Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1854-03-02
R. Fl. WARDEN, Proprietor.


State of Louisiana was organized and
into the Union with slavery.
In 1918, six years later, The inhabit.
ants of the Territory of Missouri ap-
piled to Congress for authority to form a
State Constitution, and for admission in
To the Union. They were, a, tha, time,
in the whole Territory acquired from
France, outside of the State of Louisi.
ana, not three thousand slaves.
There was no apology in The circum-
stances OF the country for the continu-
ance of slavery. i he original national
policy was against il, and, not less, the
plain language of The treaty under which
the Territory had been acquired from
France.
1t was proposed, therefore, to incorpo-
rate in the bill authorizing the formation
of State Government, provision re-
quiring tina t the Constitution of the new
Slate should contain an article providing
for the abolition of existing slavery, and
prohibiting the further introduction of
slaves.
This provision was vehemently and
pertinaciously opposed, but finally pre-
vailed in the House of Representatives
by decided vote. In the Senate il was
rejected. and, in consequence of the
disagreement between the two Houses,
the bill was lost.
At the next session of Congress the
controversy was renewed wiih increased
glolence. Ii was terminated at length,
by compromise. Missouri was allow
ed 10 come into the Union with slavery,
but a section was inserted into the acl
authorizing her admission. excluding
slavery, forever, from all the Territory
acquired from France, not including the
new Stale lying North of 81 deg so
min.
We quote the prohibtory section: (l)
"SEc. 8. Belt further faacted, Tha.
in all that Territory cetted by France TO
the Uniied States uadsr tie lille of
LOais, ana. which lies north of SO deg.
and 80 min. Of north latitude, not includ-
ed within The limits of the State con-
iempiaied by This act, SLAVERY AND IN
VOLUNTARY sERvITuDE, otherwise than
as punishment to- crime, SHALL be
AND is HEREBY FOREVER PROHIB-
TIED"
lhe question Of the cons,itutionality
Of this prohibition was submitted by
President Monroe 10 his cabinet. John
Q. Adams was then Secretary of State,
John G.. Calhoun vas Secretary OF War;
VIM. III. Crawford was Secretary OF The
Treasury; and Wm. Writ was Attorney
General. Each of these eminen, men,
three Of them being from slave States,
gave written opinion, affirming its con-
slltutionality. and ihereupon The ACT re.
ceived The sanction of The President,
himself also from slave State.
Nothing is more certain in history
than the fact that Missouri could not
have been admitted as a slave State, had
not certain members from the free States
been reconciled 10 the measure by lhe
incorporation Of this prohibition into tho
act OF admission. Nothing is more GER
tain than that this prohibinon has been
regarded and accepted by the whole
extension OF slavery into any part OF
The Territory acquired from France, ly-
ing north OF 36 deg. 80 min., and not
included in the new State of Missouri
The same act-let il be ever remember
ed-whlch authorized the formation of
a Constitution for that State, without a
clause forbidding slavery, consecrated.
beyond question, and beyond honest re-
call, the whole remainder of The terrific
ry TO free institutions forever. For more
than thirty years during more than hall
the period OF our national existence I'M
der the present constitution--this CON-
pact has been universally regarded and
acted upon as inviolable An erican Law.
In conformity with it, Iowa was admit.
ted as free State, and Minnesota has
been organized as free territory.
IL is a strange and ominous fact, we'll
calculated to awaken the worst app;e-
tensions and the mos, fearful fore ebodings
Of future calamities, that il is now delib-
eraiely proposed 10 repeal this prohibit
ton, by implication or directly-the lat
ter. certainly. the manlier way-and
thus to subvers this compact. and allow
slavery in all the yet unorganized lerri,o-
ry.
We cannot, in this address, review
the various pretences under which i. is
attempted to cloak this monstrous wrong;
but we must not altogether omit to no
tice one.
1t is said that the Territory of Ne
braska sustains the same relations to
slavery as did the territory acquired from
Mexico prior to 1850, and that the pro.
slavery clauses of the Bill are necessary
to carry into effect the Compromise OF
that year. No assertion could be more
groundlses. Three acquisitions Of ter
ri.ory have bsen made by treaty. The
first was from France. Out of this ter
riiory have been created three slave
States, Louisiana, Arkansas and Nilsson.
ri, and the single free State of Iowa.
the controversy which arose in relation
to the unorganized portion of this Ter
ritory was closed ia 1920, by the Mis-
souri act, containing the slavery prohi-
bilion, as has been already stated. This
controversy related only to territory ac-
| quired from France. The act, by which