Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-01-03

hoissrs aud slaves. The Mississippi only
divided il from the IN Northwest Territory,
vhich wss slrssdy consecra,ed 10 Freedom
fos best interests Of The country required,
sod humsnity demanded, that the Ordinance
of i7ss rhouad be sxisndsd scrs,s the Ms.
sissippi The Fsiriieged class, however,
took ppssession ofshe region around II.
Lsos and n.ads partial setuemonts lower
down on the west bank of the Mississippi.
st. Louis and lite envirous matured as a
ststs IN 1919, and demanded admission
With Slavery into the Union. Then, only
thiry.twe years after the passage of the
oFdnsnes OF 1887, and after its unanimous
rst'hcation hy the American people, the
privileged class made common ciuss with
the new slavehodIHg State, and, assuming
tone al once bold, insolsnt, aud msnacag
they ssniee the power OF Congress, although
in the Territories il was supreme and ex-
elusive, and equally supreme aud exclusive
IA the odmission of new State, to legislats
at all against their privileges in the Ter
r,iories, or to refuse admission 10 new State,
on the ground of ito refusal to surrender or
tsa'e those privileges; and they threatene
Missouri should be rejected. The privileged
class were backed then by the Senate of
the United StO;ss. Ne they have been back
cd on all similar occasions since that time.
They were met, however, with firm,sss and
decision by the unprivIsged class in the
houss OF Representatives, and so Missouri
taIlsd thea to be admitted a. a slave Slate.
Tire privileged class resorled to a new form
OF strategy--the strategy OF cornpromise.---
They offered to DO satisfied it Missouri on
" should BE- adnitted as u slave State
while Congress should prohibit Slavery for
ever in ell the residue OF that part OF the
Lcuisisba purchase which ley north % the
parallel OF % 30 min. Of north latitude
sbs tsrri'ory lying between this parable aao
the pfovines OF Texas, aad constituting
what j. how the State Of Arkansas, being
lst by implication to Slavery. This COM
promise was accsp pied, and thus diplomacy
obtained for the privileged elass immediate
advantage. which had been denied to their
samor aud passion. This somprem Sc,
hewever. could have only tbs authority of
repsslabls act OF Congress, SO lar Us the
prob biiiop oi Slavery north of IS 3omn
Gas concerned. Wise and great men CON
- trised extrsordinsry forms TO bind the fa th
the priyiegsI class TO that psrpe tual in
hibi,ien. They gave to the compromise
che nsture and form Of contract, with
mutual equivalents between the priyils sged
eisss and the unpriviIsged class, which it
would be dishonorsble ans psrfdious on
the part OF the privileged class, at any
IA an nnU d.
stansss' to annul or revoke. or even to
draw in question. They proclaimed it to
bsof contract proper to be scbmittad to the
people themselves, Tor their ratification, in
tsspopular elections. IL wss so submitted
10 the people, and so raiheG by thcm.-
BY virt0s OF this compromiss, Missouri cane
innsdlstsly ln.e the uaoh as slave State,
end Arkansgs followed soon attsrward &C a
slavs State, while, with the exception Of
Missouri, the compromise OF 1887, by virtue
of the sane compromise, was extended a.
cross the isissppi, along the parallel Of
70 i1G to the Rocky Mountains.-
9nLs; md with such soemnit,es, was the
strife OF the privileged elias. sf slsvshoidsr.
for sggrandEsment OF ierritsry finally con-
posed and forever settled
Ii 10 not my purpose TO discuss tn. policy
or the justice al that great sentiment. A.
In the case oil the Constitution, the respon-
sibility for that great measure rests with
sgeneration that has passed sway. We
have to deal with it only a. a fact und
with the state vi slliTs that was .stablises
BY it.
Tbs occupation of the new region west of
hs Mississippi, which had thus been saved
for freedom. wss srt'ully postponed indef-
pitely, by dedics,iag it asa home for the
soncentrsted but perishsd Indian tribes
II sounds in favor Of he humanity Of tho
nnPrivilsgee class. IL nossos their prudence,
that thoy nsithsr demonstrated nor
esmpaiasd Of that dedication.
This success Of the privileged cl.ss, in Sc
curing TO Themselves immsdiste possession
Of Missouri and Arkansas, in exchange Tor
the rsversonary intcrest vi the unpriyileped
class in the remainder OF the Louisiana pur-
shass, stimulated thom to move for zew
ns,ionsl purchases OF domain, which might
yield them lurther acquisitions. Spain was
unable to retain longer the slaveholding
prosinces OF Z ist Florida aud West Florida,
which lay sdjscent 10 The slave States.
They fell TO the United States BY an easy
bsrchass, and the privileged class with due
diligence procured their organization as a
State, and lie admission into tie Unicn.--
Ths spell OF territorial uKgrsndEement had
fallen On the United States of America, and
simultaneous the speli OF dissolution had
fallen on tho United States oil Mexico
The privileged class on our side OF the bord-