The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1854-02-28
WHAT STEPHEN A. DOUGLASS THOUGHT OF
THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE IN 1850.


Extract from Mr.. Douglass speech delivered
IN The Senate March Is and il, 1850, on The
Territorial question: ichen the Compromise
measures were pending.
Tho next in tho series of aco essions com
planned OF by the Senator Of North Carolina is
tho Missouri Compromise. Tho Missouri Com
promise, an act of Northern injustice, design
cd TO deprive the South of her due share of
tho territories! Why, sir, it was only this very
day that the Senator from Mississippi despair
ed OF any pcaceabe adjustment of exciting diff
ficulties, because the Missouri Compromise
could not be extended to the Pacific! That
measure was originally adopted in the bill for
admission of Missouri by tho union of North
ern and Southern votes, The South has al
ways professcd to bo willing to abide by II,
ana even to continue il as % fair and h0nora
Ole adjustment Of the vered aud difficult question.
In 1915 ]. was adopted in tho resolutions for
the annexation of Texas, by Southern as well
as Nofthorn votes, without tho slightest com
plant, that it was unfair TO any section of the
country. In 1916 IL rcceiped the support of
erery Southern member of The House of Rep
resentdhUes. Whig and Democrat, tcithout
ercephon, as an alternative TO the Wilmot Pro-
viso' And again in 1913, as an amendment
to the Oregon bill on my motion it received
that | can possibly be mistaken. of epery
Southern Senator, Whig and Democrat, even
including tho Senator from South Carolina
himself, (Mr. Calhoun.) And yet we are now
told that this is only second to the ordinance of
laS, IN the series of aggressons ON tho South
Mr. Butler--l think you are mistaken about
1t. don't think my colleague Mr.. Cahoun)
voted for it.
MIR. Douglass--f do not think that can be
mistaken on this point, that Mr.. Calhoun vo-
ted for my motion to insert the Missouri Com
promise in the Oregon bill He voted for INV
amendment, and then did not vote at all. or
voted against the bill on its passage / can
not bo mistaken on tho material point which
was upon tho adoption of my aniendment.-
For, having offered this amendment, first in
House OF Representatives and subsequently, i'm
this body. was denounced in certain sec
tions rs a slavery exactionst. rs a douohface,
and many other kind and polito terms of SINH
lar import were applied to me, and my name
was published in certain newspapers with
black marks drawn around il, with the view of
concertrat ng popular odium upon me and tho
party TO which it is my pride and pleasure to
belong And now, sir,the very measure, which
drew all the anathomas and denunca ions up
on my devoted head is now represented by
the Senator from South Carolina, as . meas
ure OF deadly hostties to Southern interests:
a measure calculated 10 limit and diminish The
area Of slacery more than any act fthe Cor
ernment during It's ichole history
BE this as it may think that Southern
gentlemen should not complain Of the measure.
after haoing gicen il their united cote on seue-
raj occasions"
ANOTHER "REMINISCENCES FROM THIS SAME
SPEECH --"While Texas remained an inde-
pendent power. il was all slave territory from
the Gulf of Mexico to tho 42nd parallel of lati-
tude. by the resolution of annexation five
and half degrees Of this slave territory, to
wit: all 6eficeca 3Gs missouri Compromise
ine) and The 42nd parallels vere 10 become fir
ed, pledged, fastened, decided 10 be FREE, and
not Stare territory .forecer, by he solemn guar
mites Of fdc. Hero is a territory stretching
across five and half degrees of latitude ,oitk-
ira'cn from slavery and dcvoted 10 freedom 5v
HE oery act, which tho Senator had chosen 10 |
ieride as the work of Northern Democracy"
Mr.. Douglass thus speaks of slave territory |
north of SO 80 made froe "forever by the sol |
ann guarantees of law" What were these |
solemn guaraties of law!' They are contain |
ID in the Texas resolutions of annexation |
which ro-alirm tho principle of tho Missouri |
Compromise, and declare that all new States |
which shall be formed out of Toxas, north of |
So 30', shall be free States.