File:Drawing of Zachary Taylor.jpg

Identifier: ourgreatercountr00nort (find matches)
Title: Our greater country; being a standard history of the United States from the discovery of the American continent to the present time ..
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Northrop, Henry Davenport, 1836-1909
Subjects:
Publisher: Philadelphia, National pub co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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f slavery northof the line of 36° 30north latitude, and leftthe inhabitants south ofthat line free to decideupon their own institu-tions. The Anti-slaveryparty was resolved thatslavery should be ex-cluded from the territoryacquired from Mexico,and in the Wilmot Pro-viso struck their firstblow for the accomplish-ment of this purpose.We have seen that theysucceded in prohibitingslavery, by a special actof Congress, in Oregon,although the terms ofthe Missouri Compro-mise would have ex-cluded the institutionfrom that Territory. Their object was fully understood by thesouthern people, and was bitterly resentedby them. The agitation of the subject arouseda storm of passion throughout the country,and produced a very bitter feeling betweenthe Northern and Southern St?Vq. (n his last message to Congress, President Polk hadrecommended that the line of 36° 30 northlatitude be extended to the Pacific, and thusleave it to the people south of that line: todecide whether they would have slavery or
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ZACHARY TAYLOR. not. This proposition was acceptable to theSouth; but it was rejected by the Anti-slaveryparty. The Missouri Compromise line hadbeen limited to the Louisiana purchase,which was entirely slaveholding, and hadnade more than one-half of it free- To 628 FROM THE kEVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. extend the line to the Pacific would be togive the South a chance to establish slaveryin territory which was fi-ee at the time of itsacquisition by the United States, The NorthWould not listen to such a proposition. During the last session of Congress inMr. Polks administration, an effort had beenmade to establish territorial governments forUtah and New Mexico, but had failed in the supreme law of the land, it was superioito any territorial law or act of Congress abol-ishing slavery; and that the constitutionclearly and unequivocally established andprotected slavery in the Territories. Mr. Webster, speaking for the north, de-clared that the constitution was designed forthe government of

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