Minnesota weekly times., 1856-04-19
SENATOR COLLAMER's REPORT.

ticeship or pupilagc of Congress, preparatory 10
assuming their proud rank of manhood as SOW.
ereign and Independent States ihiS periou OF
their pupilage was. in every case, period OF the
Good offices of parent and child, i'll the kind re-
lntionshjp sustained between the Northern and
Territorial Governments, and may be remembeE-
cd with feelings Of gratitude ana pride. We
have fallen different times. y Territory ol
our Government is now convulSeu with violence
and discord and the whole family OF oar nation
is in state Of excitement and anxiety. The nation.
nj Executive power is put IN motion, the army
IN rcousiton. and Congress is invoked for inter-
ference. In ths cssc,as in all Others OF difficulty,
it becomes necessary TO inquire what Is the true
cause of existing trouble, in order to apply ch-
cicnt cure. Ii is bat temporary paillatlon to
deal with the external and more ohylous mani
feStatIons and Developments, while the zeal pre-
Nail;ns cause lies unat, ended To, ANA uncorrectei
and unredreSstd. 1t is SAID tha6 organized OPP
postion to law exist, in Kansas. That, if exist
ing, may probably be suppressed by the Presi-
dent, bv the aid of the army: and so, too, may
invasons by armed bodies from Missouri, II the
Executive be sincere in its efforts bat VIXEN this
is done. while the cause OF trouble remains the
results will continue with renewed ana Increased
developments of Il anger. Lei Us then look llni iy
and un,!iSguisey into the sui icct in its true char
actcr and history. Wherein does this Kansas Ter
r.torv differ from all our other territories, which
have been so peacefully and successfully Carried
through. and been developed Into the manhood
OF nlepentent States? Can that d lcrcnce ac-
count for existing troubles? Can that difference
as a cause of trouble lc removed?
The first ard great o 1T of difference between
the Territorial Government of Kansas and that
of the thirteen Territorial GoveI nments before
mentioned, consists IN the sub ect of slavery, the
undOubtcd cause OF present trouble. The action
Of Congress in relation to all those territories
was conducted upon a uniform and prudent prin-
cplc to wit to settle by clear provision, the
law in relation to the SUI jet Of slavery to be op
c.ative in the Territory while il renamed such,
not leaving it in amy Of those to be Il sub
iact Of CONTROVERSY within the an. while in the
plastic gri>tle Of It's YOU h. This was done BY Con-
greS> in tie exercise of the roAer which
moul .cI the form of th>if organic laws and APP
pointed their Executive and iu ':ciary. and at the
same time their legislative affairs. IL was the
power provided III the Constitution IN these
words: '.Congrc>s shall have power to dispose
of and make ali ncedful rules and regulations
respecting the territory ard other property be-
longing 20 the /. So Settling the subj ect of
slavery, while the country rcinrn ID j. Territory
WAS Il higher exercise of power in Congress. than
the regulation Of the functions Of the Territorial
Government, and actually appointing its p.inci-
pal functionaries. Th practice commenced
with this National Govornin mt, AN was continued
with uninterrupted uniformity for more than Siriy
wears. This practical cotcmporal.eous construc-
ton Of the constitutional poWer Of this Govern
ment, is too clear To Leave room for doubt or op-
portunity for skcpt;cisn. The pace, prosperity
and success which attended this course, and the
results which have cnsutd, lii the formation and
admission of the thirteen States thercfrom are
most conclusive and satisfactory evidence, also,
of the wisdom and pr:ld nee with which this po,c-
was ercrciStd Dcluded must be that people,
who in the pursuit of plausible theories become
denf to lessons and blind to results of their own
experience. Let us mkt inquire bv what rule OF
uniformity Congress WAS governed in the exer
else Of this power of determining the condition
of each Territory to slavery while remaining
a Territory, as manifested in those thirteen in
stances. An examination of our history will
show that this was not done, from time to time,
by a9itatonS and local or parry triumrhS in
Congress. The rule pursued was uniformly clear,
and whoever may have lost iy ii, peace and pI os-
perity have bce3 gained. That truth this :
Where slavery is actually exit ng in country,
to any con>id rlble or general cXtent.it was (thu
somcwh hat modified 10 furthe, importations, in
some Instances, as in Mississippi and ether terri
toricS) Suffered to remain. Tnc fact that it hld
been taken an, existed lherc. was taken as an in
dlcatiOn of its adoption and local utility. When
slavery did not i'll fact exist, TO any apprcclabie
extent, the same hy Congress express v pro-
hihited. So that in either case, the country was
settled up without difficulty o. doubt to the
character of its institutions. In no instance WAS
this difficult and disturbing subject left to the
people who had and who might settle III the ter
rtory, to be thus IN everlasting bone of conten-
ton, long as the Territorial Gpvernm mt
should continue. 1t even regarded, too, rs IL
sub ect in which the whole country had an inter-
est, and, therefore, improper for local leg sia-
ton.
And though. whenever the people Of II Terrific
ry come to form their Own org"nc law as an in
dependent state, they would either before or af-
ter their admission us State form AMI mould
their institutions as n sovereign State in Their
own way, yet it must be eXpccic !, AMI has al
ways proved true, that the State has taken the
character her puplage has prepared her for,
well in respect to slavery as in other respects.
Hence six Of the thirteen States are Free States
because slavery was prohibited in them by Con-
gresS while territories, to wit: Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. Seven
of the thirteen are say cholling States, because
slavery WAS allowed in them by Congress while
they were territories, to wit: Tennessee, Alabama,
Mississippi, Florida, louisiana, Alka>as and Mis-
sOuIi.
On the 9th of Mar ch, \. D., 1920. was passed bv
congrcs the act preparatory to theAdmisson of the
state of Missouri into the Union. Much controversy
and discussicn arose ON the question. whether
prohibition of slavery within said State should be
inserted, and it resulted in this that said State
should be admitted without such prohibition, but
that slavery should .tOrcrer be prOh;biied in the
rest of that country ccded to us bv France. living
north SO degrees and 80 minis. north latitude
and this contract known as the Missouri
COMPROMISE. Under this arrangement Missouri
was admitted as slaveAolding State, the same
having been Il slayehodnr Territory. Arkansas
south o. the line, was formed into Territorv
and slavery allowed therein, and afterwards adj
mitted as a slaveholdng State. Iowa was made
a territory, north of the line, and under the op-
Grafton OF the law, settled upon without
slaves, and admitted as free State. 1t was
so done The country now making the Terrific
res OF Kansas and Nebraska. in 1920 was almost
entirely unnhabitcd.and lay north of the said line.
and whatever settlers entered the same before
lS04, did sn under that law forever forbidd;nc
slavery therein.
In 1854, Congress passed an act establishing
the two new Territories, Nebraska and Kansas in
thiS region OF country where Slavery had been
prohibited for more than SO years. and instead of
leaving said law against Slavery in operation, or
prohibiting or expressly allowing or establishing
Slavery, Congress left the subject in said Terrific
ricS 10 oe discussed, agitated and leciSlated on.
from time 10 time and the elections in said Terri
tories TO be conducted with reference to that sub
Ject, from year to year. so long rs they shoulire-
main Territories for whatever laws might he mss
Ell by the Territorial Legislature on this subject
must he SUBJECT 10 change or repeal bv those of
the succeeding years. In all former Territoriol
Governments it was provided by law that their
laws were subject to the revision of Congress so
that they would be made with caution. In these
territories that was omitted. The provision in
relation TO Slavery in Nebraska and Kansas is as
IoIiows 1.-The eighth section of the act preparn-
tory to the admission of Missouri into the MON.
(wh'ch beng inconsistent with the Drlac;Dle of