The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1854-09-02
Popular Sovereignty the True Policy Of

| to the Missouri line, "this geographical line
of division is the most pententous one
have ever contemplated; )" and again, 'such
line, coinciding with a marked principle,
moral and political, once conceived and held
up to the angry passions Of men, will never
be ohli,erated." His fear was, that the Mis-
sour; line would forever mark the territory
south Of i. ~ Save and north OF 1t rs free,
thus placing an eternal and fatal barrier Of
distinction between the two portions Of our
Union, that must eventually lead to their pc.
litcal separation. While the line remained
both an ercroachmcnt 10y the north on the
territory consigncdto slavery, or of the south
on the territory devoted TO freedom, would
be equally the source of violent contention
and ultimate discussion. And how true it
is. Was there ever hope of securing q foot
of the Louisiana territory south Of $500 to
freedom? And if the principle Of the Mis-
souri, line had been unfortunately adhered to
in 1850, does any one doubt but both New
Mexico and the southern portion Of Cal!for-
/
slavery? Bat, happily, by the compromise
measures of 1850, the whole principle and
policy of 4 geographical line were abandoned
and the principle Of popular sovereignty
substituted. And what has b1en the effect?
New Mexico Utah, and California, although
most Of them as far south as Arkansas,
were secured to freedom. The north is
relieved from her implied obligation in re-
ference to slavery in the new states to be
formed out Of Texas, the moral force Of the
Missouri Compromise line is ncutraliZcd in
paralying the natural tendency ofth popular
sovereignty principle to secure those new
states to freedom; and in every foot of new
territory to be acquired from Mexico, al.
though as far south as Florida, the chances
Of freedom over slavry must even be more
than equal--ndeed the exclusion Of slavery
must be inevitable.
Under such circumstances, would it have
been wise Tor even the friends Of freedom
to return to the Missouri line or the geo.
graphical principle in 1854? Would it not
have given the south q just pretcxt to in
sst upon the application Of that line to other
territory? and would it not have been done
But, although the abolitionists or free
sellers are compelled to admit that they have
more to gain than lose by the adoption Of
the popular sovereignty principle, they say
their adherence of slavery is such that
they will apply the one principle to Kansas
| and Nebraska and the other to all other ter
.itory-anything to secure territory to free
dom. Such course would be neither fair
nor honorable, and while it would lead "a
endless contention and strife, and inevitable
I defeat it is wholly unnecessary as means
: Of securing freedom in Kansas. The pOpu'
: lar sovereignty principle will here as every
where else yindicatc itselias the true policy
$ ol'recaom. Nebraska is free aircady-pas
' all doubt or contingency, aud 50 is Kansas
r We have already published much to prov,
: tina, slavery cannot be established in Kansas
@ and We give few more extracts from pa
r pers and letters that must be conclusive.
y Our first extract is from letter to til,
". nIass, ca. u.,;,,oa L .,;
a,on, r.o,n ,bot sto,n 70 Eorsos IT, sar,.
; The people are iiockinc in from all part,
q Of the United States. One year from thi,
c ,in d"n. r. ,bn in;.,, c,r oJ,,,;',;a n'" % "
4 Co. 80
. ~, ro~,,rs b,vo Coon r,nor,, =, o,oo,
inn. j., o,,r uostn,,, ,'.,,,',, ,,;,h .osa,,,;a,'
Ja,;,nci - i,.;,rida,a or,l,o,,, ,,,o,, a,,d ;,
. tao,, ,ho, fror, sc,,,;r,, in ,i,;s
q hut II ,,o,, havc yo, ,na,, hol;nro mo ~,
ara oil Gov .T,r, Sn,o. ,oi;,;ca, 49,.
Lori,s t,ro u,i,te, o,,I ,I,,y'' 80 a,,,
r roslI,,,;nns IN ir;r L.d.roon,s rooa 49,, =,
,Soir r,,,,ll A. r,o r,,I,or -, n,,,,
. AMI ,hrm sc,, tben, o,r tn ,Lc n.rnr, ic;nJ"o,
hc ,rLDIo thi,, y.,s ,,n, a,, m j., ,ha Ill;
; ,"r,s nriro TSc trn,b !, ~, y" -, -, 1 49,,
NJ v;.sn,,,, ;u., sail move ,bo, c-tapc -
{ H., ,,.o,I. =, ,,;s.,nr; ,ri.l -. ,', ~
!. ,ho S,.,a a,5 ,ro ,,,,'osoJ a. H., ;s,n,I,,,
t,n, 49, go. az ,.,,o, oa, 1870:
! ",,o ,i,o -. - - sV" me
II ~" Il '''Sa WY "'". ~ n'."o''' no'i' Va
e cumstanccs wiz, inst what ,hey ,r. i,
0 ing, and nothing else, viz pass resolutions
= a better to the Philadelphia Ledger froI
Kansas, after abiding to the immense tide O
II ou;,ro,ior ,et,;r, into ,h,t co,,,r, h,s n
p. ~ '.'''7 ,''' '''''' "'' -
/ 'o'o".hs paragraph
: And, now, gentlemen, you may ask hov
:. about slavery: VIII Their State Constitu
d tons recognize slaycryy answer, no. o.
,c the great Nemahaw River there is larg
80 settlement Of Missourians; was anon