Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-04-25

gross, unless Congress dragged il in by break.
ing down the sacred laws which settled 10. The
question was settled, and. done with There
was not an inch square Of territory in the
Union on which it could be raised without a
breach Of compromise. The Ordinance Of
1889 settled it in all tho remaining part of the
Northwest Territory beyond Wisconsin: the
Compromise line Of 36 deg 80 min. settled it
in all the country north and west Of Missouri
to tho British line, and up to the Rocky
Mountains the organic act Of Oregon, made
by the people, and sanctioned by Congress,
settled it in all that region: the acts for the
government of Utah and New Mexico settled
it in those two Territories: the compact with
Texas, determining the number of slave States
to be formed out of that State, settled it there
and California settled it for herself
| Now, where was there nm inch square of ter
ritory within the United States on which the
question could be raised? Nowhere. Not an
inch The question was settled everywhere,
not merely by law but by fact. The work
was done, and there was no way to get at the
question but by undoing the work No way
Tor Congress to get the question in, for tho pur-
pose Of keeping it out but to break down com.
pr misses which kept it out.
What advantage do the slave States expect
from this bill? Certainly they expect the
extension of slave power, and slave population.
That may prove o fallaoious expectation. The
question Of slavery in these Territories, if
thrown open to territorial action, will be a
question Of numbers--a question of the major
| ity for or against slavery; and what chance
would the shareholders have in such o contest
| No chance ut all. The slave emigrants will
bc outnnmbered, and compelled to play ut
most unequal game, not only in point of num-
bers, but also in point of stakes. The slave
holder stakes his property; and has to run it
off, or lose it, il outvoted at the polls. | see
nothing which shareholders are to gain under
this bill--nothing but nm unequal and vcxa-
tious contest, in which they are to be losers.
| / deprecatc such a contest, and did my part
to keep it out Of the State of Missouri when
| her Constitution was formed. | was not a
member Of the convention, but was chief pro-
moter of tho clause which forbid the Legisla-
! ture to emancipate slaves without the consent
of their owners. Ipromoted that clause for the
sake of peace-for the sake of keeping the sla-
very question out Of our elections and legisla-
tion--for the sake OF preventing perpetual strife
among the people. What did for Missouri,
would do for tho Territories and if it was
an open question, would vote one way or the
other to settle it,; but it is not an open ques-
ton and cannot be opened without breach
of faith and the destruction Of the peace Of the
country.
Sir, the question has been decided The free
States are against this BILL and it is an i'll re-
turn for their past generous conduct to endeav-
or to force it upon them. They have been not
only Just, but magnanmous, to the slave States
| What was the condition Of the slave States
thirty years ago, in relation to the use of the
soil within their limits? Declared Of great
part of its use--an Indian population covering
more or less Of almost every slave State, and
preventing the expansion of its population
! What is it now All relieved. The Indians
all gone, their lands all brought under the do
mnion of the white man, and the area of slave
population and of slave cultivation greatly in
creased--to the extent of q third or fourth Of
its soil in some Of the States. How was this
done Certainly by the help Of free State
votes flor it could not have been done without
them by the help Of their votes in procuring
the appropriations, and ratifying the treaties
which the removal Of the Indians required
Missouri got her fine southwest quarter relieved
by these means. The Same votes gave us the
Platte country; seven fine counties added to
the State! and that by altering the Compromise
line to include it, and actually converting that
fine region from free soil to slave soil. North
ern votes enabled it to de done; Northern votes
| altered above an hundred miles of the Compro-
mise line for our benefit, upon our request and
will never be ungrateful to them for il, nor
requite it by breach of the line to their preju-
dice.
And how did we obtain tho Northern votes
which were necessary for all these measures
the appropriations and treaties for all these
Indian removals, and for that alteration Of the
Compromise line which gave US the beautiful
L..
belching Abolitionsm against tho North No
no. we got them by appealing to the justice
and tho fraiernal feelings OF our Northern
brethren, and to which we never appealed
once in vain. And |, who was part Of all these
transactions, accustomed TO solicit Northern
votes, aud. express thanks for them, will not
now return them evil for good, by attempting
10 deprive them Of their share of Compro-
misc which we imposed upon them.
Ii is now four months since this movement
for the abrogation OF the Missouri Compromise
commenced in this Congress. Ii began with
out memorial, without a petition, without a
request from human being IL has labored
long and hard in these Halls, and to this hour
there il not petition for it from the class Of
States for whose benefit the movement pro-
fel SEES to have been made mot a word in its
favor from the smallest public meeting OF pri-
vate assemblage Of any slave State This is
the response of the South to this boon rendered
to it by Northern members under Northern
President. IL is the response of slcncc-morc
emphatic than words-and worthy Of especial
note in this debate. IL argues well for the
harmony of tho Union, and goes to show what
in fact has been often seen) that the troubles
OF the country come from uneasy politicians
its safety from the tranquil masses.