Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-05-06

part 10 keen Il out of the State of Missouri when
her constitution was formed / was not a member
Of the convention but was a chief promoter Of the
clause which forbid the Legislature to emancipate
slaves without the consent Of their owners. pro
noted that clause for the sake Of peace--for the
sake Of keeping the slavery question out Of our
elections and legislation-for the sake Of prevent
ing perpetual strife among the people. What I did
for Missouri would do for the Territories; and If
IL was an open question would vote one way or the
other to settle III but 1t is not an open question
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 Ill return
for their past generous conduct to endeayor to force
IL upon them They have been not only just, but
maenanimous 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
Debarred Of a great part OF its use an lndlan
population covering more or less OF almost every
slave State, and preventing the expansion OF its
population. What IS il now? All relieved. The
Indians all gone their lands all brought under the
dominion Of the white man and the area of slave
population, and Of slave cultivation, greatly in
crcased--to the extent of third fourth Of its
soil in some Of the States. How was this done
Certainly by the help Of free State votes, (for ii
could not have been done without them y by the
help Of their votes In procuring the appropriations
and ratfyng the treaties which the removal Of the
Indians required. Missouri got her fne southwest
quarter relieved by these means. The same votes
gave us the Platte country seven Gne counties
added to tho State and that by altering the COM
promise line 70 include it,, and actually converting
that fne region from free soil to slave SOIL North.
ern votes enabled it to be done: northern votes al
tered above IN hundred miles Of. the compromise
line for our benefit, upon our request; and viii
never be ungraefu to the North for it, nor requte
itby a breach Of the line to their pref udce. And
how did we obtain the northern votes which were
M for all thQeo unn opproDria-
tons and treaties for oil these Indian removals. and
for that alteration Of the compromise line which
gave us the beautiful Platte countryi How did
the Missouri delegation Of that day-the most am
liable and talented DR.. Linn and myself, in the
Senate and General Ashley in the IlOuse-how
did we obtain that great boon for our State Did
we get these votes by beching abolitionism against
the North No mol we got them by appealing to
the justice and the raternal feelings Of our north
ern brethren, and to which we never appealed
once in yain-who, in the last hard trial to get the
Cherokees out Of Georgia, gave us fourteen affirm
ative votes to balance seven negatives from the
South, and saved the treaty by one vote. And l.
who was part of all these TRANSACTIONS accustomed
to solicit northern votes, and express thanks fol
them, will not now return them evil for good by
attempting to deprive them Of their share OF {
compromise which we imposed upon them.
! II is now four months since this movement fol
the abrogation of the Missouri compromise com
menced in this Congress. II began without q me
mortal without petition, without a request, from
human being 1t has labored long and hard ii
these halls and to this hour there is not petition
for it from the class of States for whose benefit thu
movement processes to have been made-not
word in It's favor from the smallest public meeting
OF private asscmbage of any slave State. This i
the response Of the South to this boon rendered Z
il by northern members under northern Presi
dent. 1t is the response Of silencc-more emphat
ic than words-and worthy Of especial note in tn
debate 1t argues well for the harmony OF tn
often seenl that the troubles Of the country com
from uneasy politcians-its safety from the tran
Il aui masses.