Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1854-02-09
Nebraska.


This Territory comprises all that portion Of
country lying between the Rocky Mountains and
the States Of Missouri and Iowa, aud the Ter
ritory Of Minnesota. II extends NOrthward,
from Texas to The British possessions in North
America. Being more than 5000 miles in cir
cumierence, and contains an area Of 485,0O0
square miles more than l2 times as great as
that Of the State of Ohio.
This immense region lying in the very heart
Of our Western country, and larger by $4,000
square miles than all the existing Free States,
exclusive Of California; embracing all the un-
organized Territory of the nation, with small
exception, which for more than thirty years has
been regarded as conseerated to freedom by
statute and by compact, is now about to be
opened to slavery and all its blighting effects.
The Bill now before Congress for the organ
lEation of this Territory known as Douglass
Bill" provides in the 2Ist Section, as follows
"Be it further enacted that in order to avoid
all misconstrucuon, it is hereby declared to be
the true intent and meaning of this acs as far
as the question Of Slavery is concerned, to car
ry into practical operation the following propo.
sitions and principles established bv the Com
promise measures of 1850, to wit: First. That
all questions pertaining TO Slavery in the Ter
rtores, and in the new States 10 be formed
thereafter, are to be left to the decision Of the
people residing therein, through their appropri-
ate rcpresen alives. Second. That " all cases
involving lille to slaves and questions of per-
sonal Freedom" are referred to the adiudca-
tion Of the local tribunals, with the rights of
appeal to the Supreme Court Of the United
States. Third. lhatthe provisions of the Con-
stitution and laws of the United States in res &.
pect to fugLives from service, are to be carried
into failhlnl execution in all the organized Ter
ritories the same as in the States.
The Jefferson Proviso of 1894, and the or
dinance of 1927, plainly indicates that the orig
nal settled policy Of the United States, was
non-cxlension of Slavery. The Missouri Com
promise of 1890 also provided against further
extension of Slave Territory.
When the country was all agitation, and fear
ful forqbOdings stared our Legislators in the
face when this mighty Republic rembled be-
meath the terrible weight of excitement, quiet
was brought by this compromise. Our wscst
and best Statesmen provided against any future
agitation on this subject, and accordingly in the
act authorizing the admission Of Missouri into
the Union as Slave State, there was aprohb-
itory clause inserted, forever excluding Slavery
from that portion Of territory acquired from
France, not included in the new State, lying
North of SO deg 80 min
! The 9th Sec Of that act reads as follows !;
"Be il fatker enacted That in all that Territory
cceded by France to the United States under
the name of louisiana, which lies North of 49,
deg. 0 min of North latitude, not included
within the limits Of the State contemplated by
this &C, Slavery and involuntary Seryitude 9TH
erwiSc than as the punishment of crimes, shall
be, and is hereby forever prohibited"
This would have forever settled the question
as was designed by our Statesmen, had not
the acquisition Of other Territory, given rise to
a renewed struggle on the part of the South
for the extension Of the area of Slavery.
This act has been the supreme law Of the
land for nearly half the period of our existence
as Republic. No one was found to question
its validity, nor dare to violate its enaclments
until the celebrated Douglass introduced his
'pfomous bill.
Nor is this all; the compromise acts Of 1850
recognized the prohbilOry clause in the com
promise of 1890.
The 3 Art, Of the 9. Sec. Of the joint Resolu
ton for anuexing Texas to the United State;
alter providing for the division of that Terrific
ry expressly declares that "in such State o
States as shall be formed out Of said Territor,
North of said Missouri compromise line, Sla
very or involuntary servitude, except for Grim
shall be prohibited. And in the act providing
for the organization Of New Mexico in whcl
the boundary Of Texas was determined, whicl
was one of the compromises of 800 the follow
ing provision is found, "EroOided That moth
ing herein contained shall be construed to i'm
pair or qualify anything contained in the thir
article of the second section of the joint ResC
9 luton for annexng Texas to the United States
, approved March /, la45, either as regards tn
number OF States that may hereafter be forme
oul oil the State of Texas. or the10iSe."
1t will be readily seen that the compromis
of 1920 was re-established by those of 1885,
r Yet Douglas and bis neiarious accompceshav
t the hardihood to bold y assert that the con
promise of 1850 opened the door for shaver
into the Territory.
The advocates Of Douglass BILL declal
s the prohibitory clause of the Missouri compr'
mise of 1899 repugnant to the provisions Of tf
: Consultations Ye satellites of the immortal Je
L. II A.! =.