Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-24
DAILY NATIONAL ERA.

cldt6 Stdl6.
Nothing is more certain in history than the
fact that Missouri could not have been admit
ted As Slave State, had not certain members
from the Free States been reconciled to the
measure by the incorporation of this prohibition
into the act Of admission. Nothing is more
certain than that this prohibition has been re-
garded and accepted by the whole country as
q solemn compact against the extension of Sla-
very into any part Of the Territory acquired from
France, lying north of SO deg 80 min, and not
included in the new Stateof Missouri. The same
act--let it be ever remembered-wh au-
thorized the formation Of Constitution for that
State, without clause forbidding Slavery, con-
secrated beyond question and beyond honest
recall, the whole remainder of the Territory to
Freedom and Free institutions forever. For
more than thirty ears--during more than half
the period of our National Existence under our
present Constitution compact has been
universally regarded and acted upon as invio-
liable American Law In conformity with it
Iowa was admitted as Free State, and Min
nesota has been organized as Free Territory
Il is q strange and omin0us fact, well calcu-
lated TO awaken tho worst apprehensions and
the most fearful forebodings of future calamities
that It is now deliberately purposed to repeal
this prohibition, by implication or drectly-the
latter, certainly, the manlier way-and thus to
subvert this compact, and allow Slavery in all
the yet unorganized territory.
We cannot, in this address, review the va
rious pretences under which it is attempted to
cloak this monstrous wrong; but we mnst not
altogether omit to notice one
Il is said that the Territory of Nebraska sus-
tains the same relations to Slavery as did the
Territory acquired from Mexico prior to 1850,
and that the proslayery clauses OF the Bill
are necessary to carry into effect the Compro-
misses of that year.
No assertion could be more groundless.
Three acquisitions Of Territory have been
made by Treaty. The first was from France.
Out Of this Territory have been created the
three slave States Of Louisiana Arkansas and
Missouri, and the single free State of Iowa
The controversy, which arose in relation to the
then unorganized portion Of this Territory, was
closed in 1920, by the Missouri act containing
the Slavery prohibition, as has been already
stated This controversy related only to terri
tory acquired from France. The act by which
it was terminated, was confined, by its own ex.
press terms to the same Territory, and had no
relation to any other.
The second acquisition was from Spain.
Florida, the Territory thus acquired was yield
ed to Slavery without struggle, and almost
without murmur.
The third was from Mexico. The contro-
versy which arose from this acquisition is fresh
in the remembrance of the American People.
Out Of it sprung the acts of Congress, COM
monty known as the Compromise measures Of
1850, bv one of which California was admitted
as a Free State. while two others, organizing
the Territories Of New Mexico and Utah. ex-
posed all the residue of the recently acquired
Territory to the invasion of Slavery.
These acts were never supposed to ahrogate
or touch the existing exclusion Of Slavery from
what is now called Nebraska They applied
to the Territory acquired from Mexico, and to
that only. They were intended as settle
ment Of the controversy growing out Of that
acquisition, and Of that controversy only. They
must stand or fall by their own merits.
The statesmen, whose powerful support car
ried the Utah and New Mexico acts never
dreamed that their provisions would ever be APP
piled to Nebraska Even at the last session of
Congress, Mr.. ATcHIsoN, of Missouri, in
speech in favor Of taking up the former Nebras-
ka Bill on the morning Of the 4th of March,
1853, said: G Il is evident that the Missouri
Compromise cannot be repealed. So far as
that question is concerned, we might as well
agree to the admission of this Territory now,
as next year, or five or ten years hencev These
words could not have fallen from this watchful
guardian Of Slavery, had he supposed that this
Territory was embraced by the pro-slavery
provisions of the Compromise Acts. This pre-
tension had not then been set up II is pal
pable after-thought
The Compromise Acts themselves refute this
pretension In the third article Of the second
section of the Joint Resolution for annexing Tex
as to the United States it is expressly declared
that ain such State or States as shall be formed
out of sand Territory north Of SAID Missouri
Compromise line, Slavery or Involuntary servi-
fude except for crime shall be prohibited y (2)
and in the Act for organizing New Mexico and
settling the boundary Of Texas proviso was
incorporated, on the motion OF Mr.. MASON, Of
bition, and fouts the bare faced pretension
that all the territory Of the United States,
whether south or north Of the Missouri Com
promise line, is to be open to Slavery. II is as
follows:
PROVIDED, That nothing herein contained
shall be construed 10 impair or qualify ANY
THING contained in the third article of the sec
ond section Of the Joint Resolution for annex
ing Texas TO the United States, approved March
1, 1845, either as regards the number OF States
J0Hb may ucTtttt5f Dt tOrHitu Out VI Tie CbAbc
Of Texas, OR oTHERwIsE' 81
Here is proof, beyond controversy, that the
principle OF the Missouri Act prohibiting
Slavery north Of 80 deg 30 min, far from
being abrogated by the Compromise Acts, is
expressly affirmed and that the proposed re-
peal Of this prohibition, instead Of being an af-
firmation Of the Compromise Acts, is a repeal
Of very prominent provision Of the most i'm
portant not Of the series. II is solemnly de-
clared in the very Compromise Acts 3that
nofhing herein contained shall be construed 10
impair or qualify the prohibition Of Slavery
north Of IS deg 80 min, and yet, in the face
of this declaration, that sacred prohibition is
said 10 be overthrow. Can presumption fur
ther gol To all who, in any way, lean upon
these Compromises, we commend this exposi-
ton
The pretences, therefore, that the Territory,
covered by the positive prohibition Of 1920, sus-
tains n similar relation TO Slavery with that
acquired from Mexico, covered by no prohibi.
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