The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-10-09
From the Macarthur Democrat.
TIE Louisiana Purchase.

| from tue McATthur Democrat.
TIE Louisiana Purchase.
| Last week we published the fact that the
Louisiana Territory was purchased by Thos.
Jefferson and that the two Territorial acts
signed by that great Statesman left the peo-
pie Of that Territory free to regulate their
own domestic concerns in their own way
On the outside of today's paper will be
found two letters from Mr.. Jefferson relative
10 the Missouri Compromise, the repeal of
which our opponents declare was such
gross outrage. We commend them to the
careful attention OF Black Republicans who
announce their intention to "bring back the
government 10 the principles Of Jefferson"
We wish to notice at present the terms
upon which Louisiana was purchased. AT
the time Of the treaty, and in fact since it's
| first settlement, Louisiana had been slave
Territory, and France in cedng it to the U.
s., provided for the protection of the inhabi-
tants in all their rights, privileges and i'm
party to rob the people Of rights which they
had enjoyed while subject of the King of
France, and to make this plain and unmis.
taxable, the following article was incorpo-
rated in the treaty between the two govern.
ments.
CART. ,. The inhabitants of the ceded
Territory shall be Incorporated in the Union
of the United States and admitted as soon as
possible, according to The principle of the
Federal Constitution, to the enjoyment Of all
the rights, advantages and immunities of citi-
zens of the United States, and in the mean
time they shall be maintained and protected
in the free enjoyment of their liberty, prop
erty and the religion they profess"
Mr.. Yaple, in his speech before the Ere
mont Club in this place, claimed that accord
ing to this Article, negroes as we'll as white
people were entitled to citizenship and that
Mr.. Badger of the United States Senate, en-.
tertaining this opinion, had endeavored to
have an act passed giving the treaty differ
ent construction.
TITS very probable that Mr.. Yaple did
great injustice to the intelligence OF Senator
Badger, for the above quoted article express
ly gSaranrees to the inhabitants of the ceded
Territory their property. Now, if slaves
were not property, under the laws of France
governing Louisiana, then we confess that
the treaty did not mean to recognize slavery.
The snti.slavery sentiments of J. @. Ad-
ans are well known. He was among the
first agitators of the ssbject in the country,
and we are willing to place his opinion
against that of Mr.. Yaple. The following
remarks were made by Mr.. Adams, in 1896,
in the House of Representatives, when Ar
kansas presented herself at the door of the
Union and knocked for admission. See
Gales g. Seaton's Register of Debates, vol.
l2; pnge ssl: -~v
"Mr. Chairman-I cannot, consistently
with my sense of obligations as citizen of
the United States, and bound by my oath to
support the constitutional CANNOT OBJECT
TO THE ADMISSION OF ARKANSAS INTO THE
UNION AS SLAVE STATE; I CANNOT PROPOSE
OR AGREE TO MAKE 1T A CONDITION OF HER
ADMISSION THAT CONVENTION OF HER PEo-
PIE SHALL EXPUNGE THIS ARTICLE FROM HER
sion as a slave State, as Louisiana, as Mis-
sissippi and Alabama, and Missouri have
been admitted, by virtue of that article in
the treaty for the acquisition of Louisiana,
which secures to the inhabitants of the ce-
ded Territories all the rights, privileges and
immunities of the original citizens of the
United States, and stipulates for their ad.
mission, conformubly to that principle, into
the Union. Louisiana was purchased as O
country WHEREIN SLAVERY WAS THE EsTAB'
LIsHED LAW OF THE LAND. AS Congress has
not power in time Of peace to abolish sla.
very in the original States in the Union, they
are equally destitute of the power in those
parts Of the Territory ceded by France to
the United States by the name of Louisi.
ana, where slavery exists at the time oil
acquisition. Slavery is in this Union the
subject of internal legislation in the States
and in peace is cogn,zable by Congress
only as it is tacitly tolerated and protected
where it exists by the Constitution Of the
;. United States and as it m:ngles in their in
. tercourse with otner nations. Arkansas
therefore, comes, AND HAS THE RIGHT tt
. COME, into the Union with her slaves and he
slave laws. 1t is written in the bond, and
> however l may lament that it was ever 81
, ritten, must faithfully perform its obliga
y tions." T.,
: Mr.. Adams position is the TRUE. one. Il
r Eall the Territory west of the Mississippi
: including the present States of Louisiana
= Arkansas. Missouri and Iowa. and the Terri
, tories Of Kansas, Nebraska and Minnesota
t extending from the Gulf Of Mexico to III
: British Possessions nd from the Mississipp
a River to the Rocky Mountains, Mr.. Adam
8 says, SLAVERY was THE EsTABLlsHED Law
1 OF THE LAND! He; further says that slave
L ry is the subject of, internal legjsla.ion i
D the States and is .cogniaable BY Congress
only as it is tacitly tolerated where it exist
hx tha Eonst;trt;ov, and aS n rn;nrIe. IN nn