The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-06-11
CONGR ESSION Al.
SPEECH OF HON. w. 4. HAMILTON,


or MARYLAND,
q, ,ha Nebraska and Kansas bill delivered in the House Of
Representatives, May 10, 1854.
The House being in Committee of the Whole on the state
oftle Union .
Mr,HAMILTON said; -,
Io NV remarks shall assume Mr. Chairman that there
gt 10 ar win inevitably be established form OF gov
eminent for the Territories Of Nebraska and kansas ana
therefore regard TO that part OF the subject sh nave
nothinp TO saw Neither shall enter into discussion OF
be historical details Of this question They have been SO
generally dwet upon by gentlemen who have preceded me
hat nothing original and ofintercst can be now said
As preliminary however TO my remarks, IL may DE ne
sssary 10 premise that this territory for which govern
mens are to be formed was acquired from France
treaty in 1903 and is part Of the Louisiana acquisition
Bv the third article of the treaty by which we acquired Tue
immense and magnificent Territory Of Louisiana, the gov
enmcnt Of the United States placed under the mos,
binding solemn and sacred obligations to the people OF
that Territory The third article OF that treaty 10 &c foi
lows;
.T, h,b,ants of the ceded Territory shall be incorpo-
d IN ths Union Of the United States and admitted
possible according to the Rheps @ sS 2, the cons
mmunes Of citizens of the uned states and IN the mean
time they shah be maintained and protected in the free
ioymen their liberty, property, and the religion which
they profess .. .e#
The institution Of domestic slavery existed in this Terri
tory long before and the time ii ceded to the United
States In the year 1904 Louisiana erected into the
Territory of Orleans and the District Of Louisiana Con-
grcss in providing temporary government for the Terri
tory of Orleans, imposed the following provision:
Te laws force in the said Territory the
men of this act and not inconsistent with the provisions
thereof shall continue in force until altered, modified,
psaed by the legislature" y q ..
And Congress further by the same act in providing
government for tile district Of Louisiana by placing it un
der the jurisdiction of the established territorial govern
men Of Indiana, imposed similar provision, namely:
The laws force in the said district of Louisiana at the
commencement OF this act and not inconsistent with of
the provisions thereof shall continue in force until altered
modified repealed by the governor and Judges of the In
diana Territory, as aforesaid
In the year 1905 Congress separated the district of Lou
ana from the territorial government of Indiana and in
providing for it distinct government imposed some
what similar provision, namely: u.
That the laws and regulations force the said district
at the commencement of this act and not inconsistent with
the provisions thereof shall continue in force until altered
modified, or repealed by the legislature" II.
In 1912, the Territory of Orleans having been erected
into Statewhat is the State of Louisanaand ad-
mted into the unon Congress established the Territory
OF Missouri which absorbed the district and Territory of
Louisiana and included within limits all the balance of
the Louisiana acquisition not within the State Of Lousia-
ma embracing what is the States Of Missouri Arkan
Ss Iowa. the Territory of Minnesota territory of
Arkansas and The projected Territories Of Nebraska and
Kansas and in providing the government for this inn
mense territory, it was enacted by Congress
That the laws and regulations force in the Territory of
Louisiana nt the commencement of this act and not ncon
sen with the provisions thereof shall continue in force
until altered, modified repealed by the general
In lslo Arkansas taken from the southern part Of the
Missouri territory was erected into Territory and Con-
gess, ia law organizing IL Incorporated similar pro-
vision And thus we that the United States having a
quired Louisiana with the institution of African slavery
In IT, and bound BY treaty obligations TO protect it. Com
gess In organizing the Territories of Orleans Louisiana
Missouri and Arkansas always scrupulousy exact 10
maintain, far it could all los and requations rese
Tag as well as other things the provisions from the
and confirm.
But to proceed In 1919 the people of the Missouri Ter
rtoy wishing to form State government asked Of Con-
ges5 permission do and here commenced that
MI struggle between the two sections of the Union the
dayehoiding and the non-slaveholdng.
In authorizing the people Of Missouri Territory in obe-
aence TO their wish to form State government the repre-
sentaves from the nonsaveholdng States insisted that
they should incorporate in their constitution prohibition
OF slavery and this srenuously and as resouely
resisted ny the representatives of the savehoding States
who dcsired and maintained that the people should when
they came TO make constitution determine this question
ior themselves After protraced and bitter controversy
whch threatened at one time the peace of the Union the
a OF the 6h OF March, 1920 passed by which the
people q Missouri were authorized TO form State govern
ment without the slavery prohibition; and by the eighth
section OF this act was provided that in all the territory
north OF the parallel OF latitude 36 deg 30 min and be-
yond the limits Of the defined boundary Of the State of
Missouri, slavery should forever he prohibited
viii be recoected that 80 deg 30 min Is the southern
boundary OF the State Of Missouri and consequently this
prohibition affected all the territory Of the onisiana
chase lying west and north Of Missouri Nearly every
southern member OF both houses protested and voted
against this eighth socon but the northern members put
there and when incorporated in the BILL almost The en-
ure mass OF them opposed the whole bill; they voting
against because il did not well prohibit slavery within
the proposed State out of IT, And was AT last passed
w lew members from the non-slaveholdng States uni
ung with The large majority Of the members from the slave
holdng After earnest but vain efforts upon the part Of
southern members TO pass simple bin authorizing Mis-
sour 70 form State government without any reference TO
e subject Of slavery they driven into the dire
sy OF taking this bin with this prohibition or taking moth
ing WIN y Missouri could be ADMITTEDLY and the obnoS-
ons eighth section could be left to the future consdera-
hon aud action Of tho people
Accordingly, Missouri erected into STATE with n
constitution oleratng slavery, and applied for admission
IN the year 1921 At once II met most formidable and
appeared amost nexble opposition from The North
anu upon two grounds. first that its constitution toe-
~ sivoy ana secondly, that It's constitution prohib-
yea reo negroes from mmqratinq into the State These
objections combined prevented lis Immediate admission
ana out Of u grew vehenenty angry and dangerous con-
he North steadily refusing TO Weld assent TO its adj
committee was at last appointed of which Mr..
Say was chairman. That committee rcportcd tot Mis-
souu ought 10 be admitted with her consinti,
slavery and - regard TO that part Of which asd tha
Immigration OF free negroes into the State a ~,
vas submitted 10 reconcile the scruples OF some Who
thongnt IN conflict with the constitution az ~
states The recommendations of the committee were a,,
ed and Missouri was admitted ms a State The vote ya.
eose m the House the almost entire North voting against
lti the entire South voting for It -"
So that from the sueoinct bistorie rev,er C ,,s o,
which marked the period from the aonnisiiion az
zoe admission Of Missouri we fnd that notwithstand
ing our treaty obligations protect the property of III.
nhaoan's OF this Territory Notwithstanding tho pre-
ceding congresses In every instance when orgnn 6,
separate Territories have before cn,,norae5 ot3sd
~ orce their laws and regulations respoctiyey wbe
Jaws ana regulations protected and neknowedped slave.
Property and Notwithstanding Congress In orpanizino
s WY missouri Territory, continued in force all its laws
a reguanons which laws and regulations protected and
mainained slavery yet notwthstandinr ail these ob
ooth oy treaty and by laws and regulations main.