Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-02-11
To the People of the State Of Ohio
SHALL SLAVERY sE PERMITTED IN Ne
BRAsKAl
WAsHISsros, Jan. 10, 1854.

.
or the permanency Of the Union.
Such danger. as we firmly believe, now
inrends, snd we earnestly solicit your
prompt attention to il.
At the last session OF Congress, a bill
for the organization Of the Territory OF
Nebraska passed the House of Repre-.
senlatives with an overwhelming majOri>
ty. That bill was passed on The princi-
pie of excluding Slavery from the new
Territory II was not taken up for con-
sideraIion in the Senate, and consequent
ly failed to bee ome law.
At the present session, new NebraS-
la bill has been reported by the SENATE
Committee on Territories. which, should
i: unhappily receive the sanction of Con-
gress, will open all he unorganized tsrri-
tory of the Union TO the ingress of Slave
ry.
We araign this bill as gross violation
of sacred pledge; as criminal beIray'
al of precious rights as part aud par
eel of an atrocious plot TO exclude from
a vast unoccupied region, immigran +
from the Old World, and free laborer $
from our own States, and convert it into
despotism, inhabited by masters and
slaves.
Take your maps, fellow-ciiizens, we
en'real you, and see what country 1t is
which this bill, giatuitously aud reckless
ly, proposes 10 open to Slavery.
From the southwestern corner Of Mis-
souri, pursue the parallel Of 30 deg. 30
min north latitude westerly across the
north fork of Canadian, to the northeast
ern angle Of Texas; then follow the
northern boundary of Texas to the vest
arm limit of New Mexico, then proce d
along that western line to its northern
termination /; then again turn westward
ly, and follow. the northern line of New
Mexico TO the crest of the Rocky Noun
tans then ascend norlhwardIy along he
crest of that mountain range TO the line
which separates the United States from
the British Possessions in North America,
on the 29ih parallel of nt r,h latitude !;
then pursue your course eastwardly along
that line to the White Earth river, which
falls into the Missouri from the north !;
descend that river to its confluence with
the Missouri; descend the Missouri, along
the western boundary Of Minnesota, of
lown, of Missouri, to the point where 1t
ceases to be boundary line, and enters
the State TO which it gives its name then
continue your souhward course along the
western limit of thai State 10 the poin,
where you set out, You have now mad
the circuit Of the proposed Territory oi
Nebraska. You have traversed the vast
distance Of more han three thousand
miles. You have traced the outline Of
an area Of four hundred and eighly-fve
thousand square miles E; more than twelve
times as great as that of Ohio.
This immense region, occupying the
very heart Of the North American CONT
nent. and larger, by thirty-three thousanc
square miles, than all the existing Free
States. excluding California--this i'm
mense region. we'll wateSed and fertile
tn rough which the Middle. and Northern
Routes, from the Atlantic to the Pacific
must pass-this immense region, emhrac,
ing all the uanrganized territory of the
nation, except the comparatively insight
icart district of Indian territory north Of
the BED River and betw cen arkansas and
Texas, and now for more than thirty
years regarded by the common consent Of
the American People as consecrated tc
Freedom, by statute ard by compact-this
immense region, the Bill now before the
Senate. without reason and without ex.
cuse. but in fragrant disregard Of sound
policy and sacred Eaish, proposes to oper
Slavery.
We beg your attention, fellew.ci,izens
10 few historical facts
The original settled policy of the Uni
ted States. clearly indicated by the Jeffer
son ProViso of 1884, and by the Ordi
nance Of 1887, was non extension o
Slavery.
In 1903, Louisiana was acquired By
purchase from France. At that lim'
there were some twenty-five or thirty
thousand slaves in this Territory, most o
them within what is now the State O
Louisiana few, only, farther north, OF
the west bank ol the Missisisppi Congress
instead of providing for the abolition o
Slavery in this new Territory, permitte'
its cor tinuance. IN 1912, the State o
Louisiana was organized, and admitted in
| to tho TTpiop. with Slayery
In 1918, six years later, the mhabi
tants Of the Territory Of Missouri ap
piled 10 Congress for authority to form
State Constitution, and for admission mt
the Union. There were at that time, il
the whole territory acquired from France
outside Of the State of Louisiana, nc
three thousand slaves.
There was no apology in the circu III
stances of the country for the continuance
Of slavery. The original national po;ir,
was against it, and not less the plain Ian
guage Of the treaty under which The fer
ritory had been acquired from France.
1t was proposed, therefore, to incorpn
rate in the bill authorizing the formation
of Slate Government, provision re
qviring that the Constitution Of the nev
STATE should contain an articls providing
tor the abolition of existing Slavery an
prohibiting the further introduction Q
slaves.
This provision was vehealently an,
pertin1 1ciously opposed /; bat finally pre-
vailed in the House of Representative