That perfect liberty they sigh for--the 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 exciting--the 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