Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-04-15

otherwise contained in that proviso 7" Those words
clearly import that in particular is that third article
to be impaired but that every provision Of il is be
kept in force and the restriction OF 500 30 being
those provisions is to remain unmpaired; and that in
stead Of the Missouri compromise being superseded by
the compromise measures the principle Of that compro-
mise is expressly recognised kept alive and perpetuated
by them The gentleman from Georgia. knowing well
the legal effect of this proviso instead Of arguing
makes short work of it by kenng it to the fifth wheel
of wagon and by saying that it ought never to have
been there. But it is there and he is bound by it.
The argument of the Senator from Illinois, that the
Missouri compromise is repealed or superseded by the
principles Of the Utah and New Mexico bills, upon the
pretence that the Missouri compromise to be diyd
ing line between slavery and freedom in Louisiana and
in all United States Territories is totally fallacious be-
cause in 1920 the United States had other than the
Louisiana Territory through which TO run that dividing
line and because it assumes fact tot waich did not
est for by the letter and spirit of the Missouri act the
line of S60 30 is made to apply to the territory acquired
from France and to that only and the object Of the line
to settle the difficulties growing out of the admission
of Missouri and nothing more To show that 1t had a
local application to the territory acquired and that hence
the refusal extend it through territories subsequently
acquired or theadopton OF aderent as TO other
territories could not supersede it affect it quote
the act ITSELF
"sec. 8. BE farther enacted That in all that territory
cedea BY France the United States nnder the e Loa
siand which lies north Of 36o so Of north latitude not in
cuded within the limits the State contemplated by this act
slavery and involuntary serudc otherwise than as the
OF crimes shall be and hereby forever
Will call the attention OF the cOHmlIlee 10 some
remarkable declarations made by the Senator from Hi
nois. He says that slavery excluded from one
inch of American soil by act Of Congress- that the or
dnance of 1857 did not accomplish any such result :"
that the people of Illinois regarded the ordinance Of
1887 as invasion of their rights and " as usurpa
tion the part Of the Federal Government and they
determined they would submit TO that freedom
long it forced them win inquire into these
statements While Canada belonged France settle
ments made into Illinois from Canada In 1853
France ceded to England the country out Of part Of
which the Territory Of Illinois formed Slavery
both in the French and English colonies and
the French egrants carried with them into Illinois the
French laws toerang slavery In l17S General Clark,
at the head of military force, organized under the an-
thory of the State of Virginia. drove the British forces
from the country and after Virginia organized the
county of Illinois, which embraced the conquered dis
trct In 1854 Virginia ceded the country to the United
States protecting in the deed of oeson the right Of the
citizens to hold slaves Three years afterwards the or
dnance of 1887 prohibiting slavery passed.
Now sir condense from the Western Annals, the work
before quoted FROM few facts to the history OF sayeryn
Illinois That work informs that the ordinance OF lI6I
the subject of complaint by few interested persons
in Illinois," In 1896 four persons in the vicinity Of Kas
kaska peoned Congress for the removal OF the resrc-
ton for limited period. In 1904 convention at Vim
cennes to Congress similar petition In 1867
the Territorial Legislature of Indiana illinois then being
part of the Indiana Territory pettoned Congress to
suspend the ordinance for ten But the same work
informs that this of fhe Territorial to
suspend the ordinance excited great opposition and that
the opposition party brought out Jonathan Jennings as
candidate for Congress- and elected him the pro-
slavery candidate and continued to reelecthim until the
State Government was formed when he elected Gov
ernor, and continued in that office till 1872 When the
people Of Illinois formed their State constitution they
declared in the preamble to that constitution that was
made consistent with the ordinance Of l7S7, and that
constitution provided against the future existence of sa
very the State In 1919 Gov Coles moved to the State
carrying with him twenty slaves whom he emanciI ateo,
and purchased for each family hundred and sixty
acres of land In 1922 he elected Governor, the
question of slavery having entered partially into the can
In 1923 the proposition to amend the constitution
with view the introduction of slavery was submitted
to the people and defeated by overwhelming majority
These facts demonstrate two propositions rcfuting the
statements of the honorable Senator First they snow
that the complaints Of the ordinance were nos ~
pie large and, secondly that the ordinance II " d
prevention Of slavery for, if it not in the way
the nroiucton Of slavery why were these petitions sent
tor states in 1907 the Territorial Legislature of In
diana passed concerning the introduction of
uroes aad mulaoes into that territory " and, although
ordinance was violated by this act yet the effect Of
that law whatever may have have been it's object
mitigate slavery That law egaized the Introduction of
that class Of persons rho sdues in the States and Ter
Tor upon condition that ipdentures to be entered
into between the master and slave by which tho latter
to with his consent for stipulated Pc
riod, and then 10 become Free Children under fifteen
years of age required to their owners males
until thrtyfve years OF age and females until thirty
years age then to be Free These were term
cd indenured servants" This law them served to trans
tery were slaves forever that Territory, where their
period of service stipulated and freedom secured to
their children after limited period of service. This
| same work informs that 'smany Shareholders from
Virginia and Kentucky and other States who desired to
relieve themselves from the ownership of slaves migrated
and avaled themselves of this law This committee will
be astonished after much has been said about the in
PRODUCTION of slavery into the Territory Of Illinois in pe
of the ordinance when it informed that in 1910 there
were, according to the census, in Illinois only hum
dred and sixty slaves in 1920 nine hundred and seven
teen and in 1880 hundred and forty-six. am
net informed how large number of these slaves
under the Virginia laws before the ordinance of 1887
believe it has been decided intimated by the Su
preme Court of the United States in the of Menard
Aspasia, 18th Peerss Reports that the ordinance of
1887 prospective and did not affect the title to slaves
there before the ordinances but there be doubt
that all colored persons brought into the State after it's
adoption in free, and that they could at any
time have yiudcaed their freedom before. the proper
legal tribunals The decisions Of the Supreme Court of
the State of Illinois and Missouri went further than this
The Supreme Court of the State Of Illinois, in 1846 de-
cided if recolect Alright not being able to find the de-
cson here that the descendants Of those who slaves
in 1857 free. The Supreme Court of the State of
Missouri decided in favor Of the freedom of colored wo
man, born in Illinois after the ordinance, whose mother
slave in the Territory before il conquered by
Virginia Having been sent to the State of Missouri rs
slave she there sued for her freedom and the court de-
cided in her favor The was taken to the Supreme
Court Of the United States and dismissed for want
of jurisdiction, and the person went free.
Now, Mr.. Chairman, while admit that slavery did IN
fact exist to limited extent in the State until recent
date yet do maintain that if the ordinance Of 1857 had
been extended the Territory Of Illinois, hundreds
and thousands Of slaves would have been taken there for
every one that was taken 1t but short time since