The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1854-02-01

| from France. At that time there were some
twenty-five thirty thousand slaves in this terri
/ tory. most of them within what is now the State
of Louisiana; few. only. farther north. on the
west bank Of the Mississippi. Congress instead
ofproviiiog for the abolition ofSlavery 10 this new
The State of Louisiana was organized, and admit
ted into the Union with Slavery.
| 10 l9l8 Elk years later, the inhabitants OF the
Territory of Missouri applied to Congress- for au-
hority to form State Constitution, and for adms-
sion into the Union. There were. at that time.
IN the whole territory acquired from France. out
'ide of the State OF Louisiana, not three thou
sand Slaves.
mere was no apology in the circumstances te
me country for the continuance of Slavery. Pt
orgioat national policy against it, and esr.
Inc pia'n language of the treaty under which thu
/ Ierr'ory had been acquired from France,
1t was proposed, therefore to incorporate in tbs
bill authorizing the formation of a State Govern
ment, provision requiring that the Constitution
of the new State should contain an article proyid.
ing for the abolition of existing Slavery and pro.
hibitiug the further introduction of slaves.
This provision vehemently and pertinacious-
y opposed; but finally prevailed in the House of
Representatives by decided vote. In the Sen.
ate it was rejected, and. in consequence of the
| disagreement between the two Houses, Ihe bill
was lost.
A. the next session Of Congress the controversy
was renewed with increased violence. 1t was
terminated, ut length, hy compromise Mis-
sour was allowed TO come into the Union with
Slavery, but section was inserted in the act an.
ihorzing her admission, excluding Slavery, forever,
from all the Territory acquired from France, not
included in the new State, lying north of &c deg.
80 min.
We quote the prohibitory section: ~
~ Act March 1s2o-3; U. S. Statutes at large SIS
I SEC. 8. Be it further rnaeted. Thst in all that
Territory eeded by France to the United States,
under the name Of Louisiana, which lies north of
thirty six degrees and thirty minutes of north lat
ltude, not included within the limits of the State
contemplated by this act, SLAVERY AND INyoLuS
TARF sERvIrUDE, otherwise than as the punish
ment of crimes. SHALL BIB AND Is HEREBY FOR
EVER PROHIBITED" s
The question of the constitutioralty of this
prohibition was submitted by President Monroe
to his Cabinet. John Quincy Adams was then
Secretary of State; John C. Calhoun was Score.
tary Of War; Wilsm Fl. Crawford was Secre-
rary the Treasury; and William Writ was At
torney General, Each of these eminent men.
three of them being from Slave States. gave
written opinion, affirming its constitutionality, and
thereupon the act received the sanction of the
President, himself, aso from Slave State.
Nothing ia moro certain in history than the fact
that Missouri could not have been admitted a. a
Slave State, had not certain members from the
| Free States been rsconciled to tho measure BY
the incorporation Of this prohibition into the aot Of
admission Nothing is more certain than that THE
| Prohibition has been regarded aud useep,sd By
else shoss country as solemn compact agains,
the exientioa Of Slavery into any part Of the terri
tory acquired from France. lying north Of So deg.
80 ,niu., and not included in the new Stats Of
Missouri. The same act-let it bs remembered
which authorized the formation of constitution
for that State, without clause forbdding Slavery
| consecrated, beyond question and beyond honest
! recall. the whole remainder of the Territory 10
Freedom and FREQ Institutions forever. For
more than thirty years-during more than half
| the period of our National Existence under our
| varsaly regarded aud acted upon as invioIabs
American Law. In conformity with it, Iowa
was admitted as Free State and Minnesota has
been organized as Free Territory.
It is a strange and ominous fact, we'll calculated
| to awaken the worst apprehsnsions and the most
fearful forebodiDgs of future caamities thats now
deliberately proposed to repeal this prohibition,
by implication drrectly-the latter. certainly,
the manIier way-and thus to subyert this compact
and allow Slavery 10 all the jet unorganized terri
| tory.
We cannot, in this address, review the various
pretences under which it is attempted to cloak this
mopstrous wrong; but we must not altogether
omit to notice one.
Il is said that the Territory of Nebraska sus-
tains the same relations to Slavery az did the Ter
] ritory acquired from Mexico. prior to 1850. and
that the pro. slavery caused of the Bill
to carry INTO effect the Compromises Of that year.
No assertion could be more grouldiess.
| Three acquisitions of Territory have been made
by Treaiy. 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 Stale of Iowa. The controversy
which arose in relation to the then unorganizsd
portion of this Territory. was closed in 1920 by
the Missouri act, containing the Slavery prohibi-
tion, as has been already stated. This controver-
sy related only to territory acquired from France.
The act by which it terminated, was confirmed,
by its own express terms, TO the same Territory.
| and had no relation TO any other.
The second acquisition was from Spain. Flor
ida. the Territory thus acquired was yielded to
Slavery without struggle, nuG almost without
| murmur.
The third was from Mexico The eoutrover-
sy which arose from this acquisition is fresh in the
remembrance Of the American people. Out Of is
sprung the acts of Congress, commonly known as
the Compromise measures of $50. BY one of which
California was admitted as free state. while two