such institut
they thought their 'own :OA reguiredt
Let me ask, whete haVe r yon simii
excluding slavery by 'an act 'of ' from
one inch - of
,the Altaic:PA Volie V . 11 nlaY
tell the that Y4Sii did ft iii -the &Atha est ter
ritory bY the , ordinariee 0f 1787. I 11 show
you.by 'the history of-- the country', at you
did not ,accomplish '"any sech -thin . You
prohibited slaVery there.l)y laW, but on did
not exclude it .in fact. Illinbis was S i part of
the northweat territory: 1 With the eitceptibe
of a few Frinch and Wl:iife_sAletnel64 it' was
a vast wilderness, filled With hostile lavages,
when the ordinance of 1787-was a4pted.—
Yet, sir, when Illinois Was organi into a
territorial government, it established: nd pro
tected slavery, and - maintained it i .spite of
your ordinance and in defiance of : 1 express
prohibition., It is a curious fact, Ilia ,so long
as Congrm. said,- the . territory, o Illinots
1
&child not have savery, she 'actual' had it
and 'on the very day when you with rew your
and
prohibition the pop e of Illi
n'ois, of theit oi,as free will - and ac 01'0, pro.
vied for a, syitem of emancipation.i, ' -
Tints yoti did not sueceed in Illin is Terri
tory 'with .your onlinance ~ :.or year 'Wilmot
I'roviso, becapse the people there re didit
as an invasion of their lights; they- egarded
it as an uturpation on the part of e fedend
governnieid. Thiiy. regraded, it asiviolatiVe
of the great principles of self gOvernitnent,and
__ -
4ipt
tbey . determinedthat they would, ver. But
ini\t even to have - freedom
.no lop as you
forced it Upon them. N.
Xor mist it be said. that slavery , iiaboi
ished, in the constittO_Ni Illino in order,
to be admitted into theOllniOn as * 8 te, corn . -
.plianee with the ordiriance '41787 for they
did no such thing.. lin the eonstitu ion with
which the people of Illinois were admitteg
into the Union, they absolutely via ted, die.
, New
•etieut
on to
'tution,
York,
; a la-.
= and
;. •it at
dicta
i
F. ey do
t prr .
; they
i eanen
IStatea,
ons as