How we cite our quotes: (Section.Sentence)
Quote #4
[…] it being the true intent and meaning of this act not to legislate slavery into any Territory or State, nor to exclude it therefrom, but to leave the people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way, subject only to the Constitution of the United States […] (14.4; 32.4)
This sounds okay on the surface, all democratic and freedom-loving, until we realize that being free to not have slavery also means there's an option of having slavery, which really isn't a "free" thing at all, is it?
And then another d'oh happens when we realize that the Constitution they speak of here didn't yet include crowd-pleasers like the 13th Amendment, 14th Amendment, 15th Amendment, 19th Amendment… You see where we're going here. A lot of groups of people weren't feeling "perfectly free" to do much of anything.
Quote #5
And be it further enacted, That all treaties, laws, and other, engagements made by the government of the United States with the Indian tribes inhabiting the territories embraced within this act, shall be faithfully and rigidly observed, notwithstanding any thing contained in this act; and that the existing agencies and superintendencies of said Indians be continued with the same powers and duties which are now prescribed by law, except that the President of the United States may, at his discretion, change the location of the office of superintendent […] (37.1)
So just in case you guys get any crazy ideas, Kansas and Nebraska, the feds are here to let you know that treaties between said feds and any and all Indian tribes will be obeyed. By you guys. And the Indians. Maybe not by us feds, though. We'll keep you posted.