Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-02-04
WASHINGTON, ID. C.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1854.
THE NEBRASKA sII-rHE ARGUMENT.
AN APPEAL.

. s- Il
Passing from the argument, in relation to
the abrogation Of the Missouri Compromise,
Mr. Douglas labors in the second portion of his
speech to recommend his views to the. people
on grounds of policy. "When," he asks, have
you succeeded in excluding Slavery by act Of
Congress from ono inch Of the American soil?
You may tell me that you did it in the
Northwest Territory by the Ordinance Of 1887
| will show you by the history Of the country
that you did not accomplish any such thing
You prohibited Slavery there by law, but you
did not exclude it in fact Illinois was part
Of the Northwest Territory With the excep-
ton Of few French and white settlements, il
was vast wilderness filled with hostile say
ages when the Ordinance Of 1887 was adopt
ed. Yet, sir, when Illinois was organized into
q Territorial Government it established and
protected Slavery, and maintained il in spite Of
your Ordinance, and in defiance Of its express
prohibition. 1t is a curious fact, that 30 long
as Congress said the Territory Of Illinois should
not have Slavery, she actually had it and on
the very day when you withdrew your Con-
gressional prohibition, the people Of Illinois Of
their own free will and accord, provided for .
system Of emancipation. Thus you did not
succeed in Illinois Territory with your Ordi-
nance, or yonr Wilmot Proviso, because the
people there regarded it as an invasion Of their
rights. They regarded it as q usurpation on
the part Of the Federal Government. They
regarded it as violative Of the great principles
Of self-government and they determined that
they would never submit even to have freedom,
80 long as you forced it upon them.0
If we have read history Alright this is an en-
tire misrepresentation. That some Of the old
French settlers, or their descendants, nominally
civilized, may have held few slaves in Kas-
kaskia, and that kind Of Slavery, under the
form of indentured service, may stealthily have
got foothold in the Northwest Territory, is not
denied but these were facts 30 limited, 50
clearly exceptional, as to prove nothing against
the efficacy Of positive prohibition. Taken in
connection with another fact, which Mr.. Doug
las oyerlooks-the repeated and strenuous ex-
ertions made to obtain repeal or suspension Of
the Ordinance of 1887, for the express pur-
pose Of introducing Slavery into the Territory
they demonstrate not only its sufficiency, but
its necessity, as safeguard against the inroads
of that evil.
Let ms advert to a few facts in the history of
the Northwest Territory About the time Of its
division into two portions, memorial was pre-
sented to the Assembly of Ohio Territory, in
in 1899, by officers of the Virginia line on Cont
mental establishment in the war of the Revolu-
ton, praying for permission to remove with
their slaves TO their military bounty lands, be-
tween the Scioto and the Little Miami rivers.
The prayer Of the petition being unequivocally
prohibited by the Ordinance the Legislature
had no discretion in the case Their only
course was to reject the petitions The histo-
rian adds-had the application been granted,
the result would have been great accession Of
wealth, strength, and intelligence; but the
public feeling against Slavery was SUCH that
the request would have been denied by unani-
nous vote, had the Legislature possessed the
power Of granting it And why! Because,
the pioneers Of Ohio were freemen, hard-wo
ing men, trained to habits of self.reliance, and
Slavery had not up to that time, boon able to
effect q Judgement ON one foot of it's soil Inn.
migrants from slave States had not ventured
there with their slaves; the few who did 20
from those States and settle there, were thor
oughly Anti. Slavery. Thus the policy Of posi-
tive prohibition by Congress had accomplished
is work.
During the nine years from 1900 to 1909
what are now the States Of Indiana and Illinois
constituted the Territory Of Indiana. II was
in this portion Of the original Northwest Terri
tory that few slaves were held by tho old
French settlers, descendants Of the colony
planted by La Sale and Father Hennepin,
more than century befofs the passage Of the
Ordinance Of 1887. and that, owing to the
large proportion Of settlers from the slave
States, q species Of slavery, under the form Of
indenture, secured q limited existence. And il
was hero that the greatest efforts were made
TO break down the restriction imposed by Con-
gross on the introduction Of Slavery.
In 1909, memorial was presented 10 Con.
gross, accompanied by report Of the proceed
ings Of . Convention Of the People Of Indiana,
Including Of course, Illinois) held at yincennes,
the object Of which was to obtain q suspen-
sion, as 70 that Territory, Of the Anti Slavery
proviso Of the Ordinance Of 1887. The me-
mortal having been referred TO Committee of
which Randolph, Of Virginia was chairman,
an adverse report was soon submitted The
Committee deemed il highly dangerous and
inexpcdient TO impair a provision wisely cal
culated TO promote the happiness and prospcri
ty Of the Northwestern country, and TO give
strength and security to that extensive From
Ter, and held that in the salutary operation Of
this sagacious and benevolent restraint, the in.
habitants Of Indiana would, at no distant day,
find ample remuneration for temporary priva-
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