Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-03-15

letfect exceptt6 preserve the principle ofthe Mis-
isoori Compromise That was true, if T.exas new
ler had any just claim north Of SO deg 80 min
4 Upon that supposition, also, the Mason pr6viso
had no effect as preserving and reaiifming afIAc-
taal prohibition north Of 36 deg. 80 min, bat still
servedto preserve the principle. tits impossible
10 maihtan as the Seifator does, that the third,
article OF the original jpina resolution, though of
no practical effect, preserved the principle t the
Missouri eompremisega gand yet deny that 4lie Ma
son proviso, which re.alfirms and re-estabiishes,
as part OF a new compact, every provision of that
third article, preserves that principle Ifte pffn-
ciple was preserved by one, ii must be by the
other. .nels5{ss 50 sts
5 IhaVe now,iI think, demonstrated that the Sem
ator from Illinois was clearly wrong in respect to
the Incorporation Of all theterritofg,cut or from
Texas into New Mexico; and just as clearly
wrongIn relation TO the reaiilrmance Of the prin-
4 cipie Of the Missouri Compromise by one Of those
VERY compromise acts which, as he would have.ns
tssy, superseded it. Certainly, the Senate, when
adopted the Mason proviso .Yithouta division,
and the House, ,iwhenit agreed to the billof which
It was a part, must have intended to keep alive
and atfrrn every provision Of the third articleof
the annexation resolution. One of these proyis-
ions prohibited slavery north Of SO deg. 80 min
that provision preserved the principle Of the Mis-
souri, compromise. The proviso, taken in, conhec-
with that provision, makes it clear beyond aM
question, that the compromise acts preserved that
principle, and rejected the consequence which it
is now sought to force upon them. s53Hj
submit 10 the Senate il / have not completely
vindcated this part of the appeal, against the
speech of Senator. The errors, mistakes repre-
Esentations, are all his own. None are found in
the appeal . sf" y .s-Ai 1851 si0 suS
The third specification of the Senator charges
the signers of the appeal with misrepresentation
OF the original policy of the country in respect to
slavery. The Senator says: e'47' NJ f{alsS1'
"The argument of this manifesto is predicated
upon the assumption that the policy Of the fathers
OF the Republic was to prohibit slavery ia all the
Territories ceded by the old States to the Union,
and made United States territory for the purpose
OF being organized in two States. take issue
upon chat statement ',tss tt5s' saH e'a'gEI
The Senator then proceeds to attempt to show
that the original policy of the country was one of
lndftereutism between slavery ard freedom; and
that, in pursuance oft, geographical line was
established, reaching from the eastern to the west.
ern limit OF the original Statesthat is to say, to
the Mississippi river Sir, if anything is suscep-
tible of absolute historical demonstration, think
it is the proposition that the founders of this Re-
public never contemplated any extension Of slave
ry. let US for few moments retrace the past
What was the general sentiment of the country
when the declaration of Independence was pro-
mulgated! invoke Jefferson as witness Let
him speak toius from his grave, in the language
OF his memorable exposition Of the rights Of Rri-
tish America, laid before the Virginia Convention,
in August, l774.ys Theseare his words: 's''-
"The abolition Of domestic slavery is the great
est object of desire in these colonies, where it
was unhappily introduced in their infant state.'a
In the spirit which animated Jefferson, the first
Congress-the old Congress of 1T74-among
their first acts, entered into solemn covenant
against the slave traffic. @ 1t7"& "7i .'.@It
a In 1776, the Declaration of independence, draft
ed by Jefferson, announced no such low and mar
row principles as seem to be the fashion now
Fhatimmortal document asserted no right of the
strong to oppress the weak, of the majority to- en-
slave the minority. 1t promulgated the sublime
creed of human rights. It declared that ALL MEN
are created equal, and endowed by their Creator
with inalenable rightsto life and liberty % 8't
The first acquisition of territory was made BY
The United States three years before the adoption
Of the Constitution. Just after the country had
enc ged from the war of Independence, when its
struggles, perils and principles, were fresh in re-
and the spirit of the Revolution yet
lived and burned in every American heart, we
made our first acquisition of territory. That ac-
quisition was derived 'front.' might, perhaps, bet
ter say confirmed blythe cessiona of Virginia,
New Yak and Connecticut. 1t was the Terri
toTy NOftnWeSI vi tHe TNeT OulOs
Congress forthwith proceeded to consider the
subject of its government, Mr.. Jefferson, Mr..
Howell, and Mr.. Chase, were appointed COM
mittee to draft an Ordinance making provision for
that object. The Ordinance reported was the
work of Mr.. Jefferson, and is marked throughout
by his spirit Of comprehensive intelligence and de-
voton to liberty, It did not conine its regards to
the territory actually acquired, but contemplated
further acquisitions by the cessions of other
States. 1t provided for the organization of tens
porary and permanent State Governments 10 all
territory, whether "ceded or to be ceded,,' from
the 3lst parallel, the boundary between the Unit.
ed States and the Spanish province Of Florida on
the south, to the 42d parallel, the boundary be-
tween this country and the British possessions on
the north -A& "saS @'s ''-."
The Territory was to be formed into States;
the settlers were to receive: authority from the
General Government to mtemporary Govern
ments. The temporary Government was to con-
tnue in force until the population should increase
to 10000 Inhabitants; and the temporary were,
to be converted into permanent Governments
Both the temporary and the permanent Govern
ments were to be established upon certain pElaci-
Piles, expressly set forthin the Ordinance, as their
basis. Chief among those was the important pros
viso to which now ask the attention Of the Sem
ate: G"s' go FL =
"Aftcr the year 1900 of the Christian era there
shall be neitherSS Slavery or Involuntary servitude
in any of the said States, otherwise than in the
punishment Of crimes whereof the parties shall
have been duly connicted to have been personally
guilty.
Let it be noted and remembered that this pro-
viso applied not only 10 the territory which had
been cedcd already by Virginia and The other
States, but to all territory ceded and to be ceded
There was not one. inch Of territory within the
whole limits Of tbs Republic which was not coy-
cred BY the clans Of one or another orthe States.
TWAS then the opinion of many statesman Nj.
Jefferson himself among them--that the United
Suites, under the Constitution, were incapable OF
Acquiring territory outside Of the original States.
THE Jefferson pfoviso therefore, extended to all
territory which it vas then supposed The United
States s.n,llis snossibIv aca,iire