The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1856-01-23

BY positive prOihb;iion. from all national I
IeuiIOry, would gradually. but certainly,
and At No distant day, under the operation I
Of the principles Of the Declaration Of lnde- 1
pendsnce, aud through the action Of the
State authorities, disappear wholly from ey-
vry State Of the Union. The foremost
champions Of freedom were citizens Of slave I
States. and occupied the highest stations in
the Stale and National Governments.
In 1894. immediately aftor the partial
adjustment of the conflict between the
ella ms Of the Union and the pretensions Of
the StSles in respect to the territory be-
tween the Alleghanies and the Mississippi,
through the cession BY Virginia, of the ter
Iitory northwest OF the Ohio, JEFFERSON
proposed to provide forever against the ex
tension of slavery, by a positive prohibition
of Us existence after 1890, in any territory
ceded or TO be ceded, or in any Safe 10 be
created out of such territory. This propO
sed prohibition received the votes ofsxleen
out of twenty-three delegates. and OF six
out OF nine States IN the C,ngress OF the
Confederation. |! failed to become a law
bv reason Of that provision of the Articles
of Confederation which made the concur
renee of at least seven States necessary to
an affirmative decision of any question:
The great majority in its favor indicates.
however, the prevalent sentiment OF the
time.
Three years later, the Ordinance Of 1897
impressed upon the soil of the territory
northwest OF the Ohio an indelible prohihi-
lion # Slavery, That Ordinance WAS a
dopted by the unanimous votes of al! the
Satesin Congress. 1t covered every inch
of territory subject 10 the exclusive regula
lion ofthe General Government.
In the same year the National Cunsftu.
ton was framed Mr.. Madison declared it
wrong 10 admit in the Constitution the idea
that there could be property in men" M
such word as Slave or Slavery found place
i'll any its provisions. All recognition OF
the unrighteousness cf saveholdIng, and
all national sanction of the practice, was
carefully excluded from the instrument. In
every clause which has been, on can be cen
Slrued rs referring 10 slavery, it is regrrdrd
as the creature vi State legislation, and de
pendent, wholly, upon S.ate legislation for
It's existence aud continuance. There is ne
trace in the Constitution Itself, or in the de-
bates OF its trainers, of any expectation or APP
prthenslon OF the institution .. maintenance
of SIaucry by the National law, or in nation
al territory. No one anticipated its exten
SOU beyond the limits Of the existing
States.
But the people required additional secuii
ty. When. therefore, Virginia suggested
an amendment OF the Constitution, that "n,
freeman ought TO be deprived Of his life lib
erly or property. but by the law of the
land" Congress refused TO sanction this re.
slricted guaranty, but proposed, for the a
doption OF the States, an amendment EN-
bracing a comprehensive and express inter
dict against all invasion OF personal right
! by the General 6, veInment. That inlerdic
r made par. Of the Consti utiou by the con
sent ut the States. is in these words: -"Nt
. per>o on Il II sh II b. deDtiyet
Of life, liberty or property without due pro
Z cess OF law So long as this provision re
mains unalte~ed, it is not easy TO see hov
. slavery can be cOnsituionaIly introduce,
any where or continued any where by Ma
+ lIona legislation or in Mt lonlI territory.
1 This blit statement will suffice to show
f what was Nhe policy ard what was the anti
. cIpatIUn Of the founders Of this Republic il
5 respect to Slavery. Their policy was one o
a repression, limitation, discuuragemenr; the,
anticipated with confidence the auspcou
result of universal freedom. Persistent ad
herence 10 lheirp Icy would doubtless hav
: realized their antc;pations.
o need not say 10 yOa that this polio,
4 has mol been adhered to; nor need | trac,
= the gradual process by which the OonslIlu
= lion has been wrest, u from its oli .inal pur
= poses, and the Government has been con
= vtricd into an instrnmeI for the mai. te
nance and ex,t nsion OF Slavery.
il By ccsSions from origlral States, and b
- reales with 70 egn Governments, vas
: ,erIitoies have been acquired, in all c
t whichthe original policy Of the Govern
e ment required prohibition, but to none
which prohibition actually applied. un,
t resistance to the further increase of Sl,ver
and the Slave power in the Republic b
d Tie admission OF Missouri rs a Slave State
!, led TO the great contesS between the Exler
d Ilonists and the ReStrictionists, which,
e 1890. terminated in the adjustment gene
e rally known as the Missouri Compromis,
Y The terms OF that compromise were thrs,
o that Missouri should be ad milled with SIt
II very; that Slavery should be forever pr,
hlbNrd in the territory acquired from Fras.c
u moth OF So degrees 81 minutes, exceI
+. Miss ouri; and that G ngreSs should refral
of for he pre-eni a; leas, from I2.isIa i've pr,
II hbilIon o Slavery south OF SO degrees 8
rs minutes. This lat term was only lmplie,
it WAS not expressed.
II This compromise, in substance and effrC
II was a compact between the slave holdin
IN sections OF The country, and was universe
N y so regarded 1t yielded to slavery al
i. soIuleIy the territory occupied by Mi,sour
s. and it left without the protection of prohib
/. ton all the residue Of the territ ry acquire
under the French treaty. south Of 36 de,
l. 80 min. AS the original policy of the coul
h ry, and the true principles OF the Consliil
i tion required the exclusion OF slavery tro
D. u whole Of this territory it was 10 be q
C peeted that this adjustment would be r,
is received with mnch dissa istacton In Il
Free States. 1t WAS so received but a
Ie ter time, for the sake of peace. and in Il
Y full belief that its stipulalons in respect
IN the territory north OF S6 deg. 80 min, wo
is be faithfully observed, the people general
I'd acqoiesced in it.
III Concession invites aggression. Havir
le succeeded in establishing slavery in Misso,
e II. the slave power soon insisted upcn u
y implied term OF the compromise as pos