Missouri into a free State; and I should like to know the
difference--should like for any one to point out the difference--between
_our_ making a free State of Missouri and _their_ making a slave State
of Kansas. [Great applause.] There ain't one bit of difference, except
that our way would be a great mercy to humanity. But I have never
said--and the Whig party has never said--and those who oppose the
Nebraska bill do not as a body say, that they have any intention of
interfering with slavery in the slave States. Our platform says just the
contrary. We allow slavery to exist in the slave States--not because
slavery is right or good, but from the necessities of our Union. We
grant a fugitive slave law because it is so "nominated in the bond;"
because our fathers so stipulated--had to--and we are bound to carry out
this agreement. But they did not agree to introduce slavery in regions
where it did not previously exist. On the contrary, they said by their
example and teachings that they did not deem it expedient--did not
consider it right--to do so; and it is wise and right to do just as they
did about it [Voices: "Good!"], and that is what we propose--not to
interfere with slavery where it exists (we have never tried to do it),
and to give them a reasonable and efficient fugitive slave law. [A
voice: "No!"] I say YES! [Applause.] It was part of the bargain, and I'm
for living up to it; but I go no further; I'm not bound to do more, and
I won't agree any further. [Great applause.]

We, here in Illinois, should feel especially proud of the provision of
the Missouri Compromise excluding slavery from what is now Kansas; for
an Illinois man, Jesse B. Thomas, was its father. Henry Clay, who is
credited with the authorship of the Compromise in general terms, did not
even vote for that provision, but only advocated the ultimate admission
by a second compromise; and, Thomas was, beyond all controversy, the
real author of the "slavery restriction" branch of the Compromise. To
show the generosity of the Northern members toward the Southern side; on
a test vote to exclude slavery from Missouri, ninety voted not to
exclude, and eighty-seven to exclude, every vote from the slave States
being ranged with the former and fourteen votes from the free States,
of whom seven were from New England alone; while on a vote to exclude
slavery from what is now Kansas, the vote was one hundred and
thirty-four _for_ to forty-two _against_. The scheme,