The admission of Alabama as a slave state was the main point of controversy that led to the Missouri Compromise. After Alabama wanted to be part of the Union by being a slave state, the number of free state to slave state became equal to 11. This angered the free states and the members of the Congress that were in favor of slavery free states. The only way to stop the coming civil war was the Missouri Compromise. If Missouri was admitted as the slave state then the balance of equality would tilt towards the slave states and this would result in a big clash. To stop this from happening, the Missouri Compromise was the middle path that was chosen.
"no longer required to engage in deeds whose gravity exceeds the demands of their tender years."
direct quote from his speech, hope it helps
I don't see the passage, but an antagonist is a villain, or in other words a negative role.
The reader would know the thoughts of all the characters. ... Writers expect readers to remember these feelings when they describe certain scenes, and they hope readers will make inferences based on these feelings.
