Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-02-11


State States shall be formed of Territory north
Of said Missouri compromise line slavery or
yitude Except for crme) shall be prohibited"
Here is an express stipulation that slavery shall be
prohibited in any State formed Of the territory Of
Texas north of 36o 30/ This was valuable stipulation
for freedom in the claim Of Texas was valid
to the whole territory within her boundaries The Sena-
tor from Virginia regarded that claim valid; and it
was hsupon motion that the proviso which now proceed
quote Incorporated into the Texas boundary bill
Prored That nothing contained shall construed
TO impair qualify thing contained in the third article
Of the second section Of the joint for annexng
Texas to the United States approved March lS45, either
regards the number of States that hereafter be formed
out Of the State Of Texas otherwise
Here a compact between two States So far the
parties competent into il it obligatory
and permanent That compact covered oil the territory
rghtfully within the limits of Texas until rescnded. 1t
could make difference if portion of that territory
should be subsequently renqushed to the United States
That would not disturb the effect OF the compact But
this matter not left to inference conjecture. AT
the very moment of REIMBURSEMENT the United States
and Texas, by agreeing to the proviso have quoted
saved the compact and continued it in full force in all
its provisions.
Nothing be clearer them than that if the two tracts
of country Of which have spoken within the right
full claim of Texas the compact applied to them and the
prohibition Of slavery in the States to be created out of
them is still in force And it Isl perhaps at this day
the only prohibition which is in force there for the Mis-
souri, prohibition enacted in 1920 may be regarded
restricted to the limits Of the Louisiana acquisition de-
that year.
But the Senator from Illinois says that the prohibition
in the annexation resolution was of no practical effect
except to preserve the principle of the Missouri compro
mise That was true if Texas ever had any just claim
north Of $50 30 Upon that superstition also the Mason
provso had no effect preserving and reafirming an
actual prohibition north of $50 30/, but still served to
preserve the principle 1t is impossible to maintain
the Senator Does that the third article of the original
joint resolution though of practical effect preserved
the principle Of the Missouri compromise and yet deny
that heason proyiso which reafrms and
as part Of new compact every provision OF that third
article, preserves that principle If the principle
preserved by one, it must be by the other.
have now, think, demonstrated that the Senator
from Illinois clearly wrong in respect to the incorpo
ration OF all the territory cut off from Texas into New
Mexico; and just clearly wrong in relation to the
rearmance of the principle of the Missouri compromise
by of those very compromise acts which, as he would
have say superseded it. Certainly the Senate, when
it adopted the Mason provso without DIVISION and the
House, when it agreed to the bill Of which it part
must have intended keep alive and affirm every provso
Of the third article of the annexation resolution One of
these provisions prohibited slavery north OF $50 3O That
provision preserved the principle of the Missouri Com
promise The provso, taken in connection with that pro-
vision makes it clear beyond all question that the
promise acts preserved that principle and rejected the
consequences which now sought to force upon them
submit to the Senate if have not completely vindi
Gated this part of the appeal against the speech of the
Senators The errors, mistakes Misrepresentation
oil his None are found in the appeal.
ers Of the appeal with Misrepresentation of the original
policy of the country in respect to slavery The Senator
says:
"The argument Of this manifesto predcaed upon the
sumption that the policy of the fathers Of the Republic to
prohibit slavery in all the territories ceded by the old States
to the Union and made United States territory for the
pose of being organized into States take issue
that statement"
The Senator then proceeds to attempt show that the
original policy of the country of indiferensm
between slavery and freedom and that in pursuance of
it, geographical line established reaching from the
east to the western limit of the original States that is to
say to the Mississippi river Sir if any thing is suscep
tibe of absolute historical demonstration think tits the
proposition that the founders of this Republic
templated any extension Of slavery. Let for few
moments retrace the past.
What was the general sentiment of the country when
the Declaration of Independence was promulgated
invoke Jefferson witness Let him speak to from
his grave the language of his memorable exposition of
the rights of British America, laid before the Virginia
Convention in August, 1774. These are his words:
The abolition Of domestic slavery the greatest object
desire in these colonies where it unhappiy introduced
in their infant state
In the spirit which animated Jefferson the first Con-
old Congress Of 1774among their first acts,
entered into solemn covenant against the slave traffic.
In 1875 the Declaration of Independence draughted by
Jefferson announced such low and narrow principles
to be in fashion now That immortal document
right of the strong to Cypress the weak of
the majority to ensave the minority. 1t promulgated
the sublime creed of human rights 1t declared that
created equal and endowed by their Creator
with inalienable rights to life and liberty.
The first acquisition Of territory made by the Uni
ted States three years before the adoption Of the cons
tuition Just after the country had emerged from the
of independence when its struggles, perils and
principles fresh in remembrance and the spirit of
the Revolution yet lived and burned in every American
heart made first acquisition Of territory. That
acquisition derived FROM might perhaps better say
confirmed blythe cessions of Virginia; New York. and
Connecticut 1t the territory northwest Of the river
Ohio
Congress forthwith proceeded to consider the subject
of its Government. Mr.. Jefferson Mr. Howell, and Mr.
Chase appointed committee to draughta ordinance
making provision for that object The ordinance report
ed the work Of Mr. Jefferson, and is marked through
out by his spirit of comprehension intelligence, and de-
yoon to liberty 1t did not confne it's regards to the
territory actually acquired but contemplated further
QUESTIONS by the cessons of other States 1t provided
for the organization of temporary and permanent State
governments in all territory, whether ceded to be
ceded" from the 3st parallel the boundary between the
United States and the Spanish province Of Florida the
SOUTH to the AID parallel the boundary between this
country and the British possessions the north
The territory to be formed into States the settlers
receive authority from the General Government
to form temporary The temporary govern
ment continue in force until the population should
Increase 90 900 nhabitans and then the temporary
to be converted into permanent governments Both
the temporary and the permanent governments were to
established upon certain principles expressly set forth
in the ordinance as their basis Chief among those
the important proviso which ask the attention Of
the Senate:
After the year 1900 of the Christian era there sha be
neither slavery involuntary serynde in Of the said
States otherwise than in the punishment of crimes whereof
the parties shall have been duly convicted to have been
sonaly guilty"
Let it be noted and remembered that this proviso APP
piled not only to the territory which had been ceded al
ready by Virginia and the other States but to oil terrific
nv coded and to he coded. There not inch Of