Demoine courier., 1856-03-20
| sleus, Aoritulture, GOutaiton, sflarkd,

" NV A Ui.N ~ AbtAtNu " u al
Union. pre- vious to ls20.-bu. the terri
tory from which thew were formed hat
belonged to States in which Slavery ex.
listed at the time Of their foundatioh; ant
in ceding ii to the General Government
or in asserting to the formation Of nev
States within il. the old States to which j
belonged had inserted a proviso agains
any regulation Of Congress that shoulc
tend TO the emancipation of Slavery
Congress was thus prevented from plo
hi5iting Slavery in these new States, BY
the action of the old States out OF whict
they had been formed. Bat, as soon a.
tho Constitutional limitation npon, ii,
power over the States then existing hat
expired, Congress prohibited BY feariu
penalties, the addition by importation oil
a single Slave, to the Numbers already in
the country.
The trainers Of the Constitutions, al
though the historical record Of their o.
p%inions proves that they were earnest anc
undivided in their dislike to Slavery, and
in their conviction that il was hostile in
its nature and its influences TO Republi
can freedom. after taking these steps lo
proven, its increase, did o interfere
with i, further 10 the States where il ther
existed. Those S!eies were seperate
communities, jealous of .heir sovereign
,y and unwilling 10 enter into any league
witch should trench, in the least degree,
upon thei: own control over .heir owe
affairs. This sentiment The trainers oil
The Constitution were compelled to re.
speci; and they accordingly left Slavery,
as they left all other locai interests, to
the control Of the several States. Blu
no who reads with care the debates
and recorded opinions OF that age, can
doub, that the ultimate removal of Sla
very was desired by the people of the
whoe country, and that Congress had
been empowered TO proven, its increase
with a view TO its gradual aud ultimate
extinction. Nor did the period of Emap'
cipa,ion seem remote. Slave labor, EN-
ployed, as it was, in agriculture, was less
profitable than The free labor which wa.
pouring in to take its place. And evenir
States where this conside ration did no
prevail, other influences tend TO the same
result. The spirit of Liberty was ,her
young, generous and strong. The mer
of the nation had made sacrifices and
waged battles for the vindication Of theil
inalienable rights TO life, liberty and ,ht
pursuit Of happiness; and it was no, pos
sible for them to Sit down in the quie
enjoyment Of blessings thus achieved
without feeling the injustice, as well a.
the Inconvenience, Of holding grea
numbers of their fellow-men in bondage
In all the states, therefore, there existed
a strong tendency towards emancipation,
The removal OF SO great an evil was fel
to be a worthy objec, of ambition by the
best pnd most sagacions statesmen Of
tina, age; and Washington, Jefferson
Franklin, and all the great leaders and
representatives OF public opinion. were
active and earnest in devising measures
by which il could be accomplished.
But the great change produced in The
industry of the Southern States. in The
early part of the present century, by the
increased culture eff cotton, the introduc'
ton OF new Inventions TO prepare i, fol
use, and its growing importance to the
country and the labor of The world, by
making Slave labor more profitable than
it had ever been before, checked this ten
dency towards emancipation and soor
put an end 10 il altogether, As the de
mand for cotton increased, the interests
OF the cotton growing States became
more and more connected with Slavery
the spirit OF gain; the sentiments and
the language of the Southern States be
came changed; and all attempts al eman
cipa.ion began to be regarded, and re
sisted as assaults upon the rights ant
interes, Of the slaveholding section o. The
Union. For many years, however. this
change did not affect the political relations
OF the subject. States. both free ant
slaveholding, were successfully added Il
the confederacy without exciting ,hs
fears Of either section. Vermont came
into the Union in 1871. with a consli.u
lion excluding Slavery. Kentucky
formed out OF Virginia, was admitted il
1892: Tennessee in 1896; Mississippi
in 1917; and Alabama inlsl9-all Slav,
States, formed out Of territory belonging
to Slave States, and having slavery estsb
lished in them at the time Of their form
alton. On the other hand Ohio was ad
united in 1903, having formed State gov.
ernments under acts Of Congress whict
made it a fundamental condition., tina
their Constitution should contain nothing
repugnant to the ordinance of l7S7-o
in other words, that Slavery should. b.
prohibited within their limits forever
In all these occurrences, there had bee
40 contes. between Freedom and Slave
ry. for il had not been generally tel, tina
the interests Of either were seriously in
volyed.
The Missouri Compromise.
The first contest concerning the admis
sion Of anew State. which turned upol
The question of Slaverv, occurred i
1919, when Missouri, formed out Of Tel
ritory purchased from France in $50:
appealed 10 Congress Cor admission as
Slaveholding Slate. The applica,io
was enormously resisted by tho peopl
Of the free States. Il was evcrywher
felt tha, the decision involved const