Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1854-03-24
Nebraska Meeting.

the Court House.
One of the speakers in it's favor stated,
what was evidently the fact, that majority
o: those present was opposed to the bill,
and in a Kindly spirit he moved that the
courtesy be extended to them Of participa-
tion in the discussion--with a proviso that
they should not vote upon the resolutions.
This motion being carried, quite an exciting
debate sprang up. cd .. sieAisEt
Mr.. Wallace was the first speaker called
out. He stated that the Compromise OF
1920 was based upon the principle that Con-
gress had q right to legislate upon the sab
ject of slavery in the Territories. The
Compromise of 1850, he commended, abroga.
tod the Compromise of 1920, and with it
the principle referred to, and substituted a
new principle, by which Congress abandoned
all claim to the right of legislation over
slavery in the Territories, and left it with
the people residing therein. He overlooked
the important fact shat the compromise of
1920 applied to certain territory, whose
liliito "Cio ucht.Cus dhu t.iAt tu0 -Ou1DTU-
mise Of 1850 related to certain other terri
tor, whose limits were also defined, and
that there was nothing in either compromise
to justify the conclusion that it was meant
to have general application to NIL territory
belonging or thereafter to belong to the
United States; nor was there anything in
the Compromise of 1850 to justify the cen
clusion that its trainers contemplated the
abrogation of tho compromise of 1920
These points were afterwards brought to
view by DIR. Waters and Mr. Butler. pc
Mr.. Woodward contended that the basis
of our government was freedom and equal
ity; that slavery was notA national institu.
ton, and was so held by southern men them.
selves, who rejected the right of the nation.
al government to meddlc with the subject
in any shape; that, as slavery nas not meant
to be acknowledged by the constitution as
a national institution, Congress had no
right to create slave a state, and that indeed
the question before US was not one properly
arising under the constitution or any law,
except the law of force, by which only sla-
very co Id be introduced into Nebraska.
DR.. Hastings was severe upon Abolition
lists and Freesoilers. Hsis mistaken, IL he
supposes that the main opposition to the
Nebraska bill is from either or both oftlose
parties. 7as
Mr.. Butler follow ed with a strong and cl-
oquent speech in wAIch he showed that the
Compromise o. 1920 had alw ays been strict
ly adhered to by the North, and that now
there was binding obligation upon the
South to observe it. His answer to every
point raised by the speakers who had pre-
ceded him was complete and convincing.
MIR. McKibben thought tho Compromise
Of 1920 had been annuIlcd, because strip
Of the Louisiana Territory, abon: the size
Of Muscatine county slipped into the Com
promise of 1850, un Ter cover of the boun-
daries Of New Mexico. 7oTq
Mr.. McAulcv had seen something of the
institution of slavery, and rather liked it
than otherwise. IS rg4v .
DIR. Rseder, the chairman, was charged
by Mr. Butler with performing somerset
within tho past six or eight days; the Doc
tor explained himself into perplexing po-
sition OF which he relieved himself, finally.
by frankly acknowledging the corn
Mr.. Usher thought the bill anti Demo-
cratic, and opposed it, not,as Freesoiler,
but as Democrat. aI zuIqeHu VH5aai8
AIR. Butler read the following extract
from Thomas Jefferson's "Notes on Virgin.
ia" Or. Hastings tried to put an cxtin-
guishcr over this light from the great apos
tie Of Democracy, BY expressing the opin.
ion that although AR. jefferson wrote these
very. words, he did NOT believe they were
his true sentiments which explanation
was of course calculated to raise Mr.. JEFF
ferson prodigiously in the estimation of
such foolish people as have q prejudice in
f3sor Of honesty and capdor: ig 3a
|"Taere must doubtless be an ahar py IL aene, up
90 the manners Of orr people produced by tse exist
encS OF slavery among as. Toe waole commerce. be-
tween master and slave is perpetual .rcise of the
most bosterous passions, the unrebitne Sespo,
ism on the part and degrading subm on the
other. Our children gee tais a1d learn to mitate.it
for man is an initiative animal. . q Tse p,
rent storms, the child looks oo catches the ents
OF wrath pats on tha sane airs in Ia. circs Of AN H.
sr saves, gives Loose to tn worst of passoas md
thus nursej educated, ani dai'y exercised In tyranny
cannot bat be stamped by with odious pecuiaritics
lie man must be prodigy who can retain bis man
rs and morals undeIrave by such circumst stances
All with what excavation should the statesman be
uadsd who. permitting oIehalf the citiz ms thus To
amp on tha rights o. the ether, transforms those
into dep)s, and thess into .nene DESTROYS thu toY
as of the enc part, sni tie parlc of the ether
forif slave can have country ia his world il ma,
o. aIy other IN preferences to that in which be bo
h live and LABOR fer another: in which he must lock
ap the faculties OF his nature coLtIibute as far as de-
pendss,n hi incv dual dSay rs to the eysnshment
,f the human race, or entail biz own miserable con-
ton % the tnalss generations prc ediug from him
With tie morals tho People, their jnduslry is also
destroyed. For in warm climate, no nan wi labor
Tor himself who can make snCther labor for him -
rns is 60 true That of the proprieo Of slaves very
n AL proportion iLdsed ever sem to labor. And
an tue liberties OF natl lie thought secure when
We have rcmved Their only firm bsss. a conviction
the minds of the people, that th r liberties arc the
,ht OF II are not 70 be violated hut with
,is wrsth? Indeed lreintls for my country, when
reflect that God just that Hi justice cannot slsep
orever: that nsidering Numbers nature, ard nat
lr,l m"ane only, revolution Of the wheel of fo.tu
N ex hange of situairr, is amorg possible esents
bat 1t may become probable by surern stura ierfer
nee The Almighty has no attribute which can take
'de with us In such contest - ~
The resolutions of coarse contained the I
lsual baldcrdash about s'isms," s:Freesoil-
Sun, "Abolitionism,' &C., and will be sent
o Congress; but we hope no attempt will be
made to aatter Hon. a. c. Dodge with the
deceptive idea that the endorsement of his