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are　awake；　too。　　They　are　within　a　stone's…throw　of　the　contested

ground。　　They　hold　meetings　and　pass　resolutions；　in　which　not

the　slightest　allusion　to　voting　is　made。　　They　resolve　that

slavery　already　exists　in　the　Territory；　that　more　shall　go

there；　that　they；　remaining　in　Missouri；　will　protect　it；　and

that　abolitionists　shall　be　hung　or　driven　away。　　Through　all

this　bowie　knives　and　six…shooters　are　seen　plainly　enough；　but

never　a　glimpse　of　the　ballot…box。



And；　really；　what　is　the　result　of　all　this？　　Each　party　within

having　numerous　and　determined　backers　without；　is　it　not

probable　that　the　contest　will　come　to　blows　and　bloodshed？

Could　there　be　a　more　apt　invention　to　bring　about　collision　and

violence　on　the　slavery　question　than　this　Nebraska　project　is？

I　do　not　charge　or　believe　that　such　was　intended　by　Congress；

but　if　they　had　literally　formed　a　ring　and　placed　champions

within　it　to　fight　out　the　controversy；　the　fight　could　be　no

more　likely　to　come　off　than　it　is。　　And　if　this　fight　should

begin；　is　it　likely　to　take　a　very　peaceful；　Union…saving　turn？

Will　not　the　first　drop　of　blood　so　shed　be　the　real　knell　of　the

Union？



The　Missouri　Compromise　ought　to　be　restored。　　For　the　sake　of

the　Union；　it　ought　to　be　restored。　　We　ought　to　elect　a　House　of

Representatives　which　will　vote　its　restoration。　　If　by　any　means

we　omit　to　do　this；　what　follows？　　Slavery　may　or　may　not　be

established　in　Nebraska。　　But　whether　it　be　or　not；　we　shall　have

repudiateddiscarded　from　the　councils　of　the　nationthe　spirit

of　compromise；　for　who；　after　this；　will　ever　trust　in　a　national

compromise？　　The　spirit　of　mutual　concessionthat　spirit　which

first　gave　us　the　Constitution；　and　which　has　thrice　saved　the

Unionwe　shall　have　strangled　and　cast　from　us　forever。　　And

what　shall　we　have　in　lieu　of　it？　　The　South　flushed　with　triumph

and　tempted　to　excess；　the　North；　betrayed　as　they　believe；

brooding　on　wrong　and　burning　for　revenge。　　One　side　will

provoke；　the　other　resent。　　The　one　will　taunt；　the　other　defy；

one　aggresses；　the　other　retaliates。　　Already　a　few　in　the　North

defy　all　constitutional　restraints；　resist　the　execution　of　the

Fugitive　Slave　law；　and　even　menace　the　institution　of　slavery　in

the　States　where　it　exists。　　Already　a　few　in　the　South　claim　the

constitutional　right　to　take　and　to　hold　slaves　in　the　free

States；　demand　the　revival　of　the　slave　trade；　and　demand　a

treaty　with　Great　Britain　by　which　fugitive　slaves　may　be

reclaimed　from　Canada。　　As　yet　they　are　but　few　on　either　side。

It　is　a　grave　question　for　lovers　of　the　union　whether　the　final

destruction　of　the　Missouri　Compromise；　and　with　it　the　spirit　of

all　compromise；　will　or　will　not　embolden　and　embitter　each　of

these；　and　fatally　increase　the　number　of　both。



But　restore　the　compromise；　and　what　then？　　We　thereby　restore

the　national　faith；　the　national　confidence；　the　national　feeling

of　brotherhood。　　We　thereby　reinstate　the　spirit　of　concession

and　compromise；　that　spirit　which　has　never　failed　us　in　past

perils；　and　which　may　be　safely　trusted　for　all　the　future。　　The

South　ought　to　join　in　doing　this。　　The　peace　of　the　nation　is　as

dear　to　them　as　to　us。　　In　memories　of　the　past　and　hopes　of　the

future；　they　share　as　largely　as　we。　　It　would　be　on　their　part　a

great　actgreat　in　its　spirit；　and　great　in　its　effect。　　It

would　be　worth　to　the　nation　a　hundred　years　purchase　of　peace

and　prosperity。　　And　what　of　sacrifice　would　they　make？　　They

only　surrender　to　us　what　they　gave　us　for　a　consideration　long；

long　ago；　what　they　have　not　now　asked　for；　struggled　or　cared

for；　what　has　been　thrust　upon　them；　not　less　to　their

astonishment　than　to　ours。



But　it　is　said　we　cannot　restore　it；　that　though　we　elect　every

member　of　the　lower　House；　the　Senate　is　still　against　us。　　It　is

quite　true　that　of　the　senators　who　passed　the　Nebraska　Bill　a

majority　of　the　whole　Senate　will　retain　their　seats　in　spite　of

the　elections　of　this　and　the　next　year。　　But　if　at　these

elections　their　several　constituencies　shall　clearly　express

their　will　against　Nebraska；　will　these　senators　disregard　their

will？　　Will　they　neither　obey　nor　make　room　for　those　who　will？



But　even　if　we　fail　to　technically　restore　the　compromise；　it　is

still　a　great　point　to　carry　a　popular　vote　in　favor　of　the

restoration。　　The　moral　weight　of　such　a　vote　cannot　be　estimated

too　highly。　　The　authors　of　Nebraska　are　not　at　all　satisfied

with　the　destruction　of　the　compromisean　indorsement　of　this

principle　they　proclaim　to　be　the　great　object。　　With　them；

Nebraska　alone　is　a　small　matterto　establish　a　principle　for

future　use　is　what　they　particularly　desire。



The　future　use　is　to　be　the　planting　of　slavery　wherever　in　the

wide　world　local　and　unorganized　opposition　cannot　prevent　it。

Now；　if　you　wish　to　give　them　this　indorsement；　if　you　wish　to

establish　this　principle；　do　so。　　I　shall　regret　it；　but　it　is

your　right。　　On　the　contrary；　if　you　are　opposed　to　the

principle；intend　to　give　it　no　such　indorsement；　let　no

wheedling；　no　sophistry；　divert　you　from　throwing　a　direct　vote

against　it。



Some　men；　mostly　Whigs；　who　condemn　the　repeal　of　the　Missouri

Compromise；　nevertheless　hesitate　to　go　for　its　restoration；　lest

they　be　thrown　in　company　with　the　abolitionists。　　Will　they

allow　me；　as　an　old　Whig；　to　tell　them；　good…humoredly；　that　I

think　this　is　very　silly？　　Stand　with　anybody　that　stands　right。

Stand　with　him　while　he　is　right；　and　part　with　him　when　he　goes

wrong。　　Stand　with　the　abolitionist　in　restoring　the　Missouri

Compromise；　and　stand　against　him　when　he　attempts　to　repeal　the

Fugitive　Slave　law。　　In　the　latter　case　you　stand　with　the

Southern　disunionist。　　What　of　that？　　You　are　still　right。　　In

both　cases　you　are　right。　　In　both　cases　you　oppose　the　dangerous

extremes。　　In　both　you　stand　on　middle　ground；　and　hold　the

ship　level　and　steady。　　In　both　you　are　national；　and　nothing

less　than　national。　　This　is　the　good　old　Whig　ground。　　To　desert

such　ground　because　of　any　company　is　to　be　less　than　a　Whig

less　than　a　manless　than　an　American。



I　particularly　object　to　the　new　position　which　the　avowed

principle　of　this　Nebraska　law　gives　to　slavery　in　the　body

politic。　　I　object　to　it　because　it　assumes　that　there　can　be

moral　right　in　the　enslaving　of　one　man　by　another。　　I　object　to

it　as　a　dangerous　dalliance　for　a　free　peoplea　sad　evidence

that；　feeling　prosperity；　we　forget　right；　that　liberty；　as　a

principle；　we　have　ceased　to　revere。　　I　object　to　it　because　the

fathers　of　the　republic　eschewed　and　rejected　it。　　The　argument

of　〃necessity〃　was　the　only　argument　they　ever　admitted　in　favor

of　slavery；　and　so　far；　and　so　far　only；　as　it　carried　them　did

they　ever　go。　　They　found　the　institution　existing　among　us；

which　they　could　not　help；　and　they　cast　blame　upon　the　British

king　for　having　permitted　its　introduction。



The　royally　appointed　Governor　of　Georgia　in　the　early　1700's　was

threatened　by　the　King　with　removal　if　he　continued　to　oppose

slavery　in　his　colonyat　that　time　the　King　of　England　made　a

small　profit　on　every　slave　imported　to　the　colonies。　　The　later

British　criticism　of　the　United　States　for　not　eradicating

slavery　in　the　early　1800's；　combined　with　their　tacit　support　of

the　'Confederacy'　during　the　Civil　War　is　a　prime　example　of　the

irony　and　hypocracy　of　politics：　that　self…interest　will　ever

overpower　right。



Before　the　Constitution　they　prohibited　its　introduction　into　the

Northwestern　Territory；　the　only　country　we　owned　then　free　from

it。　　At　the　framing　and　adoption　of　the　Constitution；　they

forbore　to　so　much　as　mention　the　word　〃slave〃　or　〃slavery〃　in

the　whole　instrument。　　In　the　provision　for　the　recovery　of

fugitives；　the　slave　is　spoken　of　as　a　〃person　held　to　service　or

labor。〃　In　that　prohibiting　the　abolition　of　the　African　slave

trade　for　twenty　years；　that　trade　is　spoken　of　as　〃the　migration

or　importation　of　such　persons　as　any　of　the　States　now　existing

shall　think　proper　to　admit；〃　etc。　　These　are　the　only　provisions

alluding　to　slavery。　　Thus　the　thing　is　hid　away　in　the

Constitution；　just　as　an　afflicted　man　hides　away　a　wen　or　cancer

which　he　dares　not　cut　out　at　once；　lest　he　bleed　to　death；with

the　promise；　nevertheless；　that　the　cutting　may　begin　at　a

certain　time。　　Less　than　this　our　fathers　could　not　do；　and　more

they　would　not　do。　　Necessity　drove　them　so　far；　and　farther　they

would　not　go。　　But　this　is　not　all。　　The　earliest　Congress　under

the　Constitution　took　the　same　view　of　slavery。　　They　hedged　and

hemmed　it　in　to　the　narrowest　limits　of　necessity。



In　1794　they　prohibited　an　outgoing　slave　tradethat　is；　the

taking　of　slaves　from　the　United　States　to　sell。　　In　1798　they

prohibited　the　bringing　of　slaves　from　Africa　into　the

Mississippi　Territory；　t