The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1856-01-24
PIPER sANDUsKY, OHIO, THURSDAY, JANUARY "a 1856.

or maintainance OF Slavery by national
law, or iu national territ ory., No one an
ii ipa ed its extension beyond the limits OF
the existing States. H4
But the people required additional Sc
curly. When, therefore, Virginia sug-
geste an amendment OF the Constitution,
that "no freeman ought to be deprived OF
his life, liberty or properly, but by the
law of the land" Congress refu ed to
sanction. thi, restricted guaranty, but pro-
posed, for the adoption OF the States, an
amendment, embracing a comprehensive
and express interdict against all invasion
of personal rights by the general Govern
ment. That interdict, made part of the
Constitution by the consent of the States,
is in these words: ''No person
shall be deprived of liie, liberty OF
), property without due ,pr ocess Of law
SO long as this provision remains unalter
ed, it Is not easy to see how slavery can
be cons,itutionally introduced any where
or continues and where by National leg
/ isation OF III National terlito.y.
This brief statement will suffice to show
t what wa, the policy and what was the an
: tlcipatiun If the founders of this Repub-
= lic in respect to Slavery. Their policy
was one of repression, Limitation, dis
couragement they-antieipated with con-
; tirlenee the auspicious result of universal
+ freedom. Persistent adherence to their
t policy would doubtless have realized their
+ anticipatious. ...-.---,---
: | need not say to you that this policy
$ has not been adhered to; nor neei trace
} the gradual process by which the Con
g $ tuition has been w:ested from its orig
inai purposes, and the Government has
been converted into an instrument for the
: maiutanance and extension of Slavery
| By cessions from, original States, and
: by treaties with foreign Goyernments.yast
] teri tories have been acquired, in all OF
: which the original policy of the G overn-
+ rncut reqnire:t proiiit,ition, but to none OF
: which was prohibition actually applied,
until resistance to the further Increase oi
: Slavery and the Slave power in the Repub-
$ lie by the admission of Missouri as a
: Slave State. led to the great contest be-
e tween the Exten>ioni>ts and the Reotric-
I Iioni>ts, which. in 1920, terminated in the
e adjustment generally known as the Miss
ourl Compromise.
5 The terms of that compromise were
these that Missouri should lie admitted
j with Slavery that Slavery should be Tor
: ever prohibited in the territory acquired
e from France, north Of 36 6degrees 80 min
/ Htes, except Missouri; and that Congress
, should refrain, for the present at least,
from legislative prohibition OF Slavery
south of IS degrees 3 minutes. Thi,
e last term was onl ly implied, it was not
expressed. aaH u .1ef
This compromise, in substance ana effect,
vas a compact between the slave holding
aud non slave holding and was universal
t " SO regarded. 1t yielded to slavery alb
>olnte!y the territory occupied by NI>>uori,
and it leit without the protection of pro-
hlbition all the residue OF the territory,
acquired nnler the Fiench treaty, south
oI 36 deg 80 min. AS the original policy
bot the country. and the true principles OF
slavery from the whole of this territory.
it was 10 be expected that this adjustment
, would be received with much dissatisiac-
I tion in the Free S ates. 1t was so receiv-
t e /; but alter time, for the sake of peace.
: ani lii the full belief that its stipulations
in respect to the territory north of 36 deg
80 min. would be faithfully observed, the
: people ganerally acquiesced in it.
) Concession invites aggression. Having
succeeded in establishing slavery In Mis-
: souri,. the slave power soon insiste upon
t the implied term OF the. compromise as !.
! positive stipulation los the allowance OF
slavery south of SO deg 80 min,-not
only in the territory acquired from France,
bnt in all oiher territurys whenever and
hovevte a quired in which slavery might
exist at the time Of acquisition. This in
depreciation was tacitIy admitted; ami
Hnder the compromise, thus interpreted
Arkansas, and Texas. and Florida carno
into the Union as Slave States, and the
36 deg. 80 min, was allotted to slave
holding Indian tribes. asEs1.
! All the territory south of the Missouri
line whether acquired before or after the
date OF the Compromise, was thus incor
poratod into Slave States, or otherwise APP
propriatei to Slavery under the slaveholt-
ing Interpretation of the Compact. Moth
ing was left to Freedom or settlement by
npn slavehoiding freemen, except the ter
ritury north of the Missouri line. The
freedom OF this territory, it was thought.
was firmly secured. Guaranteed by the
Constitution, protected by original Policy,
guarded by compact in the fulfillment
oi which SO mulch had been yieidei that
ii seemed impossible for Slavery itself to
ask more, the People OF the Free States
never dreamed that it could be invaded
or endangered.
But this anticipation proved iliusory.
tion of government for this territory with
il view to open 1t for settlement aud c''d-
vatIon, the Country was astounded by the
,ienan. Of the Slave Power for the abrog
ation OF the Missouri prohibition. AT
fir>t the demand was heard with incre,lul-
ot.s amazement and then with unavailing
imilgnation. itavale! nothing to plight
Ell iaith; nothing toappeai to ~nelent policy
oi Constitutional gdaiantleS. The giea'
dominant power oi Slavery demanded the
sacrlLce ut Freedom, and the obaiiun must
be nIade. The Missouri Prohibition was
repealed; the Compromise OF 1920, per
iolm ii To the letter, ANA lar beyond the
letter, by Tie Free States. WAS broken mp
and destroyed by the Slave States 10 IA
void the fuihimrnt of It's only stipulation
IN favor OF Freedom.