The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-02-24

The PRESIDENT. Order
Mr. DOUGLAS. Sir, ifthe Scnu or does !
interpose, in violation Of the rules of the |
Senate. to a denial ollhe fact, it may be
that shall be able TO hail that denial, as |
shall the statements here which are over
his own signature, as a base falsehood.
and prove it by the solemn legislation Of 4
this country.
Mr.. CHASE | call the Senator TO or.
der.
The PRESIDENT. The Senator from IL
linois is certainly out of order.
Mr.. DoUGLAs. Than | vii; only say
that | shall confne myself 10 this docu-
ment. ard prove its statements TO be false
by the legislation Of the country. Ger
tainly that il in order.
MIR CHAsE. You cannot do it.
Mr.. DOUGLAS. The argument OF this
manifesto is predico,ed upon the assump.
ton that the policy Of the fathers OF the
Republic was TO prohibit slavery in oil
the territory ceded by the old States TO
the Union and made United States terri.
tory, Tor the purpose of being organized
into new States. take issue upon that
statcment Such was not the practice in
the early history Of the Government. 1t
is true that in the territory northwest OF
the Ohio river slavery was prohibited by
the ordinance Of 1897; but il is also
true ihatin the territory south OF the Ohio
river. TO VIE, the Territory Of Tennessee,
slavery was pernitled and protected; and
IL is also true, that in the organization of
the Territory Of Mississippi, in 1893, the
provisions of the ordinance of 1897 were
applied TO it, with the exception Of the
sixth article, which prohibitcd slavery
Then, sir, you find upon The Statute
books unde' Washington and the early
Presidents, provisions Of law showing
that in the southwestern territories the
right to hold slaves was clearly implied
oi recognized, while in The northwest ter
rilorles il was prohibited. The only con-
cIusion that can be fairly and honestly
drawn from that legislation is, that il was
the policy of the fathers Of the Republic to
prescribe line Observation-Disclosures free
territories e. slave-holding territories by o
natural geographical line ,Jeing sure 10
make that line correspond, as near as
might be, 10 the laws Of climate, Of pro.
ducIion, and probably Of all those other
causes that would control The iniustlu-
sion and make il eriher desirable or unde.
sirabIe TO the people inhabling the re.
spectise territories.
Sir, | wish you TO bear in mind, too,
that tkis geographical line established by
the founders of of the Republic, between
free Territories and slave Territ ories, ,eX-
tended as far westward as our territory
then reached, the objec, being to avoid all
agitation upon tho slavery question by
settling that question forever, SO far as
our territory extended, which was then to
the Mississippi river.
When, IN 1903, we acquired from
France the Territory known as Louisi-
ana, IL became necessary 10 egis!ale for
the protection of the inhabitants residing
therein. 1t will Je seen by looking abto
the bill establishing the territorial govern.
ment in 805 for the Territory Of New
Dreams, embracing tho Same country
now known us the State of Louisiana, That
the ordinance Of 1887 was expressly ex-
tended to tina, Territory. excepting the
sixth section. which prohibited slavery
Then thal act implied that the Territory
of New Orleans was 10 be n slave hold
ing Territory by making thar exception
in The law But, sir, when they came to
form what was then called the Territory
Of ! ouisana. subsequently, known as the
Territory of Missouri, norih Of the mir
ty.,hird parallel, they used different lam
guage. They did nol extend The ordi.
nance of 1887 TO it n, all. They first pro.
viIcd that il should be governed by laws
made BY the governor and The Judges; and
when, in l8l2,Congress gave 10 ,ha, Ter.
ritory of Missouri, u territorial govern
ment, the people were allowed TO do as
they pleased upon tho subject Of slavery,
subject onl y 10 the Limitations The Consli.
tulion Of The U. S. Now, what IS ,he infer
encc from thar legisalioni That slavery
was, by implication, recognize south of
the thirty. third parallel, and north of
that tho people were left 10 exercise their
own judgment and 40 as they pleased up
on the subject, wlhou. any implication
for of against the existence Of The inslitu.
don.
This continued TO bo the condition of
the country in the Missouri Territory up
TO 1920, when the celebrated act whirh is
nowcalled the Missouri compromise ac,
was passed. Slavery did not exist ,noi
was II excluded from, the country now
known as Nebraska. There was no code
of laws upon the subjec, of slavery either
way: First, Tor the reason ,hat slavery
had never been introduced into Lou.
isana, aud established by positive enact.
menl IL had grown up there hy sort of
common law, aud been supported aud
protected When common law grows
up, when an institution becomes esIab.
li-hed under a usage, il carr es il SO far
as that usage actually goes; and no fur.
Iher. II il had been established by diree-
enactment. il might have carried il 30 far
as The political jurisdiction extcnded; but,
be that AS It may by the net of lsl2ciea.
Ting the Territory of Missouri. that Terri.
tory was allowedIo lcgislale upon tho sub.
Jecl ofslavcry as it saw proper, subiec,
only to the limitations which have sta.
ted; and the country not inhabited or
thrown open TO settlement was Sci apar,
ag Indian cnuntru and ,anda.aI ~ --.