Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-03-30

Conedercy which preceded the existence OF this Govern
IN. effect exclude the South entirely from that
y and fertile region which lies between the Ohio and the
The next Of the series Is the Missouri compromise
which excluded the South from that large portion OF Louisiana
which lies north OF Sc, sG excepting what included in the
State Missouri The last of the excluded the South
from the whole of the Oregon Territory All these in the
slang of the day. what called slave territories and
free-so that is territories belonging to sayehoding
a Ra1ss'; anu 'psn : - e M '
II will be observed that the Of complaint in each Of
the specified is Predcated on the assumption that the
South was deprived its due share Of the territories" Upon
this point wish be distinctly understood difier from
the Senator deny the very proposition he assumes
and upon the assumption of which he brings all bis complaints
against the North. The South, he says, was deprived
of its due share of the territories" What share had the
South in the territories the North any other geogra
phica division unknown the constitution answer,
none at ALL The territories belong TO the United States
one people, one nation and be disposed of for the
mon benefit ALL according to the principles of the constu
ton Each State, member Of the confederacy has
right voice in forming the rules and regulations for the
government of the teTtoes but the different sections,
North South, East and West, have such right 1t is
no violation of Southern rights to prohibit slavery nor
of Northern rights leave the people to decide the
question for themselves In this sense no geographical
section of the Union is entitled any share OF the terrific
RES The Senator from South Carolina will therefore excuse
for expressing heopnion hst all Of his sgans
the North under this head pedcaed upon one great
damenta errOr-tnc error Oh suppOSinB
ton has a right have due share Of the territories set
apart and assigned to it.
But must proceed to the consideration OF the particular
Of aggression Of which the Senator complains And h
of the ordinance Of 1887 II is little remarkable that the
constitutional rights South should have been invaded
by adopted before the constitution was made aad e
peciay when take into consideration the fact stated BY
the Senator from Massachusetts in his speech the other days
that the ordinance Of S7 adopted the unanimous vote
of every Southern State there being but vote cast against
it in the Confederation, and that Northern vote The
first act Of Northern agge ssion seems therefore to nave been
adopted by the united Of the entire South This ord-
nance Senator from South Carolina informs had the
effect exclude the South entirely from that vast and fertile
egion which lies between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers
now embracing five States and Territory Is not the
Senator mistaken in his facts My information is that had
no such effect On the contrary, informed that at the
time the constitution OF the State Of Ohio formed, at
least one half Of the people Of that State and probably more
were natives of and emigan from Southern States that
fully thirds of the people Of Indiana at the time she
adopted her constitutions natives OF the South and that
much larger proportion Of the people Of Iinios at the time
she admitted into the Unon also from the South
These facts do indicate that the ordinance had the effect
to exclude the South entirely from those Territories Let
inquire what effect had upon slavery there The ord
nance twill be remembered, was adopted IN 1857 the very
year. believe in which the first settlement was made at the
mouth of the Muskngum year before the first house was
erected where Cincinnati stands in short when the
whole country unpeoped wilderness, with the
cepon of the small French settlements at Kaskaska, Arka
kia, Vncennes and few other points The object Of the
ordinance therefore, prohibit not to ABOLISH slavery in
the Northwest Territory And evidence that the ord-
has procured the effect intended by lis ramers we
have repeatedly been referred to those five free States carved
Of that territory Thus these five States now free
with provisions in the constitutions Of each prohibiting sa-
very in all time to But was it the ordinance that
made them free The show that there
were 33l slaves in Illinois in 1910, and than 700 in
$780, do recolect precisely how many there in
the other States but remember there was quite number
in Indiana How these slaves in Illinois They were
taken there under the ordinance and in defiance of it. ILL
nos was slave Territory The people mostly emf
grants from the savehodg States and attached to the nst
tuition by associations habit and interest Surprising that
the SOIL climate and productions the country adapted
slave labor they naturally desired to introduce the instu-
ton to which they had been accustomed during their whole
lives Accordingly the Territorial Legislature passed laws the
object and effect Of which to introduce slavery under
what was called system of ndentures Thee laws au-
thozed the of slaves bring them into the Territory
and with them by which the slaves
to the master during the time specified In the
contracts or "indentures which usually for period
reaching beyond the life of the slaves and in the event the
slaves should refuse enter into the ndentue after being
brought into the Territory, the master was allowed thirty
days take them back again. not TO lose the right OF
property in them Under the operation Of these laws Illinois
became saveholdng Territory under the ordinance, and in
utter defiance of its plain and papable provision The
Convention which assembled Kaskaska in SlS to form
the constitution Of the Stale of Illinois, was Composed to
considerable extent Of Shareholders representing savehod
ing constituency. This body Of had become satisfied
from experience that the climate and productions Of the coun-
try unavorable slave labor and that the institution
was 10 ACcoIuipSiy
find three important principles established in the constu
ton which they framed and with which Illinois admitted
into the Union:
lst The right of property in all slaves ndentured per-
sons then in the State confirmed.
3D. That slaves should thereafter be brought into the
State.
3D. Provision for gradual system Of emancipation, by
which the State should eventually become entirely Free
This system of emancipation had been in operation twenty
two years at the date of the of 1910, when,
have already remarked there 33 slaves returned that
State 1t is to be hoped that Of that number the of
this year will show that not remains slave
Now sir what becomes of the complaint Of the Senator
from South Carolina that the ordinance of S7 excluded the
South entirely from that vast fertile region between the Ohio
and Mississippi rivers The facts which have adveed
show clearly that the ordinance had practical effect upon
it. Under the ordinance slavery existed there 10 greater
less extent and ordinance has been superseded by
the State governments, slavery has gradually disappeared
under the operation Of laws adopted and executed by the
pie themselves These facts furnish practical illustration of
that great TRUTH which ought be familiar all statesmen and
politicians that law passed by the National Legislature to
operate locally upon people not represented will always
main practically dead letter upon the statute book, if be
IN opposition to the wishes and supposed interests Of those
who to be affected by it. and the time charged
with it's execution The ordinance of S7 practically
dead letter. II did not make the country which it applied
practically free from slavery. The States formed Of the
territory northwest Of the Ohio did not become free by virtue
OF the ordinance, in consequence Of it. Those States
became free, and must always maintain their freedom they
expect to preserve it. by virtue Of their WILL soemny
recorded in the fundamental laws of their making and
execution That is the source and the only safe reliance