Demoine courier., 1856-05-29
ADMISSION OF KANSAS.
EcoNTtNuED.1

The honorable Se.a,or from Georgia
arrives at an conclusion, only
because his premises are untrue. This
Ordinance does not purport on its face
to be a compac, between Virginia and
the people Of the Territories, and the
Uniled States, buta compact between
the original States. and the people and
States IN the said Territory Virginia
was no party TO the bargain. ION its face
nor were IN, people and States in said
Territories contracting parties. There
were no Sa,cs in said Territory The
people had no organisation; they had no
power to bargain until alter the Ordi
nance was passed; and the Ordinance
bears the signature Of no. Representatives
of Virginia, nor Of the Terri'ory&and Of
no one bu,.Vi.liam Gray SON, chairman
OF Congress, and .Charles Thomson,
Secretary In other words j, was a law
of The Uni,ed STATES passed in the usu
al form. containing a solemn declaration
Of the future policy Of tie Government
ON the suhiecl Of Slavery IN her Terrific.
ries. II wss no more i~rrepealab'e than
the Missouri Compromise. Like the
Iai.er. It had all the moral elements Of a
perpetual covenant; but. legally, ii was
a mere law Of Congress- aud that, TOO,
OF q Congress under tho Confederation.
with fewer elements Of sovereignty, with
less power /, bind the individual S,a.es,
than 10 now possessed by Congress un-
der The Constitution. Hence, il Congress
had the power TO repeal the Missouri
Compromise, which literally means an
agreement, . bargain, a compact il had
the power 10 repeal the Compromise Of
1857. They we're both declarAsory ac.s
Of CongIess-nolhing o The We
rscity ard honor of Inc nation were al
stake. She had solemniy declared that
Slavery should not be permitted 10 the
Nor,hwe Territory. and that in the
Louisiana Territory north Of SO deg. 30.
min. Slavery should be forever prohibit.
cd. This was the voice Of the supreme
power OF the Uuised States. spoken in the
presence Of the enlightened nations Of the
earth. But il was = nude compact-i,
bound no one but herself. II she chose
to violate her pliehssd i,ish with her own
ci,izens, and 10 stand . giant liar among
the Kalions, she doubtless had The pow
Or.
Blu, bs THE ~ il may, these legislative
precedents are not confined 10 subdivi.
sions Of the Nor.hwsst Territory. They
have constantly followed the progress Of
population in the free territory. II vas
irst applied 10 Ohio; when the tide Of
population rolled across the Miami, il
was applied Il Indiana; when Il crossed
the Wabash, il was applied to Illinois,
when i, surged up to the Northern lakes,
il was applied 10 Michigan; when il hug.
eed the western shore Of the lakes up to
the British possessions. and dashed ..
cioss the great Father Of Waters, j, wss
applied 10 Wisconsin, including Iowa
and Minnesota, both Of which were be.
yond ihe boundaries 0: the NORTH es,
Territory; and when il oysrlsapsd the
Rocky Mountains. this great ve.ebral col
umn oi The world. il was applied TO Or.
egon and Washington, bounced BY the
Pacific Ocean. Ihsss consecutive leg
isla,ive prscedsnls. commencing 10 1887,
and continuing TO 1854, stand unim-
peach ID and un~impeaehable BY any con.
elusive reasoning.