ing his or her labor or
service, as aforesaid."

This compromise measure fixed the boundary line between free and
slave states in all the territories then belonging to the United
States. Slavery was thus forever prohibited within the Territories
of Kansas and Nebraska. This happy solution was regarded as
something more than a mere enactment of Congress. It was a
territorial division between the two great sections of our country,
acquiesced in by both without question or disturbance for thirty-
four years. The memorable controversy that arose in the 31st
Congress in 1850 in respect to the territory acquired from Mexico
did not in the least affect or relate to the Territories of Nebraska
and Kansas. The subject-matter of the several bills originally
embraced in Mr. Clay's report of the committee of thirteen, defined
the northern boundary of the State of Texas on the line of 36 deg.
30 min. north latitude, provided for the addition of the State of
California, for territorial governments for New Mexico and Utah,
and for the surrender of fugitive slaves.

In the resolution annexing Texas to the United States there is this
express recognition of the Missouri Compromise line:

"New states of convenient size, not exceeding four in number, in
addition to said State of Texas, and having sufficient population,
may hereafter, by the consent of the said state, be formed out of
the territory thereof, which shall be _entitled to admission_ under
the provisions of the Federal constitution; and such states as may
be formed out of that portion of said territory lying _south_ of
36 deg. 30 min. north latitude, commonly known as the Missouri
Compromise line, _shall be_ admitted into the Union with or without
slavery, as the people of each state asking admission may desire."

The convention providing for the admission of California expressly
stipulated by a unanimous vote that slavery should be forever
prohibited in that state. The bill providing for a territorial
government for New Mexico, the great body of the territory which
lay south of the parallel of latitude 36 deg. 30 min., provided,
"That, when admitted as a state, the said territory, or any portion
of the same, shall be received into the Union, with or without
slavery, as their constitution may prescribe at the time of their
admission."

The act organizing the Territory of Utah, lying entirely north of
the 37th degree of latitude, contains no provision recognizing the