the writings-2-第36章

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will　continue　to　be；　the　most　distinguished　politician　of　our

history；　a　Virginian　by　birth　and　continued　residence；　and　withal

a　slaveholder；conceived　the　idea　of　taking　that　occasion　to

prevent　slavery　ever　going　into　the　Northwestern　Territory。　　He

prevailed　on　the　Virginia　Legislature　to　adopt　his　views；　and　to

cede　the　Territory；　making　the　prohibition　of　slavery　therein　a

condition　of　the　deed。　　（Jefferson　got　only　an　understanding；　not

a　condition　of　the　deed　to　this　wish。）　Congress　accepted　the

cession　with　the　condition；　and　the　first　ordinance　（which　the

acts　of　Congress　were　then　called）　for　the　government　of　the

Territory　provided　that　slavery　should　never　be　permitted

therein。　　This　is　the　famed　〃Ordinance　of　'87；〃　so　often　spoken

of。



Thenceforward　for　sixty…one　years；　and　until；　in　1848；　the　last

scrap　of　this　Territory　came　into　the　Union　as　the　State　of

Wisconsin；　all　parties　acted　in　quiet　obedience　to　this

ordinance。　　It　is　now　what　Jefferson　foresaw　and　intendedthe

happy　home　of　teeming　millions　of　free；　white；　prosperous　people；

and　no　slave　among　them。



Thus；　with　the　author　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　the

policy　of　prohibiting　slavery　in　new　territory　originated。　　Thus；

away　back　to　the　Constitution；　in　the　pure；　fresh；　free　breath　of

the　Revolution；　the　State　of　Virginia　and　the　national　Congress

put　that　policy　into　practice。　　Thus；　through　more　than　sixty　of

the　best　years　of　the　republic；　did　that　policy　steadily　work　to

its　great　and　beneficent　end。　　And　thus；　in　those　five　States；

and　in　five　millions　of　free；　enterprising　people；　we　have　before

us　the　rich　fruits　of　this　policy。



But　now　new　light　breaks　upon　us。　　Now　Congress　declares　this

ought　never　to　have　been；　and　the　like　of　it　must　never　be　again。

The　sacred　right　of　self…government　is　grossly　violated　by　it。

We　even　find　some　men　who　drew　their　first　breathand　every

other　breath　of　their　livesunder　this　very　restriction；　now

live　in　dread　of　absolute　suffocation　if　they　should　be

restricted　in　the　〃sacred　right〃　of　taking　slaves　to　Nebraska。

That　perfect　liberty　they　sigh　forthe　liberty　of　making　slaves

of　other　people；　Jefferson　never　thought　of；　their　own　fathers

never　thought　of；　they　never　thought　of　themselves；　a　year　ago。

How　fortunate　for　them　they　did　not　sooner　become　sensible　of

their　great　misery！　Oh；　how　difficult　it　is　to　treat　with　respect

such　assaults　upon　all　we　have　ever　really　held　sacred！



But　to　return　to　history。　　In　1803　we　purchased　what　was　then

called　Louisiana；　of　France。　　It　included　the　present　States　of

Louisiana；　Arkansas；　Missouri；　and　Iowa；　also　the　Territory　of

Minnesota；　and　the　present　bone　of　contention；　Kansas　and

Nebraska。　　Slavery　already　existed　among　the　French　at　New

Orleans；　and　to　some　extent　at　St。　　Louis。　　In　1812　Louisiana

came　into　the　Union　as　a　slave　State；　without　controversy。　　In

1818　or　'19；　Missouri　showed　signs　of　a　wish　to　come　in　with

slavery。　　This　was　resisted　by　Northern　members　of　Congress；　and

thus　began　the　first　great　slavery　agitation　in　the　nation。　　This

controversy　lasted　several　months；　and　became　very　angry　and

excitingthe　House　of　Representatives　voting　steadily　for　the

prohibition　of　slavery　in　Missouri；　and　the　Senate　voting　as

steadily　against　it。　　Threats　of　the　breaking　up　of　the　Union

were　freely　made；　and　the　ablest　public　men　of　the　day　became

seriously　alarmed。　　At　length　a　compromise　was　made；　in　which；　as

in　all　compromises；　both　sides　yielded　something。　　It　was　a　law；

passed　on　the　6th　of　March；　1820；　providing　that　Missouri　might

come　into　the　Union　with　slavery；　but　that　in　all　the　remaining

part　of　the　territory　purchased　of　France　which　lies　north　of

thirty…six　degrees　and　thirty　minutes　north　latitude；　slavery

should　never　be　permitted。　　This　provision　of　law　is　the

〃Missouri　Compromise。〃　In　excluding　slavery　north　of　the　line；

the　same　language　is　employed　as　in　the　Ordinance　of　1787。　　It

directly　applied　to　Iowa；　Minnesota；　and　to　the　present　bone　of

contention；　Kansas　and　Nebraska。　　Whether　there　should　or　should

not　be　slavery　south　of　that　line；　nothing　was　said　in　the　law。

But　Arkansas　constituted　the　principal　remaining　part　south　of

the　line；　and　it　has　since　been　admitted　as　a　slave　State；

without　serious　controversy。　　More　recently；　Iowa；　north　of　the

line；　came　in　as　a　free　State　without　controversy。　　Still　later；

Minnesota；　north　of　the　line；　had　a　territorial　organization

without　controversy。　　Texas；　principally　south　of　the　line；　and

west　of　Arkansas；　though　originally　within　the　purchase　from

France；　had；　in　1819；　been　traded　off　to　Spain　in　our　treaty　for

the　acquisition　of　Florida。　　It　had　thus　become　a　part　of　Mexico。

Mexico　revolutionized　and　became　independent　of　Spain。　　American

citizens　began　settling　rapidly　with　their　slaves　in　the　southern

part　of　Texas。　　Soon　they　revolutionized　against　Mexico；　and

established　an　independent　government　of　their　own；　adopting　a

constitution　with　slavery；　strongly　resembling　the　constitutions

of　our　slave　States。　　By　still　another　rapid　move；　Texas；

claiming　a　boundary　much　farther　west　than　when　we　parted　with

her　in　1819；　was　brought　back　to　the　United　States；　and　admitted

into　the　Union　as　a　slave　State。　　Then　there　was　little　or　no

settlement　in　the　northern　part　of　Texas；　a　considerable　portion

of　which　lay　north　of　the　Missouri　line；　and　in　the　resolutions

admitting　her　into　the　Union；　the　Missouri　restriction　was

expressly　extended　westward　across　her　territory。　　This　was　in

1845；　only　nine　years　ago。



Thus　originated　the　Missouri　Compromise；　and　thus　has　it　been

respected　down　to　1845。　　And　even　four　years　later；　in　1849；　our

distinguished　Senator；　in　a　public　address；　held　the　following

language　in　relation　to　it：



〃The　Missouri　Compromise　has　been　in　practical　operation　for

about　a　quarter　of　a　century；　and　has　received　the　sanction　and

approbation　of　men　of　all　parties　in　every　section　of　the　Union。

It　has　allayed　all　sectional　jealousies　and　irritations　growing

out　of　this　vexed　question；　and　harmonized　and　tranquillized　the

whole　country。　　It　has　given　to　Henry　Clay；　as　its　prominent

champion；　the　proud　sobriquet　of　the　〃Great　Pacificator；〃　and　by

that　title；　and　for　that　service；　his　political　friends　had

repeatedly　appealed　to　the　people　to　rally　under　his　standard　as

a　Presidential　candidate；　as　the　man　who　had　exhibited　the

patriotism　and　power　to　suppress　an　unholy　and　treasonable

agitation；　and　preserve　the　Union。　　He　was　not　aware　that　any　man

or　any　party；　from　any　section　of　the　Union；　had　ever　urged　as　an

objection　to　Mr。　Clay　that　he　was　the　great　champion　of　the

Missouri　Compromise。　　On　the　contrary；　the　effort　was　made　by　the

opponents　of　Mr。　Clay　to　prove　that　he　was　not　entitled　to　the

exclusive　merit　of　that　great　patriotic　measure；　and　that　the

honor　was　equally　due　to　others；　as　well　as　to　him；　for　securing

its　adoption；　that　it　had　its　origin　in　the　hearts　of　all

patriotic　men；　who　desired　to　preserve　and　perpetuate　the

blessings　of　our　glorious　Unionan　origin　akin　to　that　of　the

Constitution　of　the　United　States；　conceived　in　the　same　spirit

of　fraternal　affection；　and　calculated　to　remove　forever　the　only

danger　which　seemed　to　threaten；　at　some　distant　day；　to　sever

the　social　bond　of　union。　　All　the　evidences　of　public　opinion　at

that　day　seemed　to　indicate　that　this　compromise　had　been

canonized　in　the　hearts　of　the　American　people；　as　a　sacred　thing

which　no　ruthless　hand　would　ever　be　reckless　enough　to　disturb。〃



I　do　not　read　this　extract　to　involve　Judge　Douglas　in　an

inconsistency。　　If　he　afterward　thought　he　had　been　wrong；　it　was

right　for　him　to　change。　　I　bring　this　forward　merely　to　show　the

high　estimate　placed　on　the　Missouri　Compromise　by　all　parties　up

to　so　late　as　the　year　1849。



But　going　back　a　little　in　point　of　time。　　Our　war　with　Mexic