string
tied to her! Slavery already existed here, as in all these other
states that had been admitted with it existent. What the North
tried to do was to abolish slavery where it had _already_ existed,
legally, and under the full permission of the Constitution. All of
the Louisiana Purchase had slavery when we bought it, and under the
Constitution Congress could not legislate slavery _out_ of it."

The younger men of the party listened to him gravely, even eagerly.
Regarding the personal arbitrament of arms which they now faced,
they were indifferent; but always they were ready to hear the
arguments pro and con of that day, when indeed this loosely
organized republic had the giant wolf of slavery by the ear.

"But they claimed the right of the moral law!" said Dunwody finally.

"The moral law! Who is the judge of that? Governments are not run
by that. If we overthrow our whole system of jurisprudence, why,
I've nothing to say. That's anarchy, not government. The South is
growing faster relatively than the North. The politicians on both
sides are scared about the balance of power, and they're simply
taking advantage of this cry of morality. They're putting the
moralists out as cat's-paws to the fire!" Judge Clayton almost
abandoned his usual calm.

"I imagine," ventured Doctor Jamieson, "that Missouri had as good a
right to come in unrestricted as Louisiana had in 1812, or Arkansas
in 1836."

"That argument was admitted by statesmen, but it was denied by
politicians: I make a distinction between the two," commented
Dunwody.

"Yes," rejoined Judge Clayton. "The politicians of the House,
controlled by the North, would not give up the intention to
regulate us into a place where it could hold us down. 'Very well,'
said the Senate--and there were a few statesmen in the Senate
the--'then you shall not have Maine admitted on your own side of
the line!' And that was how Missouri sneaked into this Union--this
state, one of the richest parts of the Union--by virtue of a
compromise which even waited until Maine was ready to come in!
Talk of principles--it was _politics_, and nothing less. That's
your Missouri Compromise; but has the North ever considered it so
sacred? She's stuck to it when it was good politics, and forgotten
it when that was more to her interest. The Supreme Court of the
United States will declare the whole Missouri Compromise
unconstitutional at no late date. And what it is going to do