Address to the People of the United States, together with the Proceedings and Resolutions of the Pro-Slavery Convention of Missouri, Held at Lexington, July 1855

In Short

This volume serves as a primary historical record of the 1855 Pro-Slavery Convention in Lexington, Missouri. It combines a formal "Address to the People" with the detailed minutes, resolutions, and legislative maneuvers of the delegates who gathered to protect the institution of slavery in their state. By documenting the fear of Northern "emigrant aid societies" and the perceived threat to slave property, the book provides an unflinching look at the regional tensions that transformed the Kansas-Nebraska Act into a flashpoint for national conflict.

The Story

The narrative begins with an urgent appeal from a committee of Missourians to their fellow citizens. They describe a region characterized by economic prosperity—driven by hemp production and fueled by an estimated twenty-five million dollars in slave labor—that they fear is being systematically destabilized. The central argument posits that the repeal of the 1820 Missouri Compromise was not a choice, but a necessity for the survival of Missouri’s existing institutions. They argue that if they had allowed a restrictive boundary to persist, they would have essentially been inviting the abolition of slavery within their own borders, leading to the destruction of immense capital.

The conflict reaches a fever pitch when the authors address the influx of settlers into the Kansas Territory. They reject the idea that these new arrivals are authentic pioneers. Instead, they characterize them as "hirelings" and "military colonies" organized by Northern states—specifically Massachusetts—to infiltrate the region, spread abolitionist ideology, and eventually turn Kansas into a springboard for attacking slavery in Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas. The tone is defensive and increasingly militant. The authors insist that their actions are not aggressive, but a measured, necessary response to what they view as a "war of extermination" waged against their way of life.

The middle section of the book shifts from argument to the cold, bureaucratic reality of the convention itself. It details the gathering of delegates in Lexington, the selection of committees, and the introduction of resolutions. The process is not entirely smooth; there is internal debate over tactics, with some delegates pushing for economic retaliation against Northern states through trade restrictions, while others focus on maintaining a more unified, state-sanctioned stance. The atmosphere is one of intense political consolidation. They aim to present a united front, ensuring that the message of the convention reaches not only the people of Missouri but also the national stage.

As the proceedings conclude, the final resolutions are adopted unanimously. These resolutions formalize the convention's stance: that slavery is a matter of exclusive state jurisdiction, and any outside interference is a breach of the Federal Constitution. The book ends with a push for the distribution of ten thousand copies of these proceedings across the state, signaling a deliberate effort to mobilize public opinion. There is no reconciliation or compromise; rather, the document concludes with a firm declaration that Missouri has taken its position and will not recede. It is a portrait of a society bracing for a collision, convinced that the preservation of its legal and economic framework is a matter of immediate survival.

How It Unfolds

The opening appeal establishes the economic stakes, detailing the fertile soil and prosperous hemp plantations that define the Missouri border counties. It frames the institution of slavery as an essential component of this success, linking its security directly to the future of Kansas.

The shift to grievance outlines the perceived injustice of past Congressional restrictions, portraying Missouri as a victim of Northern political maneuvering. The authors argue that the recent opening of Kansas to settlement was a victory for the Constitution that is now being sabotaged by organized Northern interference.

The call to arms categorizes Northern settlers not as farmers, but as a political army. This section uses charged language to describe the threat posed by these "fanatics," framing the conflict as a desperate struggle to prevent arson and servile insurrection.

The legislative process moves the reader into the convention hall, where the mundane details of parliamentary procedure mask the gravity of the decisions being made. The debate over retaliatory trade measures shows a faction seeking concrete ways to enforce their will against the Northern states.

The final stand solidifies the convention's resolutions, casting them as a defense of the Union through the protection of state rights. The conclusion emphasizes the distribution of these findings, intended to solidify a regional consensus against any perceived abolitionist threat.

The People

The book is driven by the collective voice of the Missouri delegates, though certain figures emerge as the architects of this ideological stance. William B. Napton, as the chairman of the committee tasked with the "Address to the People," is the primary voice of the document. He articulates the legalistic arguments, grounding the defense of slavery in constitutional interpretation and the perceived rights of the states.

Sterling Price and M. Oliver serve as key committee members, reinforcing the weight of the convention’s declarations. Their presence reflects the political gravity of the gathering, as they aim to transform personal anxieties into a coherent state policy. Thomas Metcalf provides a supporting voice from outside the immediate legislative body, offering an endorsement of the convention’s goals and a justification for the repeal of the 1820 restriction. Throughout, the "emigrants" from the North are cast as the antagonists—faceless, ideologically driven "hirelings" who exist only to undermine the prosperity of the South. These figures, whether the named delegates or the generalized "fanatics," move through the book as participants in a high-stakes ideological struggle, with each side convinced of their own moral and constitutional legitimacy.

In Its Own Voice

The authors frame their economic defense of slavery as an inevitable reality of their region:

The culture of hemp has been found profitable,--more so than cotton in the South; and this fact, with the additional ones, that almost every foot of land within the counties alluded to, is wonderfully adapted by nature to its production, in greater quantities, and finer qualities, and at smaller cost, than in any other State in the Union... will readily explain and account for the unexampled growth of the country.

The convention delegates justify their hostility toward Northern emigrants by framing them as an existential threat:

A horde of our western savages, with avowed purposes of destruction to the white race, would be less formidable neighbors.

The document concludes with a dire warning about the consequences of Northern interference:

If civil war and ultimate disunion are desired, a renewal of these efforts will be admirably adapted to such purposes.

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is an exploration of the political and economic fragility of a slave-holding society in the mid-19th century. It interrogates the limits of Federal power versus state rights, arguing that the regulation of slavery—and by extension, the expansion of its territory—should be entirely beyond the reach of the national government. The underlying question is one of regional survival: how can a state that has built its wealth and social structure upon a specific labor system protect that foundation when the surrounding political climate begins to shift? It is a study in how economic interests are transmuted into moral and legal crusades, and how the fear of losing property and social standing can lead to the brink of national fracture.

Why Read It Today

Reading this book is a challenging, often uncomfortable experience that offers a direct line to the mindset of 1855. It is not an objective history, but a primary source that reveals how a specific group of people understood their world and their perceived enemies. Readers interested in the "bleeding Kansas" era and the political precursors to the Civil War will find it invaluable for the sheer clarity with which it expresses the proslavery worldview.

The prose is dense, formal, and saturated with the legalistic and political jargon of the mid-19th century, which can make for slow reading. You will encounter unabashedly period-specific attitudes that are fundamentally at odds with modern human rights values, and the rhetoric is often inflammatory and paranoid. There is no attempt to humanize the enslaved population; rather, they are discussed strictly as capital and property. Despite these difficulties, the book remains a powerful artifact. It stays with you because it captures the precise moment when political disagreement hardened into the certainty of conflict. It provides a rare, unmediated window into the internal logic of a movement that helped steer the nation toward war, making it essential for anyone who wishes to understand the depth of the division that defined the American experience during this period.