Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/701

 be expected then to leave the result to the decision of the people of Kansas with entire inactivity and indifference.

The slaveholding states, in 1820, secured the admission of Missouri as a slaveholding state, and all the region south of 36° 3O' to the same purpose, by agreeing and enacting that all north of that line should be forever free; and by this they obtained only a sufficient number of votes from the free states, as counted with theirs, to adopt it. In 1850 they agreed that if Utah and New-Mexico were made territories, without a prohibition of slavery, it would, with the laws already made for the rest of our territory, settle forever the whole subject. This proposition, for such a termination, also secured votes from the free states enough, with their own from the slaveholding states, to adopt it. In 1854, in utter disregard of these repeated contracts, both these arrangements were broken, and both these compromises disregarded, and all their provisions for freedom declared inoperative and void, by the vote of the slaveholding states, with a very few honorable exceptions, and a minority of the votes of the free states. After this extraordinary and inexcusable proceeding, it was not to be expected that the people of the slaveholding states would take no active measures to secure a favorable result by votes in the territory of Kansas. Neither could it be expected that the people of the free states, who regarded the act of 1853-4 as a double breach of faith, would sit down and make no effort, by legal means, to correct it.

It has been said that the repeal of this provision of the Missouri compromise, and breach of the compromise of 1850, should not be regarded as a measure of the slaveholding states, because it was presented by a senator from a free state.

The actions or votes of one or more individual men cannot give character to, or be regarded as fixing a measure on, their section or party. The only true or honest mode of determining whether any measure is that of any section or party, is to ascertain whether the majority of that section or party voted for it. Now, a large majority—indeed, the whole, with a few rare exceptions—of the representatives from the slaveholding states voted for that repeal. On the other hand, a majority of the representatives from the free states voted against it.

This subject of slavery in the territories, which has [sic]voilently agitated the country for many years, and which has been attempted to be settled twice by compromise, as before stated, does not remain settled. The Missouri compromise and the supposed finality by the acts of 1850, are scattered and dissolved by the votes of the slaveholding states; and it is not to be disguised that this uncalled for and disturbing measure has produced a spirit of resentment, from a feeling of its injustice, which, while the cause continues, will be difficult to allay.

This subject, then, which congress has been unable to settle in any such way as the slave states will sustain, is now turned over to those who have or shall become inhabitants of Kansas to arrange; and all men are invited to