Excerpt from Papers Relative to the Restriction of Slavery: Speeches of Mr. King, in the Senate, and of Messrs. Taylor and Talmadge in the House of Representatives, of the United States, on the Bill for Authorising the People of the Territory of Missouri to Form a Constitution and State Government

The remaining clause of the article 13 expressly confined to the period of the territorial governmeht of Missouri - to the time between the first occupa tion of the country by the United States, and its admission as a new state into the union} Whatever may be its import it has no reieuence nor application to the terms of the admission, or to the condition of Missouri after it shall have been admitted into the union. The clause 15 but the com 'mon formula of treaties, by which inhabited territories are passed from one wvereigxr to another: its object is to s'ecuré to such inhabitants the perma nent or temporary enjoyment of their former liberties, property and religion leaving to the new sovereign, full power to make such regulatio'ns respect ing the same, as may be thought expedient, provided these regulations be not incompatible with the stipulated security. 1 1 Whatwere the liberties under the French government, the enjoymeneof which under 0111's called for protection, 'wc are unable to explain: As the United States have no power to prevent the free enjoyment of the Catholic religion, no stipulation against their intei'ference to disturb it could be usees salty; and the only part of the clause whose Object can befreadily understood, is that relative to property.

As all nations do not permit slavery; the term property in its common and shiversal meaning, does not include or describe Slaves. In treaties therefore between nations, and especially 1n those of the United States, Whenever sti pulations respecting slaves were to be made, the Word or slaws, has been employ ed; and the omission of these words in 'this clause, 1ncreascs the uncertainty whether by the term property, also were misadsd to be included But admitting that such was the intention of the patties, theatipulation 13 not only temporary, but extends no further than to the property actually possessed by the inhabitants of Missouri, when it was first occupied by the United States: Property since acquired by them, and property acquired or possessed by the new inhabitants of Missouri, has in cash case been acquired under the laws of the United States, and not during and lander the laws of the'province of Louisiana. Should, therefore, the future introduction of slaves into Missouri be forbidden, the feelings of ths citizens would soon hecom reconciled to their exclusion; and the jocon siderable number of slaves owned by the inhabitants at the date of the ces aim of Louisiana, would be emancipated or sent for sale into states where slavery exists.

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