Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-06-24
The Anti-NeSrasItn NTenbers Of Gem
Rress' address TO the People.

passage Of the bill to organize the territories
OF Nebraska and Kansas, held pursuant to
previous notice here on the goth inst, Hon.
Solomon Foote, of VT, was elected chairman,
and Hon. Daniel Mace, of Ind, and Hon.
Reuben E. Fenton, of New York, were ap-
pointed Secretaries. A committee, appointed
for the purpose, reported an address to the
people of the United States, which, having
been discussed and amended, was unanimously
adopted and ordered to be published.
70 the People of the Uaited States The
eighth section of the act for the admission of
Missouri into the Union, known as the Mis-.
souri, Compromise law by which the intro
duction Of slavery into the regions now known
as Kansas and Nebraska was forever prohib-
tied, has been repealed. That law, which in
1920 quieted controversy menacing the
Union, and upon which you have so long re-
posed, is obliterated from the statute book
We had no reason to expect any such prop
osition when we assembled here six months
ago, nor did you expect it. No State, no
citizen of any State had demanded the repeal.
1t seems duty we owe to the country to
state the grounds upon which we have stead
lastly, though Intellectually, opposed this
alarming and dangerous act.
You need not be told that the slavery ques-
ton lies at the bottom OF it. AS it was the
slaveholding power that demanded the enact
ment of the Missouri Compromise, so it is the
same power that has now demanded its abro-
cation. African slavery was regarded and
denounced as great evil, by the American
Colonies, even before the Revolution, and
those colonies which are now slayeholding
States were equally earnest in such remon-
strances with those which are now free States.
Colonial laws, framed to prevent the increase
of slavery, were vetoed by the King of Great
of rl,i fra, 10
enlarge and perpetuate a system universally
regarded as equally wrongful in itself and
injurious to the Colonies, was one Of the
causes of the Revolution.
When the war was ended, there was an
| imperious necessity for the institution some
| government in the then unoccupied terrific
ries of the United States In 1884, Jefferson
! proposed, and III 1887 the Continental Con-
| gress adopted the ordinance for the govern
ment of the territory living northwest of the
| Ohio, by which it was declared that there
shall be neither slavery nor involuntary SER
vitude, except for the punishment of crime.
The great and fourishing States since
| ganized under that ordinance are enduring
monuments of the wisdom of the statesmen
! of the revolution. The foreign slave trade
| was regarded as the source Of American
| slavery, which it was believed would be dried
up when that fountain should be closed.
In adopting the Constitution it was univer-
| sally anticipated that the foreign slave trade
would be promptly prohibited, and all parties
acqueseed in stipulation postponing that
measure till 1908. The foreign slave trade
was prohibited; thus the source of slavery
was understood to be dried up, while the in
PRODUCTION Of slavery into the Territories was
| prohibited. The slavery question, so far as it
was a national one, was understood to be fin
ally settled; and at the same time the States
had already taken up and were carrying for
ward a system of gradual emancipation.
In 1903 Louisiana was acquired by purchase
from France, ndincluded what is now known
as the States Of louisiana Missouri, Arkan-
sas, and Iowa, and the territories known as
Kansas and Nebraska. Slavery existed at the
time in New Orleans and st. Louis, and SO
this purchase resulted in bringing the slavery
question again before Congress. In 1872 the
region Immediately surrounding New Orleans
applied for admission into the Union under
the name of the State of Louisiana, with
constitution tolerating slavery and the Free
States acquiesced.
Eight years afterwards, the region connect
ed with St. Louis demanded admission under
the name of the State of Missouri, with con-
stitution toerating slavery The Free States
reverted to the principle of 1887, and opposed
the admission of Missouri, unless she would
incorporate into her constitution an inhibition
of the further introduction Of slavery into the
State.
The slaveholding States insisted upon her
unqualified admission. A controversy arose,
which was sectional aud embittered, aud
which we are assured by contemporaneous
history, seriously imperilled the Union. The
statesmen of that day settled the controversy
by compromise. BY the terms Of this COM
promise the Free States assentad to the adj
mission of Missouri with her slaveholding
constitution, while the slaveholding States
on their part yielded the exclusion Of slavery
in all the residue of territory which lay north
Of SO deg 30 min, constituting the present
Territories of Kansas and Nebraska. The
slaveholding States accepted the compromise
as a triumph, and the Free States have ever
since left it undisturbed and unquestioned.
Arkansas, part of Louisiana, which lay
south of IS 80, in compliance with the i'm
| plication which was contained in this conpro-
mise, was afterwards admitted as a slavehold-
ing State, and the free States acquiesced. In
1873, Florida, a slaveholding province of
Spain, was acquired. This provine was after
wards admitted as a saveholding State-the
free States again acquiesced.
In 1915, Texas, an Independent slavehold-
| ing State, was admitted and annexed, with
| provision in the article of annexation for the
subdivision of her territory into five States
| The free States, though they regarded the an
| nexation, with the probable increase of the
| number of slave States, with very great dis
| favor, nevertheless acquiesced again.
| New territories were acquired by the treaty
| of peace which closed the war with Mex
| leo.
The people of California formed constitu-
| ton inhIbiting slavery, and applied for admis-
sion into the Union. Violent opposition was