The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-07-08
For the Evansville Journal.
SLAVERY AND A.
Facts from History.
(CONcLUDED.)

1
care endowed by their Creator with certain
"inalienable rights, amongst which are life,
"liberty and the pursuits Of happiness"
These self.evident truths, SO dear TO every
noble heart, have recently been denounced
by such men as John Petit and other advo-
Gates OF slavery, as sell evident lesv In his cor
he holds the following language:
"When the measure of their tears shall be
"full, when their groans shall have involved
"Heaven in darkness, doubtless God Of
"Jnstice will awaken to their distress, and
"by diffusng light and liberality among their
"oppressors, or at length, by his extermina.
sting thunder, manifest his attention to the
"things of this world, and that they are not
cleft to the guidance of blind fatality" Vol.
l,pP. 1878.
In his notes on Virginia is the following
on the same subject:
"lndeed tremble for my country, when |
"refect that God is just: that his justice can
"not sleep forever: that considering numbers,
"nature and natural means only, revolution
"of the wheel of fortune, an exchange of sit
"uation is among the possible events, that il
"may become probable by supernatural inter-
"ference. The Almighty has no attribute which
'can take sides With US in such a contest" Pages
100, III.
But the GREAT FACT in our early history
which developers the policy and opinions OF
the statesmen of that day, (manv Of whom
were slave-holders.) ,oas the prohibition OF
slavery in the North Western Territory, By The
ordinance of 1857. 1t was then bowling
wilderness, it is now covered by the great
and Gopulous States Of Ohio, Indiana, ILL
nois, Michigan aud Wisconsin, FIVE States
containing nearly five millions Of freemen
and not one sldue.
1t should be remembered that at the close
of the war of the revolution, our extreme
western boundary was the Mississippi river,
and the North Western was the only Terri.
tory hey ond the limits Of the organized States
owned or claimed by the General Govern
ment. 1t was ceded by Virginia to that gov
eminent upon the express condition that
"slavery andinvoluntary servitude, except for
"crime, should be forever excluded from it's
"borders." Virginia was at that time and
still is a slave State.
All the documents in reference to this deed
of Virginia and the ordinance of 1887, may
be found in l Revised Statutes 1852, Ind, pp.
[7S to "a.
Abolisbing slavery in the States, and pro-
hibiting it in the Territories, was favorite
policy with Mr.. Jefferson He was the first
to propose this prohibatory clause against
slavery, which he did in 1854, but it was not
fully adopted until 1887. In that year seven
of the original thirteen States had taken
measures TO abolish slavery within their
limits, and were regarded Gas they have since
become) free States. That ordinance pro.
vided for five new free States, and thus Sc.
cured the decided ascendency Of the free
States in The confederacy. The perpetua-
ton of slavery in any State, it is quite clear
was not at that time thought Of. With the
destruction of the slave trade, the fountain
from whence flowed this evil, it was supposed
the evil itself would cease. That infamous
trade was abolished by law of Congress in
1908. But our policy was changed, when slave
labor became more profitable, the patriots oil
the revolution passed from the stage of life
we acquired more territory, and instead of i'm
porting slavesfrom Africa, the slave owners
in the Northern slave States, commenced
breeding slaves for market, precisely as Indi.
ana farmers now breed cattle and horses for
market. They are doing this at.the prese n,
time in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina,
Kentucky aud Missouri
Our first acquisition of territory was the
purchase OF Louisiana from France, in the
year 1903, which included not only the State
Of that name, but all that vast region of coun.
try lying between the Mississippi river and
the Rocky Mountains, embracing also the
States of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, and the
present Kanzas and Nebraska territories.
In the year 1920, the State of Missouri ap-
piled to Congress TO be admitted into the
Union as one of the States. Her Constitu-
ton contained two clauses to which excep.
ton was taken, one establishing slavery
within her borders, and another prohibiting
free persons of color from entering and resid.
ing within her limits. She was refused ad.
mission unless she wosld consent to expunge
these odious provisions from or constitution
The subject was discussed at two differen,
sessions OF Congress-; there was a great deal
OF excitement, the members of the free
States mostly voting against, and those from
the slave States in favor of ner admission
The South as usual threatening to dissolve
the Union il she should be rejected She
then contained probably not exceeding 5000
slaves, which have since increased to near.
ly 10000. The condition of things in and
out OF Congress may be learned from one oil
Mr.. Jefferson's letters, written during the
time of alarm and excitement.
MONTICELLO, April 90, 1920.
r To JOHN HOLMES
81 thank you, dear sir, for the copy you
have been so kind as to send me of the letter
to your constituents on the Missouri ques-
ton. 1t is perfect justification to them
had for long time ceased to read news
papers, or to pay attention to public affairs,
confident they were in good hands, and con-
tent to be passenger in our bark to the
shore from which am not distant. But this
momentous question, like fire bell in the
night, awakened and filled me with terror
considered it at once as the knell of the
Union. 1t is hushed indeed for the moment,
but this is repieve only, not final SEN
tence. Jeff. Correspondence, vol. A, p. 323.
This exciting question was finally settled
by what is called the Missouri Compromise,
hvr. i'll z. 4