Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-09-04
qolitital Matter.
Thomas Jefferson on Slavery
Extension.

1t has been heretofore shown that Clay
and Webster, honored leaders of the Wing
party in its palm days, were earnest advo-
Gates of that Republican policy of slavery
exclusion from the Territories. 1t is no
less an important fact that Jefferson, who
has been styled ''the founder of the Demo
cratic party" occupied precisely the same
ground. Nor did he hold this opinion tao
lily; he sought to give it efficiency by pos
tive Legislative enactment.
Mr.. Tappan, of New Hampshire, in a re-
cent speech in the U. S. House of Repre-
sentatives, while exposing the discrepancy
between the present Slavery policy of the
Democratic party, and that of the earliest
days of the Republic between MIR. Buchan-
an and Mr.. Jefferson, gives fact not so
generally known as it should be, showing
the intent and scope of the original Jeffer-
sonian ordinance. The following quotation
from Mr.. Tappaa's speech We specially COM
mend to those professed anti-Slatery DEM
ocrate who belle their profession by adher-
ing to party organization, which, while
retaining its old name, they cast off its old
principles:
Therefore, when we assert our intention
to adhere to this time-honorad policy, and
say to slavery, Thus far, and no farther
we intend neither to dissolve the Union
ourselvec nor suffer it to be dissolved BY
Others. Sir, what is the history of slavery
prohibition in the territories? can barely
glance at its rise and progress, as pass on
to other matters Mr.. Jefferson himself is
the author of this legislation, and if the
doctrine We now contend for be treason then
was Mr.. Jefferson a traitor! On the first
day of March, 1884, committee, consist
ing of Mr.. Jefferson, of Virginia, Mr. Chase,
of Maryland, and Mr.. Howell, of Rhode
Island, submitted to Congress a plan for
the government of the territory eeded, or
to be ceded, by individual States to the
United States embracing all the territory
between the 3lst degree of north latitude,
which was then the southern boundary of
the United States, extending westerly to
the Mississippi river. This plan provided,
among other things that the territory should
be divided into nine states, designating
them by name, and defining the particular
boundaries of each. It also contained the
following provisions, which has been the
basis Of all the subsequent anti-slavery leg
islations in regard to the territories:
"'That after the year 1900 of the Chris
tian era there shall be neither slavery nor
involuntary servitude in any of the said
states, otherwise than in the punishment of
crimes, whereof the party shall have been
duly convicted to have been personally
guilty."
A motion being made to strike out this
provision, sixteen voted to retain it, and
seven against it. Seventeen votes were re-
quired to retain it-so it lacked one VOTE
Mr.. Jefferson voted IN favor Of retaining
the provision.
Three years later, it met with better sue
cess, being incorporated into the celebrated
ordinance of 1877, applying to the North |
western territories. Had Mr.. Jefferson's |
policy prevailed three years earlier, Slavery |
would have been excluded, under It's oper-
alton, from the states of Alabama, Missis-
sippi, Tennessee and Kentucky. A COM
parison between these States, and the States
of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, made free by
the ordinance of 1881, shows eonclusively
that the former would have been much |
more advanced in wealth, intelligence and
As for the general peace and
harmony of the Union, it would never have
been disturbed by the fierce contest between
the antagonistic elements of Slavery and
Freedom, which have since convulsed the
country. What Mr.. Jefferson, the founder
of the Democracy, proposed to do in 1884,
the Republican party propose now wiz:
to restrict Slavery from all the Territories
of the United States.