Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-08-07
From tho Cincinnati Gazette.
What tho Southern Mon said about
Slavery Extension Thirty Years Ago.

From the Cincinnati Gazette.
What tho Southern Men said abou
Slavery Extension Thirty Years Ago
The discussion Of tho slavery question
by tho North and the South, during ih
session Of Congress 18l8,lsl9 and 1920
was able aud exciting.
Mr.. Poindextcr, Of Mississippi, SAT
he fully concurred with the gentleman
from New York in his solicitude 10 ex
pei from our country, whenever practices
bile. anything like slavery. II Is no
with us, SAID no q matter Of cho'c
whether we will have slaves among u
or Motive found them here and we ar
obliged TO maintain and employ them
Ii would be a blessing could we 80
rid Of them bat the wisest and bes
men among US have not been able tt
devise a plan for doing it. He hoped
as far as we could we should expel sla
very from the country.
Mr.. Taylor replied: In reference tt
the ordinance, as binding Congress no
to permit slavery in any Of the State'
formed from the Northwest Territory hi
. onceived Congress to be bodnd by
.ic not 10 be broken but il in this ne
was wrong, and Congress is bound oy
| nothing bat their sense OF expediency
that tie became ten thousand times
moro strong.
Here is what member Of Congres:
from another lave State said during the
heated discussion on the admission o.
Missouri into the Union, with a restrlc'
ton against slavery.
Mr.. REID, OF Georgia, said in Con-
gress, January $500, after culohlslna
the adequate provisions made in his
State for the moral and religious wei.
"a. Of the slaves. "Believe me, Sir,
am not the proraganlist Of slavery; i,
is an unnatural sia,e-a dark cloud
which obscures half the lustre oil our
free institutions ! But it is fixed evil,
which we can only alleviate. For my
own part, surrounded by slavery from
The cradle 10 the present moment yet
| .Hale the touch of servlle hand.
] hate the slaves who crinse arouhd'"
And | would hail that day as the
most glorious in its dawnins wblab
should behold 1wSi'h safety to themselves,
the black population OF the Uol'ed
States placed upon the high eminenee
Of equal rights, and clothed with the
privileges and immuni,ies Of American
citizens !"
During the angry contest in Consres:
which resulted in the adoption OF the
Missouri Compromise, the National In
tellisencer used the following Language
in its issue Of FEBRUARY goth. 1920:
"Our impression is, that Congress may
ighfully prescribe rules for the disPos'
ton of the territory Of the United States
and for its government. If slavery be
there inhibited, during the progress from
wilderness 10 settlement there is nc
probability that the States hereafter tc
be established in, it composed OF Tree
population. will desire to recosnlzola
very within its limits. If they do, the
question now depending in respect to
Missouri will then occur, and it will be
time enough then 10 settle it. "Sufilcl
en-, for the day is the evil thereof" The
example of Ohio, Indiana, and illinois
however, goes to show that if slavery be
not permitted to take root in territory
the people thereof, when forming State
government will not desire it.
Ben. Hardin, who eloquently resisted
the imposition Of any condition or re-
striction TO the admission Of Missouri
at length assented to compromise, and
closed his powerful speech with these
words:
"It strikes mo, Mr.. Chairman, thai
this matter can be settled with grea
facility. If each party be so disposed
and neither party give up any point IN
this question, which may be called prin
chile. Can it not be done by permit
ing Missouri to go into the Union with
Out the restriction, and then draw q
line from the Western boundary Of the
pro posed State of Missouri, due West to
the Pacific ? North Of the line prohibit
slavery and South, admitit. Let neither
side any longer contend for victory; lo
should either party succeed and finally
triumph, the pride Of victory on one
hand and the modification and humilia
ton Of defeat on the other, will widen
the breach and prevent cordial recon
ciliation. Before the contest is pushed
10 extremities, let US meet each othe
oa this floor, half way, and embrace al
brothers Of a great political community
bury the ,omahawk Of party warfare ant
smoke the pipe Of peace"
RI II we met Kentucky and the othe
Southern States "half.way" and at tha
time "embraced as brothers," is it no
natural that the North should be firm il
action and plain in speech, when tn
"tomaha wk" Of Southern aggression ha
been brandished and "the pipe Of peace
has been broken.