Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1854-07-07
ADDRESS,
or the Anti-Nobraska Members or
Congress TO tho People.


the members of Congress who opposed the
passage Of the bill 10 organize the territories
of Nebraska and Kansas, held pursuant to
previous notice here, on the oslh inst, Hon.
Solomon Foote OF VT, was elected chair
man, and Hon. Daniel Mace Of Indiana. and
Hon. Reuben T.. fenion Of New York were
appointed Secretaries. A committee appoint.
ed for the purpose, reported an address to the
people Of the United States, which having
been discussed and amended, was unanimous
I ly adopted, and ordered to bo published. 1t
is as follows:
70 he Pcop'e orhe Uaaos s.Saia
The eighth section Of The act Tor the adj.
mission Of Missouri into the union, known as
the Missouri Compromise law, by which the
introduction OF slavery into the regions now
known as Kansas and Nebraska was forever
prohibited, has been repealed. That law.
which in lssoquiclcd a controversy mcnaciur
the Union and upon which YOU have 81 long
rcPosod, is obli,era,cd from the statute book.
We had no reason to cNpcc, any such prop
o'ilion when we assembled here SIX month.
ago, nor did you expect II No State, no
citizen Of any State, had demanded the repeal
3 seems duty wc owe to the country to state
llr grounds upon which we have stcadas,ly
though Intellectually, opposed this alarming
and dangerous act
You need not be told that the slavery ques.
iion lies At the bottom of il. As j, was the
.lavchollnr power thn, demanded the enact.
mcni Of the Missouri Compromise, 80 it is
the same power that has now demanded it,
abroraiion. African snvcry was regarded
and denounced as great evil by the Amer.
can colonies even before the Revelation, and
those colonies which .'c now sla,choldnr
States were equally earnest IN such rcmon.
Nranccs with those whichare now free States.
Colonial laws framed In rrcyen, the increase
ur slavery, were vetoed by the Kngof Great
Britain. This exercise uf arbitrary power
to enlarge aud PcrPciunis a system uniyer.
sally REGARDED as equally wrongful in itself
and injurious to the Colonies, was one of the
Revolution.
When the var w. ended, there was an
impcuou. necessity ior the institution Of some
government in the then unoccupicd terrific
ric. of the United States. In l7si jefferson
proposed aud in 1867 tie Continental Con-
crrss adopted the ordinance ror the govern.
ment Of the territory lying northwest Of the
Ohio, by which it was declared that there
shall be neither slavery nor involuntary scr,-
itudc, except for the punishment Of crime.
The great and Hour r,hing State, since OF.
ranlcd under that ordinance are enduring
monuments of the wisdom Of the stat csmen
Of the revolution. The foreign slave trade
was regarded as the source of American
Slavery, which it was believed would be
dried up when that fountain should be closed
In adopting the Constitution 1t wAs univcr.
sally anticipated that the foreign slave trade
would be promptly prohibited, and allplr,ic,
acquicsced in posipoainc iha, measure Iill
lsOS. The foreign slave trade was prohibit
ell thus the source Of slavery was UNDER
stood tu be dried up, while the introduction of
slavery into the Tcrritoncs was prohibited.
The slavery question, 50 far as II was ma
t.onal one, was understood to be finally set.
tied and 4, the same time the States had al
ready taken up and were carrying forward a
system of gradual emancipation.
In 1909 Louisiana was acquired by pur.
chase from France, ard included what Is
known as the States Of Louisiana, Missouri,
Arkansas and Iowa, and the territories of
Kansas and Nebraska Slavery existed at
the time in New Orleans and st. LOUIS, and
50 this purchase resulted in bringing the
Slavery question again before Congress. In
1919 the region Immediately surrounding
New Orleans applied Tor admission into the
Unlou under the namo Of the State Of Lou
isilna, with a constitution ioleraiing Slavery,
and the Free States acquicsced.
Eight years afterwards, the region con-
ncr.ed with st. Louis dcmsnded admission
under the name Of Missouri, with a constiiu-
rion ,olcrating Slavery. The Free States
reverted to the principle OF l7s7 and opposed
the admission of Missouri, unless she would
incorporate into her constitution an inhlbi-
,ion Of the further introduction of slavery
into the State.
The .laycholding States insisted upon her
unoualifed admission. A controversy arose,
which was sectional and embilered, and
which we are assured by coniemPoraneous
history, seriously impeuilled the Union.
The statesmen Of that day settled the coniro-
ycrsy by compromise. BY the terms Of this
COMPROMISE the Free States assented TO the
admission Of Missouri with her slaveholdlng
rousti,u, ion while NE slaveholding States on
their part yielded tho exclusion Of slavery in
ali the residue oflerrilory which lay north OF
90 deg. 30 min, constituting the present
Territories Of Kansas and Nebraska The
sla,cholding states accepted the compromise
as a triumph, and the free States have ever
since lerl /, undisturbed and unquestloned.
Arkansas. part OF Louisiana, which lay
south of 90 deg. 80 min, in complying With
the implication which was coniained in this
rcmprumise, was afterwards admitted as
slayeholding State, and the free States acqui'
esccd. In 1919, Florida, slave holding
province Of Spain, was acquired. THIS prov.