M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-06-14
Normal Condition orIhe Territo-


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concern, is the following declaration:
THAT the normal condition OF the
| Territory Of the United States is that
luf freedom"
There never was grosser perver
sion Of the facts aud truth of history,
than the declaration above quoted.
The normal condition Of the original
thirteen States was slavery--all OF
them being, at the time they adopted
the article OF confederation, Slave
States. Slavery was in all the colo
mics at the time of the Declaration Of
independence, and continued in them
after they became States under the ar.
lticles Of confederation.
The whole of the North west Terri
tory, Eow the States of Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Michigan, &c, was Slave
Territory, AID by the compact known
as the Ordinance Of 1887, made under
the old confederation, it was sought to
make it free.
The normal condition Of the terri,
tory South Of the Ohio river, from
which the States of Kentucky, Ten.
neSsee, Alabama, &c, were carved,
was also Slave Territory; and the Lou
isiana territory, comprising that vast
tract Of county lying west OF the Mis-
sisslppi river, from the Gulf to the
49th parallel, was also slave territory,
and the institution was guaranteed
and protected to the inhabitants, at
the time of its purchase by the treaty
of 1903. What shameful perveraion
/ Of the truth for the Chicago Conven.
Ition TO declare that the normal condi.
tion ofthe territories is that of free.
dom.
In the same connection these Chi.
cago platform makers declare.
THAT as our Republican fathers,
when they had abolished slavery in
Jail our national territory ordained
that mo person should be deprived of
life, liberty or property without due
process OF law it becomes our duty,
by legislation, when such legislation
is necessary, to maintain this provi5-
ion Of the Constitution against all at
tempts to violate it,"
The declaration here made that our
Republican fathers abolished slavery
in all national territory, is wholly des
titute oftruth. In John Adams time
they established it by law in the ter.
ritorics Of Alabama and Mississippi,
he as President approving and sign.
ing the law. In JefllrsOn's time the
slavcholding territory Of Louisiana
was purchased. In George Washing.
tons time the fugitive slave law was
passed and signed by him. The slave
trade was carried on by express pei
in the Constitution until 1908,
that Constitution being the handwork
of the fathers. BY the same instru.
ment representation in Congress was
provided based upon slave population.
The fathers also taxed slaves, for fed. .
.ral purposes by direct taxation, as
and by the treaties with
Great Britain in 1888 and 1918, that
power was compelled to pay for runa,
way slaves.
In the face Of these historic truths
md the many others that might be ci-
led, Geo. Ashmun and his men at Chi. .
,ago must have had the face of brass
% promulgate rs an historic fact, tl,at
lie normal condition of our original
territories was that Of freedom, or that
he Republican fathers abolished sla.
very in all OF them. Equally reck.
ess AMI bfazen is the attempt of these
miserable and unprincipied politicians
to apply that provision Of the Consti.
.ution which declares that "no person
shall be deprived of life, liberty or
without due process OF law"
to the negro population Of the United
States then Or now, lawfully held in
slavery. Twelve ofthe thirteen States
who originally formed and adopted
the Constitution, were slave-holdihg
whose signature
is laced to that instrument as Prcsi.
dent of the Convention, and almost if.
not quite every delegate, was himself
a slave holder-and to say that they
intended what is imputed to them, by
the tricFsters at Chicago, is to assign
them aplace among the grosSest hypo-
critics and scoundrels that ever lived
on the face Of the earth.
But there is nothing too bad for the
managers and drilI.sargents of the Re.
publican party.-O. Statesman.
REToRT.--Malame D. had a mag. |
nifcent cat. NJ. de 9. amused him
self one day by shooting it, for want
OF something else to shoot. Madame
d. caused to be set in her house, and
III the houses Of her friends, all sorts |
,f p,pueo Irn,,e, ,rI ,,l..,. A..