Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-10-11
Douglas Record. His numerous
Shifts and Changes: Extracts

OnuCo anu OuhhSOo- DAoi avs
from his speeches. A Dema-
gogue shown up in Chapters:.--
He is Calhounite and not
Democrat.
The First Nebraska Bill.
On the nth day OF February. A. D.,
1858. Senator Douglas, as Chairman of the
Committee on Territories, reported to the
Sepate his first 'ect to organize the terri
tory Of Nebraska. This act contained no
repeal of the Missouri Compromise.
The following speech on this bill, report
ed by Douglas, made by Atchison of Mis-
souri,, in the Senate. on the Sd day Of March,
1853, shows that there was not only no re-
peal in the bill, but not even hope or
thought of such repeal in the mind of the
most ultra Southerners:
"REBRAsHA TERRITORY
March Sd, 1853 The Senate resumed the
con sideraiian of the motion TO take up. the
bill to organize the territory Of Nebraska.
Mr.. Atchison-(Mr. Fon'e in the Chair.)
Il did not expect opposition to this meas
ure from Texas and Mississippi had
thought that Arkansas. Missouri and Iowa
were more particularly inte rested in this
question. ss
Mr.'President, ! will now state to the
Senate the views which induced me to OPP
pose this proposition in the early part of the
season.
had two objections to it. One was that
the Indian title in that trrrtury had not
oeen extinguished or at least very small
portion OF j. had been. Another was the
Compromise, or, rs it is commonly called,
the slavery restriction. 1t was my opinion
at that time-and am not very clear on
Il at subiect-that the law Of Congr ess,
when the Slate of Missouri was adopted
into the Union, excluding slavery from the
territory of Louisiana north OF 36 deg. 80
min would be enforced Ia HAT texitory M.
less il was specially recinded; and, whether
that law was in accordance with the con-
would do its work and that work would be
to preclude shareholders from going into
that territory. Bot wheL | came to look into
that question, ] found that there was no
4 prospect, no hope of repeal Of the Mis-
souri, Compromise excluding slavery from
that territory. Now, sir, | am free 10 admit
that al this m ment, at this hour, and foI
all time to come, should oppose the organ.
zation or the settlement of that territory
Mess my consti .uents and the constituents
of the whole south. Of the slave States ol
the Union, could 20 into il upon the same
footing. with equal rights and equal privil'
eyes carrying their species of praperty with
them as .other people Of this Union. Yes
; sir, ! acknowledge that that would have
: governed me. and hav, no hope that the
restriction will ever be repealed. aorais
have always been Of, ,he opinion that
the first great error committed in the polit
: icol history oI this country was the Ordi
nance of 1887 rendering the Northwest ter
? ritoty free Territory The next great errol
was the Missouri Compromise. But they
are both irremedal. There is no .remed,
for them. We must submit to them. ! am
prepared to do it. 1t 10 evident that the Mis-
souri, Compromise cannot be repealed. Sc
2 far as that question is concerned we nigh
0 as we'll agree to the admission Of this terri
q tory now as nexi year, or five, or ten year
hence. ."-Congressional Gobe, session '62-
!. 3, page llla