Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-08-09

graphical line winch freedom Qecr6eO
on the one line and slavery fully es-
tablished on the other. 1t thus came
to pass that the Ohio River was the
dividing line. North of it freedom was
forever decreed; south of it slavery
was firmly established. Within the
limits of the Union as originally form
ed the slavery question had, therefore
been compromised, the common ter
ritory partitioned, and the republic,
half slave, half free, organized and
sent forth on its mission
THE MISSOURI QUESTION.
The Missouri question marked dis
tinct era in the political thought of
the country, and made a profound i'm
preston on the minds of patriotic
men. Suddenly, without warning,
the North and the South-the Free
States and the Slave States-found
themselves arrayed against each other
in a violent and absorbing conflict.
| During the interval of the adoption of
the federal constitution and the adj
mission of Missouri there had been a
great change in the Southern mind
both as to the moral and economic as
poets of slavery. This revolution of
opinion had been brought in large
degree by the cotton plant When
the federal constitution was formed
the annual export of cotton did not
exceed 300 bales. 1t was reckoned
only among our experimental pro-
ducts, but, stimulated by the inven-
ton of the gin, production increased
so rapidly that at the time of MissOu-
ri's application for admission to the
Union cotton planting was the most
| remuneratiye industry In the country.
The export alone exceeded 300, 900
bales annually, but this highly profit
able culture was in regions SO warm
that outdoor labor was unwelcOme to
the white race. The immediate con
sequence was a large advance in the
value of slave labor and in the price
of slaves. This fact had it's quick and
decisive influence, even in those slave
holding states which could not raise
cotton. The inevitable and speedy re
suit was the consolidation of the polit-
ical power necessary to protect an IN
terest at once so vast and SO liable to
| assault.
AN ALARM BELL.
The outbreak of the Missouri eX-
element, though natural, was unex-
pected. She causes which led to it
| had not been understood and analyz-
ed. The older class of statesmen.
who had come down from the period
of the Revolution, from the great
work of cementing the Union and
organizing the Federal Government,
deplOred the agitation and viewed the
result with the gravest apprehension.
The compromise by a geographical
line dividing the slave States from
the free was regarded by this class of
patriots as full of danger-a constant
menace to the place and prepetuit of
the Union. To Mr. Jefferson, still
living in vigorous old age, the trouble
sounded like an alarm bell rung at
midnight While the measure was
pending in Congress he wrote to a
member:of the House of Represen-
tives that ''the Missouri question is
the most pOrtentOuS one that has ever
threatened the Union. In the glOOmi-
est hour of the Revolution War I
never had any apprehension equal to
those which [ feel from this source.
Men on both sides of the controversy
equally realized it's significance and
dreaded it's probable results. They
likened the partition of the country
by a geographical line unto the an
cient agreement between Abraham
and Lot, where one should 90 to the
right and the other to the left, with
the certainty of becoming aliens and
the possibility of becoming enemies.
The Missouri question once settled,
the anti-Slavery agitation subsidized as
rapidly as it had arisen. This was a
second surprise to thinking men. The
result can, however, be readily ex-
planned. The Northern States felt
that they had absolutely secured for
freedom a large territory west and
north of Missouri. The Southern
States believed that they had an i'm
piled and honorable understanding
outside and beyond the explicit letter
of the law-that new States south of
the Missouri line could be admitted
to slavery if they desired. The great
political parties then dividing the
country accepted the result, and for
the next twenty years no agitation of
the slavery question appeared III any
political convention nor affected any
considerable body of the people.
THE ANTI-SLAVERY PIONEERS.
Within that period, however, there
grew up a school of anti-slavery men
| far more radical and progressive than
those who had resisted the admission
of Missouri as a slave State. They
formed what was known as the Adolf
ton party, and they devoted them
selves to the utter destruction of
slavery by every instrumentality
which they could lawfully employ.
They began, therefore, by demanding
the abolition of slavery in the Dis
trict of Columbia and in all the Ma
tional forts, arsenals, and dockyards,
where, without question or cavil, the
exclusive jurisdiction belonged to
Congress; they asked that Congress,
under its constitutional authority to
regulate commerce between the States,
1 1 IL Il