The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-06-30
ADDRESS
To THE People OF THE UNITED STATES

the Missouri Compromise law, by which the
introduction of slavery into the regions now
known Kansas and Nebraska was forever
prohibited, has been repealed. That law
which in 1920, quieted controversy which
menaced the Union, and upon which you
| have so long reposed, is obliterated from the
statute book. We had no reason to expect
any such proposition when We assembled
here six months nor did you expect it. No
State, no citizen of any State, had demanded
/ the repeal.
II seems duty we owe TO the country to
state the grounds upon which we have stead
tasty, though Intellectually, opposed this
alarming and dangerous act.
You need not be told shat the slavery ques-
ton lies at the bottom of it. As it was the
slaveholding power that demanded the en-
actmeDt Of the Missouri compromise so it is
the same power that has now demanded It's
abrogatoD.
African slavery was regarded and denounc-
ed as great evil by the American colonies
even before the Revolution, and those
colonies which are now slaveholding States,
were equally earnest in such remonstrances
with those which are now free States. Co.
lonial laws fra med to prevent the increase Of
slavery, were voted by the King OF Great
Britain. This exercise Of arbitrary power To
enlarge and perpetuate system universally
regarded as equally wrongful in itself and
Injurious to the colonies some OF the causes
OF the Revolution. When the war was end
ed there was an imperious necessity for the
institution of some government i'll the then
Iunoccupied territories OF the United States.
In 1884 Jefferson proposed. and in 1857 the
Continental Congress adopted, the ordinance
for the government of the territory lying
northwest Of the Ohio. by which il was de-
clared that there shall be neither slavery ne:
inv oluntary servitude except for the punish
ment of crime. The great and flourishing
States since organized within that territory
on The basis of that ordinance, are enduring
monuments Of the wisdom of the statesmen
Of the Revolution.
The foreign slave trade was regarded as
the source Of American slavery whi'h it WIS
believed would be dried up, when that foun-
tain should be closed. In adopting the con-
stitution it was so universally anticipated that
the foreign slave trades would be promptly
prohibited, that all parties acquiesced in a
stipulation postponing that measure till
1913. The foregn slave .rade was prohib-
ited-thus the source Of slavery was under
stood to be dried up while the introduction
The slavery question, so tar as it was a ma
, tonsl one, was unde rstood TO be finally set
tied, and at the same time the States had al
: ready taken up and were carrying forward a
system of gradual emancipation. In 1903
louisiana was acquired by purchase from
France and included what is now known as
4 the States oil louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas
and Iowa, and the territories known as Kan
sas and Nebraska. Slavery existed at the
/. time in New Orleans and St. Louis and So
I this purchase resulted in bringing the slavery
8 question again before Congress. In 1912
the region Immediately surrounding New Or
leans applied Tor admission in.o the Uuion
under the name Of The State OF Louisiana
with a constitution tolerating slavery, and
p the free States acquesced. Eight years af.
d forwards the region connected with st. Loui.
!. demanded admission under the name of the
State Of Missouri, with constitution tolera
ting slavery. The free States reverted te
K the principle Of 1887, and opposed the admis
It sion OF Missouri, unless she would incorporate
l. into her constitution an inhibitia n of the fur
4 Their introduction Of slavery into the State
The slavehodng States insisted upon he
unqualified admission; controversy aros,
l. which was sectional aud embittered, an,
10 which we are assured by contemporaneou
, history. seriously imperilled the Union.-
The statesmen of that day in Congress set
tied the controversy by compromise. BY TIT
terms Of this compromise the free State
asented to the admission Of Missouri with he
L laveholding constitution while the slave
r, holding States on their part yielded tn,
in exclusion Of slavery in oil the residue Of thu
=. territory which lay north Of SO deg. 80 min.
constituting the present territories of Kansa
Nho eli oil
" cepted the compromise as triumph and IN,
Of free States have ever since left it undisturbe
J.. aud unquestioned. Arkansas, a part OF tn
y territory of Louisiana, which lay south of 81
VI deg. 80 min., in compliance with an implica
Sc ton which was contained i'm this compromis
o. was afterwards admitted as slaveholdin.
re State aud the free States acquiesced. Ii
1919 Florida a slaveholding province of Spail
was acquired. This province was afterward
admitted as a slaveholding State. The FREE
States again acquiesced. In lS45, Texas al
st independent slaveholding State was annexe
IS with provision in the article of annexatio
Tor the subdivision of her territory into Fl W
States. The free States, although they re
garded the annexation with the probable in
NJ crease of the number of slave States wit
- very great disfavor, nevertheless acquisce
of again. New territories were acquired by tn
II treaty peace which closed the war wit
Mexico. The people of California formed
y constitution inhibiting slavery, and apple
Ell for admission into the Union. Violent op
inn position was made by the slave States in an
il. out OF Congress, threatening the dissolution
OF the Union if California should be admitted
\ Proceeding on the ground of these alarm:
Congress adopted another compromise tn
VI terms OF which were that ten million dollar
I'd OF the peoples money should be given t
VS. Texas to induce her to relnquish q yer
,,l doubtful claim upon an uncomfortable par
OF New Mexico, that New Mexico and Uta
20 should be organized without an inhibitatio
OF slavery, and that they should be ofterwsrd