The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1860-04-06


Mexico during the war, therefore the
Committee on Territories were not pro
pared on that occasion 20 recommend a
departure from the policy adopiedin 1850
| by recommending either an ailirmanec
or repeal Of the Missouri compromise -
Whom the bill was introduced, in lsb4,
to organize Nebraska, Il was a departure
from tho policy Of 1850, to repeal tho
Missouri compromise; and yet IN thirty
days the bill was amended 30 as 20 de-
clare that the Missouri compromise was
Inconsistent with the measures Of 1850.
Now, sir, shall not accuse anybody
of stating that which is not true; but I
ask, when was the truth toldl II Il was
true, In January, 1854, that TO repeal the
Missouri compromise would be depart
ure from the policy OF 1900, ] ask " Il
was also true, In February, 1864, that the
compromise Of 1850 was inconsistent
with that Of ls2ol Both propositions
cannot stand together; and array the
chairman Of the Committee on Terrific
ries, who made this statement In his Off.
oial report, ngninst the same gentleman
who, a few days afterwards, stated and
voted that the measures Of 1850 were in-
consistent with the compromise Of 1920,
and there | leave Il. l
Then, sir. the question IN asked here,
with a Teckleesnest az which am nston-
ished, why do you not carry out your
plan Of excluding slavery from tho Ter
ritoriesl My colleague understands that
Il is part Of the Republican platform
that slavery Is 10 be excluded from the
Territories Of the United Stptos, and he
wants to know why we do not bring for
ward a bill for that purpose. II hos hoen
brought forward in this body since have
been a member Of Il. On the yeas and
nays, | voted 10 keep slavery out Of Kan.
sas, and he voted against the proposition.
Time and again have we tried Il.
should be very glad TO have his coopera-
ton in passing such bill nowi and per-
haps, since he has found out that the pop
ular sovereignty about which he has talk
ed is a delusion, he may unite with us "a
keep slavery out Of the Territories by the
action Of Congress, which has the only
legitimate authority over the subject in
the Territories.
Sir, there is another statement that
cannot permit to 90 unchallengcd, ant
which / am astonished TO hear made ~
this body. II relates 20 the State Of H.
linois. | had seen the statement beiort
ia some ofthe newspapers; but believe
Twas never present when such a state
ment was made until to-day. My col
league says; ave tried slavery In Hi
nois while il was Territory" and
have seen Il stated somewhere, in con
nection with this remark, that, as sooT
as the people Of Illinsis were permitted
to manage their own affairs, they exclud'
ed slavery. Now, sir, / state 20 the Sen.
ate, and TO the country, that slavery nev.
er existed in Illinois by virtue Of any law
either before or after she was State
Men may be seized and imprisoned in
defiance Of law. There was an attempt
to indenture servants in the State Of llli'
nOis, under the old territorial laws, anC
when we formed a State constitution
and wish my colleague to hear it's,
far from the statement being true tha
the State Of Illinois had slavery while I
Territory, and abolished il when shI
formed State constitution, she gave, by
her State constitution, the only validity
l to these indentureships that they ever
had. The supreme court Of the State Of
Illinois, the very first time this question
Of the freedom of the negroes in that
State was brought before il, in the case
of Phoebe Us. jay, decided by Judge Lock
wood, decided expressly that, under the
ordinance ofl787, all attempts to hold
negroes in slavery, or TO hold them a
indentuTed servants were illegal. II wa'
never as slaves that they were attempted
to be held, il was by a species Of inden'
tureship, the negroes geing voluntarily
before some clerk or court, and there en-.
tering into articles Of agreement with
some party 10 serve him for a period OF
years, oftentimes extending beyond the
, ordinary period Of human lifei but when
the question came before the courts, af
ter the State constitution was adopted
the supreme court Of the State decided
that those indentures were void, undei
the ordinance of 1887, and could not bC
sustained; but that the people Of lllinoii
, in forming their State constitution, hav
: ing said that persons who had been fair
! ly indentured, under the territorial laws
, should be held to serve out the periods o
/ their indentures, the court held that, b.
virtue Of this constitutional provision, tn,
, indentures originally void were made val
] id. That was the condition Of the negr,
! population Of Illinois.
While Illinois was a Territory, som
{ Of It's inhabitants, petitioned repeOtedl
, to Congress for permission to establial
, slavery, and Congress as repeatedly re
fused their petitions. There will b
} found now among the American Stat
, Papers the report ofJohn Randolph, q
Virginia, denying the petition Of tn
: people Of Illinois, TO establish slavery I
} the Territory. Then, sir, / say that sla
very, as such, never did exist in that State
and the ground upon which these in
{ dentures were sustained was either tina
/. they were entered into fairly, as one fret
= man would enter into contract with an
other or else that they had been cor
firmed by the adoption Of the constitu
7 tion.
, In rising, sir, my only intention was {
rePel these imputations upon the Reput
, Iican party Of Illinois. aAd to correct tn
} statement Of my colleague in regard I
( the existence Of slavery In that State
] slavery az such never was established /
Illinois, either before or after the cOnst
, tuition was adopted, unless II was tho
, slavery which one man by force miRl
, establish over another, The very fr,
, time the question came before the court
! the decision was made as have alread
stated.
, Titles OF Bills OF "A Genera
Nature passed by the Genera
Assembly OF Ohio RG the sef