Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-02-25


il in the Territory by the ordinance
lsof 17sT will show you BY the history q. the
country that you did not accomp any such thing
not exclude IL in fact. Illinois was a part of the
4 Northwest Territory. With the exception of q few
French and white settlements Il was vast wilder
ness filed with hostile savages when the ordnance
of 1871 adopted Yet, sir, when Illinois was or
ganized into territorial government it established
and rotecteted slavery, and maintained it IN spite
of arordnance, and in defiance of its express pro-
hblton. 1t is curious fact that so long as Con-
gress said the Territory of Illinois should not have
slavery, she actually had it. and on the very day
when you Withdrew your gressional prohibition,
the people of Illinois, of their own free will and
cord, provided for system of emancipation.
Thus you did not succeed in Illinois Territory
with your ordinance, your Wimot Proyso, be-
cause the people there regarded it an invasion of
their rights They regarded it usurpation on
the part of the federal government. They regarded
it vioatye of the great principles of selfgovern-
ment and they determined that they would never
submit even to have freedom SO long you forced
it upon them.
Nor, must it be said that slavery abolished in
the Constitution of Illinois in order to be admitted
into the Union State in compliance with the or
dinance of 1887, for they did such thing. In the
Constitution with which the people of Illinois were
admitted into the Union, they absolutely violated,
disregarded, and repudiated your ordinance. The
ordinance said that slavery should be forever pro-
hibited in that country. The Constitution with
which you received them into the Union as State,
said that all slaves then in the State should remain
slaves for life, and that all persons born of slave par
ents after certain day should be free at a certain
age and that all persons born in the State after
certain other day should be free from the time of
their birth. Thus their State Constitution, well
their territorial legislation, repuGiate your ordi-
nance. Illinois, therefore, i; in point to
prove that whenever you have attempted to dictate
institutions to any part of the United States, you
have failed. The same is true, though not to the
same extent, with reference to the Territory of In
diana, where there we're many slaves during the
n is terri |
there were few in the Territory of Ohio.
know of but one Territory Of the United States
where slavery does exist, and that one is where you
have prohibited it by law, and it is this very Ne
braska Territory. In defiance of the Sth of
the act of 1920 in defiance of congressional dicta
ton, there have been not many, but few, slaves in
troduced. heard a minister of the Gospel the 9TH
er day conversing with member of the Committee
Territories upon this subject This preacher
was from that country, and member of the Com
mittee on Territories put the question to him
Have you any negroes out there!" He said there
were few held by the Indians. | asked him if
there were not some held by white men. He said
there were few under peculiar circumstances and
he gave an instance. An abolition missionary,
very good man, had gone there from Boston, and he
took his wife with him. He got out into the coun-
try, but could not get any help; hence he, being
kind hearted man, sent down to Missouri, and gave
81 600 for negro, and took him up there help"
Laughter. So, under peculiar circumstances, when
these fcesoil and abolition preachers and mssiona
rles go into the country, they can buy negro for
their use, but they do not like to allow any
else to do the same thing. Renewed laughter
l suppose the, fact of the matter is simply this,
there, the people can get servants, help"
they are called in the section of country where l
born, and from the necessity of the case, they
must do the best they can, and for this reason
lew slaves have been taken there. have no doubt
that, whether you organise the Territory of Nebras-
ka not, this will continue for some time to
1t certainly does exist and it will increase as long
the Missouri Compromise applies to the Territory
and suppose it will continue for little while dur
ing their territorial condition, whether prohibition
is imposed not. But when settlers rush in
when labor becomes plenty and therefore cheap, in
that climate, with its productions it is than
folly to think of its being slavchoding country.
l do not believe there is man in Congress who
thinks it could be permanently slaveholding coun-
try have no idea that it could. All have to
say on that subject is that when you create them
into Territory, you thereby acknowledge that they
ought to be considered distinct political organiza
ton And when you give them in addition a legis-
lature you thereby confess that they competent
to exercise the powers of legislation If they wish
slavery, they have a right to it. If they do not
want it, they will not have it, and you should not
force it upon them.