The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-17

5ree territory, formed an area of 425,T6l square
miles, establishing the preponderspce of free ter
Jitory by 40,24l square miles, and fixing iht
doom OF the South forever Thus, IN the short
srrnl of about eleven years from the commence
anent Of the. Union, the South, by single opera
gon, WAS reduced from conditon OF superiority
IN which she was four times as large as the iree
States, In a condition Of never ending inerIoniy;
There are several important circumstances ana
reflections connected with the transacuon, 70
which would gladly call your attention, put me
unavoidable length Of this communication com,
anpnds ne TO forbear.
Thus stood the territorial distribution until the
purchase of Louisiana under the Administration
.,f Mr.. Jefferson. This was all slave territory
~vhen acquired, aud comprised AN area OF l,l69,-
II square niiles-4an amount greater than the en-
,re superficial extent of the United States, before
slis acquisition aud sufficient 10 starte the APP
,rehepson and arouse the ambition of the North.
accordingly, when Missouri attained to sufficient
:mporapce and applied for admission into the
Union, the question Of slavery was introduced
ilto the Halls of Congress-. The North demanded
nat it should be abolished in the State making the
application, as the price and condition of her ad
,lission into the Union. Alarming excitements
'yere seen to prevail and we are told the Union
iottered 10 its deep foundations. who then put
that Union in danger, Who were the aggressors?
The South only stood on the defensive. Slavery
existed in Missouri. II existed every where in
! Louisiana. The North came forward TO demand
te destruction of an existing institution, to estab-
J sh anew order Of things-and sooner than submit
4 be thwarted in their purposes, they were prepa
J ed TO rend the Union into fragments. Buta COM
promise was introduced, on which they seized with
,aeerness, and forced it on the South by their
united votes. 1t provided for the admission Of
missouri with her constitution, permitting slavery
throughout her limits but it adopted the line Of
her Southern boundary, viz. 36 deg. 30 min.
north latitude and provided for It's indefinite extern
sion west, to the extreme boundary of our pos
pessions applying to all north of that line the
principle of the ordinance of 1857. Let us pause
and examine the effect of this celebrated Missouri
Compromise. N
IL has already been stated that the Louisiana
purchase comprised an area Of ,1S9, liz square
miles, which was all slave territory-of this 224,
las square miles are situated south of the line Sc
30 north latitude and 964 ,667 square miles north
uf that line. Thus the North by their own votes,
.,nd against the almost united vote Of the South,
1orced a measure on the South by which ii was
graciously permitted that the institutions of the
South might continue TO exist, IN 224, AS square
miles, where they were already established but
that the Institutions of the South should be abOl-
1shed in 964, 667 square miles, which should thus
he untitled for the uses of the South, and appro-
priated 10 the uses of the North--th North taxi
ing 10 itself TAO, 1922 square miles more than itper
united to remain to the South
By the Florida treaty, the United States acquir-
ed tie territory now forming that State, with an
area Of SO ,268 square miles. We also extingushed
the Spanish title to Oregon, and so strengthened
.pur title 10 that territory, as on adjustment of
the question with the Court of st. James, to Sc
cure to the United States, 34l ,463 square miles of
OREGON. The institutions of the South are per-
1uiled to continue in Florida, but Oregon has been
appropriated by the North. The South are allowed
80 ,2GS square miles, whilst the North takes TO |
Itself 34l ,463 square miles; or 282, 1876 square
miles more than she permits to the uses OF the
South. |
lo, toll
7he South, without compensation or equivalent,
7he following amount OF territory to-wit:
4 4.H Square miles.
by the ordinance Of 81, 26l ,6Sl
Excess Of Louisiana purchase by Mis-
souri, Compromise, ~ TAO 800
Excess of Oregon over Florida $50, 1875
Total without equivalent in square miles 1884 ,09S
il is now proposed to take all the Mexi-
can acquisition. without the slightest
equivalent, 52G,O7s
Making total in square miles, l,sl0,17G
Being an extent nearly twice rs large as the
whole Of the United States east of the Mississippi
river,
II the line of 36o 80 shall be extended to the
Pacific, as recommended by the Nashville Conven-
non. the entire area of the Union, including States
and Territories, will be divided between the North
;nd South as follows: ~
. . s.sa .. Square miles.
The area OF existing slave States 1913
Texas South of $50 30 N. lat. PSI 1888
Indian territory south of 36o 80 -. 90, 1886
California and New Mexico, south of d .....
800 80 -.,ne- @ 20i,6S3
Total of slave territory .- -,... ,155, 300
That portion of the territory allotted TO the free
States will be as follows .. .s.1s r
'.H ..' ..... Square miles
hrea of present free States - 45i,340
Oregon - - 34l ,463
". W. Territory H.. 7a3 ,24s
Minnesota H. 1886
indian territory north 500 80 100, sos
3Go 3V "I ~ = 3aI ,695
Texas ~ of $50 go " AZ, 537
Total of free territory - .- 2,097 ,l24
Being an excess of "a, 224 square miles above
the amount appropriated to the uses of the South,
according to the plan of division recommended by |
tie Nashville Convention. ... .t, g,..,.....y.. |
Ne: there politicians even in the South, who
denounce this demand unreasonable and ex-
trnvagant, though it gives to the North near twice
much territory as 1t appropriates to the uses OF
the South. .. e..- ... w.. .4-. .
Let us now examine the result OF the plan re.
commended by Mr.. Clay's Compromise. ar
The amount of Territory appropriated to the South
Square Miles.
Area of present slave State 6l0,79S
Indian Territory south of SO
degrees 80 minutes 5S,436
Texas 2O0,5S9
Total Of slave Territory S69,S21
.4mOunt appropriated to the North. ..a
3. Square Miles .@#r
Area OF present States $40
Oregon 34l 400 Il
North West Territory 7a3,24s J.