The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-07-01
ADDRESS,,
To thn People Of th.a U;itcl Safes


The eight, sc~.;an OF The at tor tie a'lm's-
SION OF Missouri INTO lie Union. Rnavu A. 'Nr
Missouri Com, ro.nsa law w wlici T." IN
trotIur.on of slavery into the regions no%
known as Kansas AMI Nebraska. was forever
prohi' i,l. has lcen repeated. That law
which. in 1920. qait.c!a controversy, mc:-
aring the Union an upon "l;th you lave
80 long re;,oss,, i: o',l!rc.s:c,. .,4A H.: st,:
ute book.
We hal no rca;HA = c:;Yc,t am sI,a roN-
osi,ion, vixen we assembled here SIX months
ago :, nor did you expect IT, No state. no
itizen Of any State hal d'man ct BE
repeal |. seems duty we owe 70 he coUE-
try, to state the ground upon which we have
stcadfastly, though Intellectually opposed Ri,
alarming and dangerous act.
You need not l,c told that the slavery queS-
ton lies at the bottom oft: as it was the
rlavcholIinc power that demanded the enact
mcnt Of the Missouri Compromise. so it is the
same power now that has demanded is abro-
CATION. African slavery was regarded and
denounced as a great evil by the american
colonies. even before the Revolution; an!
those colonies which are now >'avchpllinc
States, we're equally earnest in snrh rcmon-
stranccs, with those which are now free
States. Colonial laws framed to prevent thu
increase of slavery wee vctoc'l iv The Kin
of Great Britain. tbs exercise Of arbitrary
power was to enlarge anil pcrpc'uatc a svs
tenn universally REGARDED as equally wron~
full in itself and injurious to the Colonies, was
one of the causes of the Revolution.
When the war was ended, there was a;
impcrious necessity for The institution ot some
government in the then unoccupicl Terrific
rics Of tie United States. In 1881 jefferson
proposed. and in l,S7 the Continental Con
Sress adopted, tho ordnance for the govern
mcnt of the territory lying northwest of th'
Ohio, by which it was declared that the.'
shall be neither slavery or involuntary scrvi
tu'lc. except for the punishment 0! crime.
The great and ilourishin. States since or
ganized within that ordinance are cnlurin:
monuments of y G wisdom ofthc statesmen OF
the Revolution. The foreign slave trade wa
regarded Is the source of American slavery
which it was believed would be dried u
when that fountain should lie closed.
In adopting TIE Cor stitutionit was 50 uni
versa'!y anticipated That tie FOREIGN Saw
trade woull he promptly proFihitcd that Z.
partl' acqn;cscCd in a st;I ulati, n cs'ronir,
that measure til 1908. The forcirn >lav
trade was prohibited: thus the source OF
slavery was understood to be dried m Will
the introduction q slavery into the tcrritcric
was prohibited. the slavery question. 50 far a
it was national one. was understood TO u
finally settled. and at the same time tn
States had already taken M AMI were car
rying forward a system. Of gradual emancina
ton.
In 1903. Louis;,n' vas acquired by pur
chase from France. and included what is nov
known As the State of Louisiana, Missouri
Arkansas and lowaand the territories know
as Kansas and Nebraska Slavery existed a
the time in New Orleans and at St. Louis
and so this purchase resulted in bringing thu
slavery question again before Congress-
In 1912. the region Immediately surround
ing New Orleans. applied Cor admission into
the Union under the name Of the State Of
Louisiana, with a constitution toleratinc
slavery. and the free States acqu;esced
Eight years afterwards the rtcion connect
ed with St. Louis demanded admission unde,
the name of the State of Missouri with =
constitution tolerating slavery The free
States reverted to the principle Of l757, ana
opposed t he admission Of Missouri unless she
wou!d incorporate into her constitution ar
Inhibition OF the further introduction Of s.y
cry into the State. The slavehold;ns State:
INSISTED upon her unqualified admission. \
controversy arose. which was sectional and
enlbii:ered, and which we are assured by co.
.smporanecus history, seriously imperiled
the Union. The statesmen Of tia. dav s.,.
.tJ .be oontrovers: BY compromise. b. the