Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-02-18

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was formed, twelve out ofthe thirteen were slave
ln ding siates. Since that time SIX OF those
States have become free. How has this been ei-
feetedl Was il by virtue OF abolition agitation
in coneressl Was il in obedience TO The dictates
Of the federal government Not at ALL but they
have become free States under the silent, but
sure and IRRESISTIBLE, working of that great pm
eple of elf-goyerDment which teaches every
people 10 do that which the interests OF themselves
and their postcrity morally and peeuniarlly may
require.
Under the operation Of this principle New
Hampshire became free, while South Carolina
continued to hold slaves; Connecticut abolished
slavery, while Georgia held on 10 it; Rhode island
abandoned the institution, while Maryland pre-
served it; \. York, n. Jersey and Pennsylvania
abolished sayery,whilc Virginia, y. Carolina and
Kentucky retained it. Did they do it at your
biddingl Did they do it at the dietation OF the
federal government Did they do it III obedl-
cnce to any of your Wilmot Proyisos or ordnan-
ces Of ~ Not at all. They did it by virtue OF
their right as frccmen under the Constitution OF
the l. States to establish and abolish such insti-
tutions az they thought their own good required
Let me ask you. where have you succeeded in
excluding slavery by an act of Congrf IS from one
inch of American soil! You may tell me that
you did it in the Northwest Territory by the ord
nance of 1877. ] viii show you by the history
of the country that you did not do any such thing
You prohibited slavery there by law, but you did
not exclude it in fact. Illinois was part of the
North West Territory. With the exception OF
n few French and white settlements il
vast wilderness filled with hostile sayages, when
the ordinance of 1857 was adopted. Yet, sir
when Illinois was organized into territorial gov
ernment it established and protected slayery,and
maintained II in spite of Your ordinance. and in
defiance of its express prohibition. 1t is GU
rious fact that so long as Congress said the Ter
Il
tuay had it, and on the very day when you with
drew your congressional prohibition, the people
Of Illinois, of their own free will and accord, pro-
yided for system of emancipation.
Thus you did not succeed in Illinois Territory
with your ordinance, your Wilmot pfoyiso be-
cause the people there regarded it as an invasion
of their rights. They regarded it as usurpation
on the part of the federal government. They
garded ii act volative of the great principles
of sefgovernment and they determined that
they would never submit even to have freedom so
long Ms you forced il upon them.
Nor must il be said that slavery was abolished
III the Constitution Of Illinois in order to be adj
mitted into the Union u State in compliance
with the ordinance of 1897, for tfey did no such
thing In the Constitution with which the people
of Illinois were admitted into the Union, they alb
solutely violated, dsregarded and repudiated
your ordinance. The ordinance said that slavery
The Constitution with which you received them
into the Union as a State, said that all slaves then
in the State should remain slaves for life, and that
all persons born of slave parents after n certain
day should be free at II certain age and that all
persons born III the State after certain other
day should be free from the time of their birth.
Thus their State CONSTITUENCIES well as their ter
ritora legislation, rcpudiate your ordinance. IL
nos, therefore, is in point 20 prove that
whenever you have attempted to dictate insttu-
tions to any part of the United States you have
failed. The same is true, though not to the same
extent, with reference to the Territory of Indiana,
where there were many slaves during the time of
its territorial existence, and believe also, there
were Il few in the Territory of Ohio.
| know of but one Territory of the United
States where slavery does exist and that one is
where you have prohibited it by law, and it is this
very Nebraska Territory. In defnance of the 5th
section of the act of 1920 in defiance of con-
gressional dictation, there have been not many,
but few slaves introduced. | heard a minister
of the Gospel the other day conversing with
member of the Committee on Territories upon
this suboot. This preacher from that conn
try, and member of the committee on Terri
tories put the question to him. .'Haye you any
negroes out there!" He said there were few held
by the Indians. | asked him if there were not
some held by white men. He said there were
few under peculiar circumstances. and he gave
instance: An abolition missionary, very good
man, had gone there from Boston, and he took his
wife with him. He got out into the country, but
could not get any help; hence he, being kind
hearted man, sent down to Missouri, and gave
4 900 for negro, and took him up there as
"help,'-l Laughter. So under peculiar eireum-
stances. when these frecsoi and abolition preach
and missionaries go into the country, they
can buy negro for their own USE but they do
not like to allow any one else to do the same
thing. Renewed laughter.
| suppose the fact of the matter is simply this,
there, the people can get no servants, no "help,"
as they are called in the section of country where
| was born, and from the necessity of the case,
they must do the best they can, and for this rea-
son few slaves have been taken there. have
no doubt that, whether you organise the Terrific
ry of Nebraska or not this will continue for some
time to come. 1t certainly does exist, and it will
increase us long the Missouri Compromise APP
plies to the Territory; and suppose it will con
tnue for little while during their territorial
condition, whether prohibition is imposed or
not. But when settlers rush in--when labor be-
comes plenty, and therefore cheap, in that eli
mate, with its productions it is worse than folly
to think of its being slaveholding country. |
do not believe there is man in Congress who
thinks it could he permanently "a slaveholding
country. have no idea that it could. All
have to say on that sub is, that when YOU ere
ate them into Territory, you thereby acknowl-
edge that they ought to be considered IA distinct
political organization. And when you give them
in addition, a Legislature, you thereby confess
that they are competent to exercise the powers
of Legislation If they wish slavery, they have
right to it. If they do not want it, they will
not have it, and you should not force it upon