The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-11-26
From the Missouri Democrat
THE DEMOCRACY OF ILLINOIS AND
THE QUESTION OF FREEDOM
IN MISSOURI.

A few days ago we addressed few
words ITO the Representatives, Press
and People of the Northern States" set
ting out the conditions upon which alone
constitutional emancipation should take
place in Missouri, and endeavoring to
demonstrate the propriety of the nation
furnishing aid toward the purchase of
Missouris 5 slaves with view TO their
liberation. Among the Northern Jour
mails noticing our appeal, we find the HI
inOis State Register, the central organ
of the Illinois Democracy, which, while
showing the fairness and courtesy of
publishing our article in full, enters upon
lengthy and carefully labored discus
sion of the subject under the inquiry of
"Shall Illinois tax herself to buy Missou-
ri's negroes? with view to combating
our argument
The Register concludes as follows:
ave trust that every Democratic Jour
nal in Illinois will favor its readers with
copy of the appeal, embracing the ar
gument of the friends of the proposition;
and before the representatives of the
people come to Springfield from among
their respective constituents, let them
seek further knowledge of the popular
will on the subject, and when they get
here let them proclaim by joint resolu-
tion of the two houses of the assembly,
whether or not it is the will of the peo-
pie of Illinois to be taxed, enormously
taxed, to put money into the United
States Treasury to pay for freeina the
negro slaves of those States that are
willing to decree emancipation, on con-
dition that we shall bear a heavy share
of the cost We already know what that
will is but let us have an authoritative ex-
press ion of it, that prompt and respec-
full reply may be rendered to the appeal
which is made through the leading ex-
ponent of the party in Missouri, which
generously asks US to take upon our
shoulders the enormous negro burden in
question.
We certainly hope every Democratic
journal in Illinois will follow the advice
of the Register, and give the people the
argument We have offered upon the sub
ject. Let the people thoroughly under
SSttand sian r. 1r+0poSltion involved, whether
6UGFahs that we n;sytg y7tgoraRepublcans, and we feel
of their representatives, who may con-
suit their will We Will, likewise, be
very we'll satisfied to have the Democrat
ic Legislature of Illinois declare, by res
olution, whether or not the Democracy of
that State are in favor of the perpetud-
ton of slavery in Missouri for if such
be its declaration, we think we under
stand the temper of our neighbors over
the river well enough to predict with
confidence the speedy termination of its
rule
We feel entirely certain that, outside
of the Democratic party, in the Northern
States there is general concurrence in
the proposition, for the general govern
ment to furnish aid to the border slave
States, to enable them to free themselves
of slavery by compensatory system.
The vote in Congress, at its last session,
upon the recommendation of the Presi-
dents special message, would clearly
indicate such to be the case. Now, with
what show of consideration can the
Democratic party oppose the PROPOSE
ton? Can it upon any other ground
than as pro-slavery party? Let us look
for minute TO its record upon the sub
iect Has the Democratic party made
it rule to oppose national apprOpria-
tions of money for the acquisition of ter
ritory, or for extending 1.-The area OF
freedomY' Let us see During the ad
ministration of jefferson, whom Demo
Gratis boast as the father of their party
the United States Government gave
eleven millions two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars for the purchase of Lou
isiana, and few years later, with the
concurrence of jackson and other lead
ing Democratic politicians, Florida wa:
purchased at a cost of six millions more
Still later, Texas was annexed, as d
Democratic measure, and the war witt
Mexico following, fought under Demo
cratic Administration, resulted in the ac
QUESTION Of California, at a cost, in all
) of many millions of dollars All of thi
was done to extend slavery, a local instl
, tuition; every foot of territory thus &C
quired being expected to become slav
soil If the Democracy could discove
y no breach of their party principles, il
! taking the whole nation to extend slav
soil, wherein can they find it undemC
: cratic to exact contribution, in lik
! manner, to create free soil, unless, il
deed, slavery is more of Democrat
institution than freedom?
d ciple involved, if any? In the cases {
IL the purchase of Louisiana, Florida, an
= the conquest Of California, treasure COZ
ii tributed by the whole nation-to furnis
l. which, the people of all the States WEI
A. taxed-was paid to obtain the soil, an
add to the national domain, in the cas-
of emancipation in Missuri at the III
E tional expense, money raised in tt
IN same way will be used to render po
1d ton of the soil more valuable to Il
to whole nation. The Register admits thi
ld it would be advantageous to Illinois, al
4 the whole North, to have Missouri fre
he What would be thought of the econon
90 of the agriculturalist, who would free
or pay his money to buy wild land, al
nd then refuse to open his purse for Il
ne purpose of clearing away the forest al
making his purchase productive2 Nj
souri, is portion Of the territory pu
chased by the United States. To Gle
it OF slavery would now render it douh
valuable to the purchasers