Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-07-13


afirms His positions are well taken
full of marrow-and had marked effect
m the assembly of dough-faces and of
.lave.drivers by whom he was surrounded.
Rene,cal Of the Missouri Prohibition.
Speech of Thomas H. Ford, Of Ohio,
D.,v,red June H. ls55 at the Banquet OF the AIne-
rican Council, Assembly Buildings, fhiiad'
Mr.. President | feel much embar-
rassed when l reflect that rise to repre-
sent the views of the mighty West on this
ve1ed question of Slavery now under dis
cuss;on. would to God that some gent
leman more competent to the task had un'
dertaken it. Gentlemen from other States
have shown a strong disposition to discuss
party politics in this debate. With the
dirty details of party politics we have moth
ing to do in Ohio. Our principles are pa
triotic and pure, our purposes high and
holy.
The gentlemen who preceded me have
all mistaken the policy of the founders of
the Republic. They never intended to to-
lerate Slavery, or even to be responsible
for its existence. With the trainers Of the
Constitution, Freedom was the rule, Slave
ry the exception Freedom national, Sla-
very sectional. But these patriotic gentle
men from the South are desirous of chang
ing the rule, so as to make Slavery nation
al, aud Freedom sectional to extend over
territory now free the soul-withering, God
dishonoring curse of human Slavery. We,
on the other hand, are desirous Of sustain
ing the policy of our forefathers-a Bible
based, law-loving, liberty-built policy.
And here We take issue.
The honorable gentleman from North
Carolina, pointing to me, tauntingly says;
"You of the North refused to extend the
Missouri Compromise line to the Pacific
when we offered it to you" To this re-
ply, we did so refuse, and for this reason :
We are desirous of extending the area of
freedom, instead of the curse Of human
bondage. The honorable gentlemen from
Tennessee and Alabama have said that we,
at the North, were generally opposed to
the establishment of the Missouri Compro-
mise line at the time the compact was ent-
cred into, in 1920. "On what pretext
can you base your opposition to its repeal :"
In answer to the gentleman, say that the
people Of the North rere opposed to the
establishment at that time, aud for this
obvious reasons 1t was base surrender
of territory to Slavery that had been by the
God of Nature and our laws consecrated
to Freedom; and this moment, instead of
the voice Of Freemen ascending to Heaven
in ardent prayers for the perpetuity of this
Union, thousands of human beings are
clanking the chains of abject Slavery there.
Those men who were in Congress from the
North and voted for this Compromise, lie
forgotten somewhere--their memories hav-
ing persisted with them. So have we sent
those who voted for its repeal to their po-
litical graves, to be remembered no more
by US, except in the long living annals of
infamy, The gentleman over the way asks
me to reconcile that position, will, Sir.
The territory Of the South acquired BY
virtue Of that contract is already niggered
yes, nigyer.d all over. The crack of the
drivers lash (to the disgrace Of humanity
be it said) is this day heard on its every
acre. The voice of Freedom is not heard
there, but Slavery, dark and damning, cur
ses that otherwise beautiful country, hav-
ing territory sufficient to make an empire
Of freemen. That is the reason we oppos.
ed its repeal aud now ask for its restora-
tion. We cannot recall Slavery there now
its too late If We could place that
territory in the same situation it was in
1920, there would be no trouble from our
State about the repeal of the Missouri re.
striction. No: we would like men, enter
the area and fight manfully the battles of
Freedom. Yes, Sir we would see that
Freedom, our inheritance, was not turned
to strangers aud our homes to aliens, and
Liberty left desolate in the land of our
forefathers. But the dark and damninc
deed is done; and regarding the rights of
the States under the Constitution we can
not change it now.
And now, after our submission for thir-
ty-four years to that iuiquity, you come
forward and infict this renewed outrage
upon US. You say, at is true, north of
that line was set apart BY solemn compact
TO Freedom but the contract was uncon.
st'tutional, and consequently null and
void' l care not from what point you
view it; you have taken under tha. con.
tract and Of course are bound by it. You
now come to us whiningly and say "This
contract is void, do not attempt to enforce
It," Suppose you give your note to
friend for one hundred dollars borrowed
on the Sabbathday, and afterward, to avoid