Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-06-30
Address of the Members of Congress OPP.
posed to the Nebraska Bill.

To the People Of the Unif,d Hates:
The sth section of the act for the admission
of Missouri into the Union, known as the
Missouri compromise law, hy which the in
PRODUCTION of slavery into the regions now
known as Kansas and Nebraska was forever
prohibited, has been repealed. The law
which, in $50, quoted a controversy which
mcnaced the Union, and upon which you have
so long reposed is oblteratcd from the stat
utc-book. We had no reason to expect any
such proposition when we assembled hero six
months ago nor did you expectit. No STATE,
no citizen of any State. had demanded the re-
peal.
1t seems a duty we owe to the country to
state the grounds upon which we have stead
mstly. though Intellectually, opposed this
alarming and dangerous act.
You need not be told that the slavery qucs-
ton lies ut the bottom of it. As it the
slavcholdng power that demanded the enact
ment of the Missouri compromise, 50 it is the
same power that has now demanded its ahro-
cation.
African slavery was regarded and denounced
as II great evil by the American colonies. even
before the Revolution; and those colonies
which are now slaveholding States, were
equally earnest in such remUnstrances with
those which are now free States Colonial
ry, were vetoed by the King of Great Britain.
This exercise Of arbitrary power to enlarge
and perpetuate system universally regarded
as equally wrongful it itsclfand injurious to
the colonies, was one Of the causes of the Re
yolution. When the war was ended, there
was an impcrious necessity for the insttu-
ton of some government in the then unoccu-
pied territories of the United States. In 1884
jefferson proposed. and in l7S7, the CONT
mental Congress adopted the ordinance for the
government of the territory lying northwest
of the Ohio, by which it was declared that
there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude except for the punishment of crime
The great and hourishing States since or
ganized within that territory, on the basis of
that ordinance, are enduring monuments of
the wisdom of the statcmcn of the Rcyolu
ton.
The foreign slave trade was regarded as the
source of American slavery, which it was be-
lieved would be dried up, when that fountain
should be closed, In adopting the constitu-
ton, it was universally anticipated that
the foreign slave trade would be promptly pro-
hibtcd, that all parties acquiesccd IN "A sti-
pulation postponing that measure till leOs
The foreign slave trade was prohibitcd--thus
the source of slavery was understood to he
dried up, while the introduction of slavery
into the territories was prohibited. The
slavery question, so far as it was II national
one, was understood to be finally settled, and
at the same time the States had already taken
up and were carrying forward system Of
gradual emancipation In 1908 Louisiana
was acquired by purchase from France, and
included what is now known rs the States of
Louisiana, Missouri, ARKANSAS and Iowa, and
the territories known as Kansas and Ne
hrus l.u At hn . -,
Orleans and at st. Louis, and 50 this pur-
CHASE resulted in bringing the slavery q ues-
ton again before Compress In 1872 the re-
glun immediately surrounding New Orleans
applied for admission into the | Mon under
the name of the State of Louisiana, with a
constitution tolcratiug slavery, and the free
Statss acquicsced, Eight Years uitcrward. the
region connected with st Louis demanded
admission under the name OF the State of
Missouri, with Il constitution tOlcrating slave
ry. The free States reverted to the principle
of l7s1, and opposed the admission of Mis-
souri,, unless she would incorporate into her
constitution AN inhibition OF the further in
PRODUCTION OF slavery into the State The
Slayeholding States insisted upon hcl unquu-
lifted admission \ controversy arose which
was sectional and cmhtterrd, and which We
are assured by cotcmpurLnceus history
riOusly impcriled the MON. The statesmen
ui that day in Congress settled the cuHtruN err
~ ny compromise. by the terms of this com
promise the free States a>Srutcd to the adj
mission Of Missouri with her SkNrhpllins
constitution, while the slLNcholdiug States ou
their part yielded the exclusion OF slavery in
all the residue OF the territory which lay north
of So 30, constituting the present terrific
~ OF Kansas aud Nebraska. The sluNehull-
ing States accepted the compromise as a tri-
umph, aud the free States have ever since lett
it unIisturhcd aud unqurstiunrd. Arkansas,
a part OF the territory of Louisiana which
lay south OF 30 30, IN compliance with AN
inn location which Was contained in this COM
promise, was att 'rward admitted as A SLAVE
holding State, and the Tree States Icuuirsr"d.
In lNlH Florida, sla\rhuldmg Province ot
SPAN, WAS acquired This Proync' WAS
ailHr"trd Admitted ~ a la,ehuldng Stat.
The Tree States again acquiesced In iS4i
Texas, an independent slI,choIdiug STATE, was
anne Ncd, with "A provision in the article OF an
neNHtiuu ior the subdivision OF lea territory
int" live States The tree States, although
they regarded the aunCxuliui,, win the iro-
Iahlr increase ul the ruIuhcr ul slave St"i'r,
with very SIrdt dIslitNpr, nrNtrtilrl' - n,pW-
rscrG again. New territories were acquired
by tie treaty ot peace 'Icn lbs Il the war
NIth Mexico. The - up,e ui California formed
a cul. stituIlou mhintlug slavery AMI applied
for admission into the Mon. Nlui,ut ~ pa
siton was made by the Slave States IA 1ud
cut OF Congress, threatening the dissolution
of the Union If California should h" admitted