The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-07-08
Proceedings Of the Members Of Congress OPP
pessd v the Nebraska Bill.


Hon. Reuben F. Fenton, OF New York, were ap-
pointed Secretaries.
A Committee, appointed for the purpose, re-
ported an Address to the People of the United
States, which having been discussed and amend
ed, was unanimously adopted, and ordered to
be published:
Address
To THE People OF TIE UNITED STATES:
The eighth section of the act for the admis-
sion of Missouri into the Union, known as the
Missouri compromise law, by which the intro
ductiOn Of slavery into the regions now known
as Kansas and Nebraska, was forever prohibit
ed, has been repealed. The law which, in 1920
quoted controversy which menaced the
Union, and upon which you have so long repos-
ed is ODliterated from the statute book. We
had no reason to expect any such proposition
when We assembled here six months ago, nor
did you expect it. No State, no citizen of any
State, had demanded the repeal.
1t seems a duty We owe to our country to
state the grounds upon which we have stead
fastly, though Intellectually, opposed this alarm
ing and dangerous act.
You need not be told that the slavery qucs-
ton lies at the bottom Of it. AS it was the
slaveholding power that demanded the enact
same power that has now demanded its abroga-
ton.
African slavery was regarded and denounced
as a 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. Colonial laws, framed to
prevent the increase Of slavery, were vetoed by
the King of Great Britain. This exercise Of ar
bitrary power. to enlarge and perpetuate sys-
tenn universally regarded as equally wrongful
in ITSELF and injurious to the Colonies, was one
of the causes of the Revolution. When the war
was ended, there was an impcr;ous necessity
for the institution of some government in the
then unOccupied territories of the United
States. In l7S4 Jefferson proposed, and in
1887 the Continental Congress adopted the or
dinance for the government Of the territory ly-
ing northwest Of the Ohio. by which it was de-
cared that there shall neither be slavery nor
involuntary servitude, except for the punish
ment of crime. The great and Furnishing
States since organized within that territory, on
the basis of that ordinance. are enduring mon
uments of the wisdom of the statesmen of the
Revolution.
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 so universally anticipated that the
foreign slave trade would be promptly prohj-
bited, that all parties acquiesced in G stipna-
ton postpoEing that measure till 1865. The
foreign slave trade was prohibted-thus the
source of slavery was understood to be dried
up. while the Introduction of slavery into the
territories was prohibited. The slavery ques-
ton, so far as it was national one, was under-
stood to be finally settled, and at the same
time the States had already taken up and were
carrying forward system of gradual cnanc-
patton In 1893 Louisiana was acquired bv
purchase from France. and included what IS
now known as the States of Louisiana Mis-
souri,, Arkansas and Iowa, and the Territories
known as Kansas and Nebraska. Slavery ex-
listed at the time in New Orleans and ST. Louis,
and so this purchase resulted in bringing the
slavery question again before Congress In
1872 the region Immediately surrounding New
Orleans applied for admission into the Union,
under the name of the State of Louisiana with
constitution tolerating slavery, and the free
States acquiesced. Eight years afterward the
region connected with st. Louis demanded ad-
mission, under the name of the State of Mis-
souri,, with constitution tOlerating slavery
The free States reverted to the principle of
1917, and opposed the admission of Missouri.
unless she would incorporate into her constitu-
ton an Inhibition of the further introduction of
slavery into the State. The slaveholding States
insisted upon her unqualified admission con-
troversy arose Which was sectional and embit-
tered, and which we are assured by contempo-
raneous history seriously imperiled the Union.
The statesmen of that day in Congress settled
the controversy by compromise. BY the terms
Of this compromise the free States assented to
the admission of Missouri with her slavchold-
ing constitution, while the slaveholdine States
on their part, yielded the exclusion of slavery
s, oil 10 I,,4 81 L..
north OF SO degOS0 min. constituting the pre-
sent Territories of Kansas and Nebraska.
The slave-holding States accepted the COM
promise as triumph. and the free States have
ever since left it undisturbed and unouestion-
ed. Arkansas. part Of the territory of Louis
iana which lay south Of &c deg 80 min., in
compliance with an implication which was con-
tanned in this compromise. was afterwards ad-
mitted as a slave holding State. and the free
States acquiesced. In 1918, Florida, slave
holding province of Spain. was acquired This
province was afterwards admitted as a slave
holding State. The free States again acquies-
ced. In 1915. Texas. an independent slave
holding State. was annexed. with a provision
in the article of annexation for the subdivision
OF her territory into Ave States. The free
States. although they regarded the annexation
with the probable number of slave States with
very great disfavor, nevertheless acuuiesced
again. New territories were acquired by the
treaty of peace which closed the war with Mex
leo. The people of California formed q consti-
tuition inhibting slavery, and applied for ad-
mission into the Union. Violent opposition
was made by the slave States in and out ofCon-
gress, threatening the dissolution of the Union
if California should be admitted. Proceeding
on the ground of these alarms. Congress adopt
ed another compromise, the terms of which were
that ten million of dollars of the peoples mo-
ney should be given to Texas. to induce her to
relinquish very doubtful claim upon an in
considerable part Of New Mexico that New
Mexico and Utah should be organized without
an inhibition of slavery. and that they should
afterwards be admitted as slave or free States
as the people, when forming constitutions
should determine; that the public slave trade
in the District ofCOlumbia should be abolished
without affecting the existence of slavery in
the District, and that new and rigorous proyi
sions for the recapture of fugitive slaves of dis
puted constitutionalty, should be adopted, and
that on these conditions California should be
admitted as free State. Repugnant as this
compromise was to the people of the free
states, acquiescence was, nevertheless. prac-