Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-10-04

The Extension of Slavery

his clap-trap expression Is commonly used
by the FuslOnists As synonymous with the prin-
clple of popular sovereignty embodied in the
Kansas Nebraska Law. Surely YOU arc not IN
favor of the extension OF slavery saws apoliti-
cal parson TO a plain, honest Democrat who
knows thatif the people cannot safely be trusted
to manage their own affairs, the whole theory Of
a republican government is 4 farce and 4 hum
bug Don't you see that this infamous Ne
braska Law extends slavery over rerri DRY
large enough for 4 mighty empire. from which
it was excluded by hat sacred compact, thr
Missouri Compromise? Surely you are too good
a man 10 sanction such an outrage against God
and humanity" The poor fellow is puzzled bs
this sophstry, and awed by the enathrina i'm
piled in the appeal. And so be surreudes bis
Judgment to his piritual adviser, and becomes
a Fusicnist. There are thousands of just such
cases, we have no doubt.
Now the fact is, that popular sovereignty IS
the grand safeguard of freedom, and the grand
opponent OF slave-y I; has banished -iavery
from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massa-
chuSetts. Rhode Island CONNECTICUT, New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio. Indiana, Tilt
nois 81 chgau, W >c0ns n, aud luwa,-ls fast
banishiDg II fTom De e,-2nd VIII I'LL
mately do the for Ma vlsud Virginia,
Kentucky. and Ulhrr >iav no dug S,a eSt Nhv
is Virginia TO day slave holding community
Because the principle Of the Kansas NebraslS8
was oyerthrown aud trampled under foot by the
British Government.
II Is j matter of historical record. and will
not be denird by any intelligent man, that
slaves were forced upon Virginia against her
| will--nay, against her earnest TvmOn,tr ncr---
+ by The paren, g"ye nment, aud thus save
holding interest was crra cd which eventually
over matched he amti-s avery feeling. aud the
I result To-, what We now witness. 1 lie famous
/ "Ordiuance OF 1871" is continually ia the
mou hs of aati-slaverv men, 4, an infaiiible an
tidOie against "ihe ex enSioA sla y" and
! they mourn and lament that the samc prohibit
ton cannot b apple by Congress 10 ali he
national territories yet organ zed into States
L0Ok now al the practical effect OF that Ords
nance, compared with The primo pie OF the Ne
braska Law. Uuder the Ord nance 1857, slave
rs ig1s Introduced IN 0 Indiana and Illlnoi7, d
continued to increase there until b. the erect Oh
of hose Terri cries into States IN pr ncipls Ot
he Nebraska Law vas embodied III their Con-
situations, after which it WAS gradually abaIed,
and is now extinct.
To be more particular In 1899 three years
after the passage of the Ordinance of 49,. there
were no slaves in Indiana, then comprising
what is now IndianH and Illinois. IL 1909, the
number was i35. In 1909, Illinois was sci oil
into separate Territory Ia 1910, tho number
{ of slaves 10 Indiana, rhus curIailed, had IN
crossed TO 81. while in Illinois the number was
l65. Indiana wa erected u.o State IN 1916
aud Illinois IL 1918. By that change, popular
= sovereignty took he place of the Ord Ence ol
1887. Wins va. the rcnseQucnce7 Why, this
thai the number of slaves in Indiana, ioIr years
after The change, wit, IN l5 %, was reduced L
l9J--in io3J 10 3, and III 1859 20 j. aud this
also: that he mber Of ayes III lllinoi-, which
n 1880 1.-TWO years after the change wa elT
: was Ia 1850 reduced 10 Ia. in l640 TO 1al, auc
f N 1896 To D. Such Is the operation OF pOpuls
sovereignty upon the system of slavery con ras
y ted with The prohibltury O dinauce OF 1877 -
. Popular sovereignty Is the leading principe o
!. he y brasEa law. Which DO you pret,r, rea
" dc z
Whit made California free State? TIL,
, principle Of the Nebraska Lav, alas, pUpuin
sovereignty. Nothing else Congress had Il,
II hand in the business. California formed stat
1, Constitution, such as her people approved, al,
:, it prohibited slavery.
A great fuss was made By tho friends O
$ freedom" a they call themselves, because Ural
{ and New Mexico on beng organized into Terri
tories in 1850, were authorized TO haze slRyerI
u or not az they pleased. But what harm ha, j
&c done? How many slaves are there in eithe
J Territory? or in DO Of them toge herr z obabl-
:, not so; and these will be Set free a long am,
= sooner than if they had rcmaine,i the 5tatc
u, from which they came.
=, a still greater uproar was made because Kan
- sas and Nebraska were erected into 1eIrilorie
- or the came basis % Utah and New Mexico
,. Barrels Of sermons, have been preached agsIns
the measure, and its mover and supporters hsv
- been denounced, up hill and down. But VIVA
u. harm has itdone? Does any body now bolIey
=, that either of those Territories arc to becom
" slave. holding Statesy Very few certainly; ant
q the number is fast diminishing. The only dan
ger Of such q result, has been occasiOuod by tn
Abolition Emigrant Societies; which, by put
ting forth "great swelling words Of vanity
" started up counter movement in Missouri, Q
at a violent and disgrsceful character, whereas,
they had been Content to trust he people. an,
= thu free working Of the Nebraska Law, he Mi,
j. sourians. We hare no doubt, would have don
E so too. However "all IL we'll that end well
We may therefore sum up the achievement G
&c popular sovereignty, as cmbod cd Ia The Ne
: braska Law, within the last six wears, in Ia
following manner:--