44 KANSAS. these prohibitions was the freedom of the slave and a fine of three hundred dollars. This act was signed by Jefferson. Michigan and Illinois were both organized during his administration, each with a total prohibition of slavery. On the 4th of June, 1812, the Territory of Missouri was organized with the three restrictions on the importation of slaves that existed in the Territory of Orleans. On the 3d of March, 1817, Alabama was organized with the laws in force in the Territory of Mississippi, by which the introduction of slaves imported from any place without the United States was prohibited. Both these acts were signed by Madison. On the 2d of March, 1819, the Territory of Arkansas was organized out of part of Missouri Territory, and the laws of the latter continued in force. On the 6th of March, 1820, was passed the Missouri compromise, in an act authorizing the people of Missouri to form a State constitution. On the 30th of March, 1822, Florida was organized with a prohibition on the introduction of any slave imported from any place without the United States. These three acts were signed by Monroe. On the 20th of April, 1836, Wisconsin was organized as a Territory, with a prohibition on the existence of slavery, and the act was approved by Jackson. On the 12th of June, 1838, a similar act was passed for Iowa, and signed by Van Buren. The act organizing the Territory of Oregon prohibited slavery, and was signed by Polk. Five times during the Territorial existence of Indiana did Congress refuse the prayer of her citizens for a temporary suspension of the prohibition of slavery within her limits, for the reason assigned by Mr. Randolph, of Roanoke, chairman of one of the committees to whom the memorial praying for the suspension was referred : “ That the committee deem it highly dangerous and inexpedient to impair a provision wisely calculated to promote the happiness and prosperity of the northwestern country, and to give strength and security to that extensive frontier.” The constitutionality of this uniform action of the government in prohibiting or restricting slavery in the Territories, beginning with the first Congress and extending with an uninterrupted current of authority for so long a period, has been sustained by the decisions of the courts of almost all the States, both free and slave, and by the highest judicial tribunal of the land. Well might Mr. Clay, in speaking on this subject in the Senate of the United States, on the 5th of February, 1850, after declaring that in his opinion the power over the subject of slavery in the Territories exists in Congress, say, “ that when a point is settled by all the elementary authorities, and by the uniform interpretation and action of every department of our government—legislative, executive, and judicial—and when that point has been settled during a period of fifty years, and was never seriously disturbed until recently, I think that, if we are to regard anything as fixed and settled under the administration of this constitution of ours, it is the question which has been thus invariably and uniformly settled; or are we to come to the conclusion that nothing—nothing
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