Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-02-18

hended introduction or prohibition Of slavery in
the Territories furnished other grounds of contro-
versy' The slave States complained Of tho free
states ana the Tree states complained Of the slave
States IL was supposed by some that this whole
agitation might be stayed, and finally put at rest
by skilfully adjusted legislation SO, sir, we had
the omnibus bill and its appendages, the fugitive
slave bill, and the District slave trade suppression
bill. 70 please the North-to please the free
States-California was to be admitted, and the
slave depots here in the District were to be broken
up. TO please the slave States, stringent fugi-
tive slave act was to be passed, and slavery was
to have chance to get into the new Territories.
The support of the Senators and Representatives
from Texas was TO be gained by a liberal adjust
ment of boundary, and by the assumption Of
large portion of their State debt. The general
result contemplated was complete and final ad-
iustment of all questions relating to slavery. The
acts passed. A number of the friends Of the acts
signed compact, pledging themselves to support
no man for any Office who would in any way renew
the agitation. The country was required to &C
quiesce in the settlement as absolute fnality.-
No man concerned in carrying those measures
through Congress- and least Of all the distinguished
man whose efforts mainly contributed to their sue
cess, ever imagined that in the territorial acts
which formed part Of the series, they were plant
ing the germs of new agitation. Indeed, have
proved that one OF these acts contains an express
stipulation which prccudes the revival Of the ag-
tation in the form in which 1t is now thrust upon
the country without manifest disregard of the pro-
visions Of those acts themselves.
have thus proved beyond controversy that the
ayerment Of the bill which my amendment pro-
poses to strike out, is untrue Senators, will you
unite in q statement which you know to be contra
dicted by the history Of the country9 Will you
incorporate into n public statute an affirmation
which is contradieted by every event which attend
cd or followed the adoption Of the compromise
acts? Will you here, acting under the high res
possibility as Senators Of the States assert as fact
by solemn vote, that which the personal recollec-
ton of every Senator who was here during the
discussion OF those compromise acts disproves p
will not believe it until see it. If you wish to
break up the time honored compact embodied in
the Missouri compromise, transferred into the joint
resolution for the annexation Of Tevas, preserved
and affirmed by these compromise acts themselves,
do II openly-do il boldly. Repeal the Missouri
prohibition. Repeal it by direct vote. Do not
repeal it by indirecton. DO not declare" it "in-
operative" because superseded by the principles
Of the Legislation of 1885,"
Mr.. President threc great eras have marked the
history of this country, in respect to Slavery. The
FIRST may be characterized as the era of ESFRAS.
cnIsEMENT 1t commenced with the earliest strug-
gle for national independence. The spirit which
inspired it animated the hearts and prompted the
efforts Of Washington, Of jefferson, Of Patrick
Henry, Wythe, Of Adams, of Jay, Of Hamilton Of
Morris in short, Of all tho great men Of early
history. All these hopcd-all these labored for
all these believed in the final deliycrance Of the
country from the curse Of Slavery. That spirit
burned in the Declaration Of Independence, and
inspired the provisions Of the Constitution and o
the Ordinance Of 1857. Under its influence, whcr
in full yigor State after State provided for the
emancipation Of the slaves within their limits
prior to the adoption Of the Constitution. Under
| its feebler influences n later period, and during
| tho administration n IF Mr. Jaffprepn tho innnoria
ton of slaves was prohibited into Missippi and
Louisiana, in the faint hope that those Territories
might finally become free States. Gradually that
spirit ceased TO influence public councils and
lost its control over the American policy. Another
Era succeeded, but by such imperceptablc grada
tions that the lines which separate the two canno
be traced with absolute precision. The facts OF
these two Eras meet and mingle as the currents o.
continent streams mix so imperccptbly thpt tho
observer cannot fix the spot where the meeting
waters blend.
This second Fra was the Era Of CONSERVATISM
Its great maxim was to preserve the existing con
dition. Men said, let things remain as they are
let Slavery stay where il Isl exclude it where it il
not refrain from disturbing the public quiet b,
agitation adjust all differences that arise, not b.
the application Of principles, but by compromises.
1 1t was during this period that the Senator tell
us that Slavery was maintained in Illinois, botl
while Territory and after it became State, il
despite Of the provisions Of the Ordinance. 1t j
true sir that the slaves held in the Illinois country
under tho French law, were not regarded nbso
utely emancipated by the provisions Of the Ordi
nance. But full effect was given TO the 0rdinanc,
in excluding the introduction Of slaves, and thu
the Territory was preserved from eventually bc
coming slave State. The few Shareholders in tn
Terrtory Of Indiana, which then included Illinois
succeeded in obtaining such an ascendency in it
affairs, that repeated applications were made, no
merely by conventions Of delegates, but by tn
Territorial Legislature ITSELF for suspension o.
the clause in the Ordinance prohibiting Slavery
These applications were reported upon by Johi
Randolph, of Virginia in the House, and by Mr.
Franklin in the Senate. Both the reports wer
against suspension. The grounds stated by Ran
dolph are specially worthy of being considered
now. They are thus stated in the report:
That the committee deem i: highly dangcrou
and inexpedent to impair provision wisely cacu
lated to promote the happiness and prosperity o
the Northwestern country, and to give strengt
and security to that extensive frontier. In th
salutary operation of this sagacious and benevoen
restraint, it is believed that the inhabitants Of In
diana will, at no very distant day find ample rC
muneration for temporary privation of labor an
of emigration"
Sir, these reports, made in 1903 and 1907, an
the action Of Congress upon them, in conformit
with their recommendation, saved Illinois, an,
perhaps Indiana, from becoming slave States-
Constitution they incorporated into it q section pre-
viding that neither Slavery nor involuntary servi
tude shall be hereafter introduced into this State
The Constitution made provision for the continue,
service of the few persons who were originally hel,
as slaves. and then bound to service under tn
Territorial laws, and for the freedom of their chill
dren, and thus secured the final extinction of Sa
very. The Senator thinks that this result is no
attributable to the Ordinance / differ from him
T But TOR the Ordinance, have no doubt SLAYER
would have been introduced into Indiana, Illinois
and Ohio. 1t is something to the credit Of the Err
of Conservatism, uniting its influences with thos
of the expiring Era of Enfranchisement that
maintained the Ordinance Of 1887 in the North
west.
= The Era of CONSERVATISM passed, also, by impei
+ ceptible gradations, into the Era of SLAVERY Pro
PAGASDIsM. Under the influences of this ney
spirit, we opened tho whole Territory acquire
from Mexico, except California, to the ingress o
Slavery Every foot Of it was covered by Mex
can prohibition; and yet, by the legislation o