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Show ) 1 0 A POLITICAL TEXT BOOK FOR 1860. carried bc.rontl the neces~ary imrUcation, which product•ll I 0 nut nfte IJ ' t tt . .. ~L l:lhould he lilnitt!d ~o th,· c reati on or prllpcr this restricLio~laif t .s~.~~~ls .to he g.t·norallJ conced~dthal go \ cllllllcut~ lor I lew rountne~, a•·<pt~'h:d or settled and upon any Sl t '. t c.\rtrc.c mto cllecL could not op' t to the nc~.:L'·.~ary pnwl~lon~ ftJr th~:lr eveutualatllnl~~ion tory. The ~~ ·~1-~ be fl1r.me~.l from nowly-a~quired ta .. e ~n;ott.~~ Ur. Jon i lcavln!(, in the meantime, to Lhc people uizetl by Ul:! e'\i! ,u?tn .attttbule~ of Sovel·eignty re~~gt· tn l:thlltng thclll, IO regulate their internal conCt;l'llS in would sweep 'h •f>~ or~~lllg tl> the ::ltat<! Uoven'unents. t hnl' own wa,\' . 'Jiht y arc Ju,t as capdblc of doin so 'LS leu.vc l cOle lem auy such burrier and ' ti iC p l'nplc of tlol' :::;I :tit'~; Hlld thl'y can do RO at ar~y\a't~ sure tIt p~lople :~ cxpre s nntl exert their ;1'111 at"oluld ''h "':or~ a~. tht ir political lutl e pcrul c nce is re'cognlzcd h , for ~o shs r 11.: ?Ycct, th l!n, or tern pol ary excl~·ea,. ll irnl-;~wu lll l•t the UuH•n. Durin~o: thi temporary condi: Uov.. o. \1\ p~r ~~~~ as the duration of the 'l'err't sl?n l l• n, It ~~ har~lly ex pl'dknt to ca ll into ex e rcise n doubt- pure~:~~~~~\~~~ " ~'r,th l the yrice '.tt which it wou:r;nl rut nnd rnvldluu~ HU!hority which que:-~tion~ the intelli- trial Lo ~1 : ·l w~r t. t t lC cliSCOrtl tt would engender t~e f>:~lll'e ~)fa rc,·pect all!~: portion of our cit izcn8, and who~e that IVOL:~t~~~~ : h~l ~ul.~ a ~xpo!:ie our Union, und the ~vii: .. u I:LIIOn, ". l atcv~:r '' rnny be, will bc rupidly npproat:h- suit a::~ it mi' 'f el m consequence, let the trial r lng !l~ tennlllll iiO!l-ILII IWthority whh;h would ive to mat •cl g~lt. . , \ :3 to the coursc, which ha~ been e. ~ungrcs~. ~le~pot ic .power, uncontrolled by the C~nHtitu- tioncUl'~~t:~~~ t~il~~ p:·oi~OS~d, o~ ~ngrnftiug such a rus:::~~ t un, OHI '11 10~1 llliportant Sl!CLiOIIS or OUr CO!Il!IIOII would Jlnt.l u1t rttllt'\ ot llCI(!Ui::HilO!l, I pcr:~untle myself il couutry. .hll', tf the rclation of mastl!r and servant ntH . l I e avor n any portion of this 1.!1! regulatetl or annihilated hy its legislation so ma lh~ h~IC .I an ~trran:;c.ment woult.l reutlcr Mexico ~ou~t?. r~gulatlon of huslmucl lllld wif<', of parent ar;Ll childyllllt~ q~~~~~\g a rigrL Ito llilcrferc iu our lnternal .in~tituti~~~ f' o ~\IIY otll ·r ct>udltiou which our institution~ arlti tht' r ' t u~:~ e L >.r t.le ~onstitu~ion to tho 'tate Go ' ~ ~lahn-; of our ~ociely n:cngnize. What would hc thou 'h ~~~~n s, ,u~.ll ~~ould lr~lltct.a scn ous blow upon our vern If Cot.lgres~ should untlcrtako to prescribe the term ~ / nen~al pr JnCiplci:! . .b cw, mdcctl, I trust there are fundamarnagl! HI :-lew· York, or to regulate the authont ~ ~f ~li.i w. '.o l~t>ultlthus grant to a foreign i>ower the r~mong parent.~ over their children il l'cnn:<y lvani!L 1 An/ t'l :.tqul~ c. u~to th~ Cl~n~litutiou u.nd conduct of tho :ht to It woultl be as V:LIIl to ·ee~ une 'ustlf in 11 • . y ~lgn 'talc:! of lhli:! Linrou i and if thcrc are an I over- ~ere1ncc ~.r 1h~ r~:tliollallegi::.latur:c iuJthe !:uw~ r~cf~r~~:ttrc~ ~~~~~:~~/heuJ :~u0 n~vcr shall be. To the pe~i>le~~\~~~~ In tIC Ollgln.d ::lt .. tc:j of the UIIJOn. I peak here or th. . .• '.~n cl ot' uow antl hereafter aro its tlestl i Inherent IHJWcr of (.;uugrc::ss, ant! do n ot touch thc u. e ~;omrnrtlct i an.tl we II ant no foreign p ower to in ~ e~ lion of such C•>ntl·act:~ U:i llluy bc funnetl with I • ~ e:;- ga.tc us, trcaly tu hanu, und to say Wh hav Lelro Wheu aulllltted into the confederacy. I ew ::ltatc.; Ll~l::l, Or why ha\·.c Y.uu left that uu~louc~ OL~' ~~~~nd~~Q ?f all.the qne~Lions ~vhich can agitate u~ tho~c which ~~t.: • ar~ld. tl~c pnnclpl~s. of nutioual ilrdcpeuc.lcnce u~~ aru mel t:ly ~~:cttonnl ln their chamcter ~~rc Ill • I l~ cpc SU( It .a prop lJsrtwn. ~ tla~gcruu~, and the IIIO~ t to be deprecated 'l'he w\//,'t';~!{ o lu~ then: ~~ ano ther important consideration which g;~,g :;.'·:;:::.~: ~ ·;:;:~:::::,·:::~;;,~e:, ~~;!;~:~,~E~~::,:~·:::-:~ \~ft:~~~,';;~ :~7;:~~:i!:' i.~F· ii~:~~~i::Ei:~:.~~t;;;; how m . .IIIII, ll:i tope It will be of !lafety fur tliclll- 'liiH>UIIL w· p tcr c ll: stat tO nary or .vrogressive its affcctil~~h"l~,e ~~:Ltllto. . alpprdt~rld from mca~nrc~ peculiarly ~ion will ~~:\ l~c ~~he ·~!lie. The reject ion of llli~ res'tric. o .,c )J.(I •1P 11c.1 ~l!cttons of o ur count r 'J't · . 1 .u ortu to the chi:!:! of servitutle n •n ~~~~~vcc w\:::~~~:~~~~.~~~~·c~ i·nf 1\t'hi_ct~ we arc ll<lly l_>lnc~i rna~~ ;~~~~~:~·~~~t~,~~~ ~i 1' \ .;rce 1 .lom to !L single. heing wl;o fsr ~~1w I hav . .~1 • ~.~ ,. Y • lor I am :<at1~hct!, tr o111 all '•Cat ,1. . .. ' · .... 'c ~.tme numhenl 1111! btl spread over in,..ra~L ~~~:\:~.\\\1c\11~~·~~do~H!tr;~~ t~~.:1\t111tt tsul'c.cc~.sful 11ttenqJL to ~l>undanLcu~ 1 ~\0 ~~~~ ~:~~~~ .~~u.{~~· oafs 1~or HIJ! rcsl!ion,.1with les.i i•f• t' f · , I) I OVI::IO Upon tile )•· ' !Ill . · ' "" I e, IS an el'l SO fur . :t .. IOr~ o tliiS (ruvcrrHnent, ant! tu appl tli enl to n·~ wt , l.tt en! he mitigutetl by transportln sla~es to a ~~~~-~~~~~~l: ·~hou.ld . new ter:riLory he ncquir~d, would ~ctn~ nets~out'r"j:O and giving them a larger spac~ to occupy. fo r ·~· ~ ~~ mu tta nqullhty. 1 do noL sufl'cr Ill s.:lf to ·u .Ly ll.:!lll·'·h~ c \·cnL of the ex tension of Slaver over f c ccor forctcllthc coll~cqnent·e::~ that would yen::~u·· i tync wacttUI~!IIOn. llutcnnitgotht.!rc? 'l'hism·~ · wel! i~~ ~~~~\~~thlai\\t\}1\:li~ve tl~erc i~ ~o:•>.utl s~:n~e and good ft·~l~ t:~i~~~:,u:;~e~;;, ·~1.1 ~.l;t.! .d~~criplion~ which reach us of tl:~ co~· oc.;a,iun:~ wl ·l'c ~~~~tntll y Lo a Vt>ld th cln, hy avuidlng all shion of . ~ ·t .L t t~r Ill~\~ and o l New-Mexico, lo the acqui· D .· !I tl 11c 1 1111 ~ II l'ad to t.h •n1. . . W il l~ 1 our etlort::~ seem to Lie nt J>rescnt uircctc·' IIC y len I 'Lill O . 1 UlliLc Ill rc ftl' 'S 'I t' t.l u, ju"i ·Jicti~n )) '0 • PPO<lcu to the excrci3e or any Silllil· . . tl c. c I wg JO!:!e countril'S a~ agricultural regions r..~~or of ie'wi~ ongre~:~ over this metter i and 1 am in r·dl .'~:nlr\1 . ll'tr IH'Oduct::~ to our MidJic States, aUt! gene.' may be hc;·c:r.ft~/~L~he . 1?;' 1·P10 .o~. nny 'J'cnitory, which ::lor~e rcr;~~~;.· ~:~c .~~r;odu~ti~n ~f the gr·~at staples which can thcmse!l·e~ under th<~UI: ~t: .. the '.r c:h.t to regul:uc it fur dec<'ivctl- ·u .1 ·~~ ~. ~~~~~ ' ,duable. 11 we arc uot grossly tution. Be'cause- c gencr .LI pnncrple:~ of the Von:Hi- the inhabit~ ~~ I fl:s c I lieu It. to coucclve how wll can be-l. { do n . , · , . Oil t , · . oll~ ~ O th?:>e I'CgiOII:!, Whcr her they depend up requi ·ite >~~-c~\~, u,l the Consttt uti on any grant of t hll 'ol~l:l\~:/ltlll or thc tr .hortl::~, cannot IJc slaveholtlcrs. lu exteud '\ ltloul tf I ()ong,·cs:s i and I arn rtt>L lli::~po;,ctl to c·m ·, j I labor, requlnng the investment of large capital, e~t·•"l' 1 ' 1 11 • • Pr~cedent IJcyonu it~ n eccs~ity-tt1 • 'r 1r 111 Y Je prolital>le when emJilored in the Jlroductioo -le•wa vIilln u.n ct nt of. I. e ''T i. t 1) r·I.·L 1 (•' t>Vcr!IJIICnts whe.n. neededu otr i.a c.1 v f'' wure. 1 ·t· 1 · • 1 ar tc cs conhnetl hy nature to SJJCcialdls· with the grei~Lt~~~~ ~~:h.LI>:t:ints all tile right:~ cornpaLiiJ!e r·dc~:~~~~;"l pay l!1g larger return~:~ tht\11 tho usual agrlcultu· 2 JJ, ' 1 1!:! • 10Y Je<u· to the confederation ' . 1 uct:~ sprcuu O\'cr more considemble J>Ort.ious of the · ccause l)elrcvc tl · , . · ca1 th weakl'n if n t . . ItS lllcasurc, rf adoptee! woull! lr . woulcl ~ow tl~e ~~~~!Jillr, the Union. of the ::it,tte~ i and uot ~t!r\',: ~hl?. l~tt?r of Mr·. nu~hnnan upon this subject, g row up 'llltl riJlC~~~~ii of future 1l1sconl, which would sidc nti~ ~111 c.~ 1 glvcn to tl11! publrc, he JH'CHcuts similar con· rn 'ty ' IIlLo an abundant. harvest or C" l·L · . 1 • 1 s. \I rt l great force. "Ncithor" Sllj':! the distin· · " • • !)'Ills ted wr1t, . ,, t1 · ' 3. llecausc I h , li of C·tl'f . . cr • le so11, the climate, nor the production~ propo~itiot~ woult~ ~v·e· ~ .gen eral conviction that su<'h a of it' 1 or.ma,.south or. 3Li• :30', nor illClced of any portion withholding of the s;ICCt!r'~·. \\:ould lead to an lmmcdiatll sille '·vco~tl}.o~Touth, l:l atluptet.l to ~lave labor; and I>~· termination of th. ~1fP lc~, ·l~lll thu~ Lo a tlishonora hle csc·t c. /Y '\c! lly would he there aOonlcLI for the slave to c n •er 'It the se•ttc \1, r., 1 tluuk no dbpas~ionat e oh- ins', ~>e r .orn I:; rna ·tet·. ~tH.:h property would IJe entirely suit ' ' of UoYel·nutcnt can doubt thi::~ 1 .e .. 1 •1 ccure lit any part or California. 1t b morally Jrupo>· 4 · If howcv · . • sr > l'. ' therefor c·, ••! IU t a maJ·O rity of the cn1·1 grants to that 1 a;n u'uder n()~:·~ I~ tlll~ I IIIII u.nticr ami ·appi'Chension ~~~r~;tl of tht.: 'J'crrit ory !:lOUth of au· tlU', which will be strict ion, if adoptc1:\ th~ practJCI\1 opera ion of tllid r·e~ v.: y .c~~~~~~U~Ct~ or our citizens, will CVCI' reestablish Sla· llHt kirP' 'Ill '\ • .<. ~Y cougrc~s. upon a tt·l!aty of JC'ICC e:,r Wit I Ill Its ltuut;;. treaty ~Y~uht ·,~~IUI~Mitlon of Mexican 'l'erritory. Ju~h .: ( Jr~ regan! to ~ cw-l\Ic::dco, cast of the mo Orantle, the tltll ::!CII<Ltc Mot·ce{~~tctl a il cc.rt;\inly us IH'e:lent •d t~ ·l·~c:tr~n L hal~ al.r e.:uly been bettled l>y the admission or \'Ote agaiu :t it v' .hLil one-thlnlof that body wo nl<l c,~·t,s 111 o t le ulllou. bion of the cit'izc~c;vlng Huch a ]1rinciple as an cxclu- ''l 1 1 s.1• 1 oulcl we acquire territory bcyon1! the nio Grand~ p t~ 1 ticipalion in tl~e 0~ th 1 c slavcholding ,'tatcs from a b~: tt'~t of tl!e !tocky l\lountains, it is still !llOre irnpossi· and exert ions of all . c r~e 11 ~. '.tcqui. ed by the trca urc tnbl'1 ~ ~ m:~J.Ortty, ~f the Jl ·ople would conscnt to 1'UB· all. 1 am re )e·~ti ' ant. wluch ~hould be common to ti 1 '~ ~"" 1\Vcty. I hey arc thcruse lve:~ a colored popula· the ·e views 11'l. ~~ ~-uetl her advancing n or defentlirw t on, ttncl among thl!nt Lhc negro tloes not l>cloog socially my way an·d I t,l ranch of tl~e ::~ul>ject docs uot lie i~ o a, .< cgr·~dcd m cc." ln til ·' shall not tum a~tdt.: to seek 1 •• " lth tins la·t remark l\lr Walker fully coincic.les in his r~ asp ect of u "· letter ·'tt · 1 States must chaos te mat k r,.the people of the United wh' WI 1 en Ill 13-W, upon the auuexation of 'l'exas, and lum,ion of theit· ~c~~~ttw.~.c;1 ~~~~~ restriction antl the ex- u )~~;\fverywl~ere produced so fav orable an lmpre•sio~ both; aull lfhi::h th, 1 01.1a lt.ulll::s. 'l'l1ey cannot have all le !>~b~lc un~Hl, as to have contluccd very matcrt· Utt!ir reprege nt· t' eyll Wllil!ur r en de,· must depenu upon Y J0 the ,\ccornp lt~hrntJnt <Jf that ~:rreat. measure. "JJe· upon themselv~~ IVe:l r·st, ant! tlum, if tht:Se fail thew y~n . the Del ~OrttJ," say3 Mr. Walker," 'lavery will no• · • P ss , oot only becau~e It is rorbldtlen by lalf but b<' caus .-. tl1 e co 10 1 etl rae~ th en~ prepontler·ates in •t he ratlc :.~ . ~. VA'N DURE~ ON SL.\ VERY I~ TilE TEP..RITORfE". lSl ef ten to one o1•Cr the whites; :u~ 1 l hol · litH~ as thev.clo, or nvltlern chn ln time~ of pollti al ex:cill!ment 1vheu the govcrn 111 enl. ;~rHlmfJSI of the olh ·e:; ln their po'!~e~SIOII, ditlicult. and 1\cl'caLll qne~llorH pre~ent them~el~c~ for they will not pe,·1nit t.he cn~lan•meut t- f any p ortion of soluti0n, thl· re i, out.: ark of 11 ,1fcty for u~; an1l that l:i :1.n the colored raco, 11 hlch m.~kt::l an.l excCll Lc.> the ht.w~ of h o>nc:o~t appc.d to th1· fluul'lrnental princi plc~ of our the cnuntry.' ' Union, ant! :t stern 1\cterm:n:\Lion to <ll>iclc their t l ictate:~ 'l'he question, il will he thcrcfr>rc seen on examin:1.tion, This course f proceeding ha~ canied us in safety through dne~ not re"arcl the cxdu:;ion 11f :-llfwery from <1. r •gion many tl I r·ouhlc; ant! l tru-;t will carry us safety through where it no7v exists, hnt a prohil1it ion <l.!{:tiu~t it:~ intro- nmny rno ·e, ~hnul tl umny rno ,·c he rle::~tinetl to a. :til us. duction wh ~re it. cl,,og n ot c xi;t, :wd whae, from the feel- 'l'hc Wilmot P roviso scek!l to take from it.,; leg.Unutlc triing'l or the inh.:Lhit.:wts ~ul<l the l ;~w.; o f n:tture, ."it is bun:ll a que;tion of dilme tic policy, hal'ir~g no rel:tt•on morally impo~ 'lhl•.:," :L:I ~l r. Huch:wan ~ay~. that 1t can 'I to the Un1on, a:l ~uch , and to tmn~fcr 1t lo IWothor, ever rcu~talrli~h itst'lf. c reated hy tho peoplc for a special p urpose, an<l for eign It 11 ugurswcll for the JH'I'ntanence of OUI' confecl cr:tt ion to t.hc suiJject. m:dter lnvolvl'tl in tid:! i~~ue. By goinl\ that durin!-( wore th sw h:tlf <t c cnt.ury, which !t tL.~ cl:q>•c•l b :Lck to our true prin ciple~. we go back t1l the ro.ul ur Iince the c tahliHhlllent ~~f t.his g-overr!nl!.lnt, many '!crious pe<Lce :wcl :mfcty. Letive to the p copl·, who will he af· quel!llons, :llld some or the ltighc . .;t iutport.ancc, have fectcd hy thi:~ qne~llo n, to adjust it upon their· own reLgltated the public ruincl, and more tlulll o nce thro1Lten- aponsihility, and ln th eir own manner, ltrlcl we shall ed thll gmvcst cou~equ.cncc:~ ; but th!Lt they h:Lvc all render nuoLhcr t ribute to the original principle~ or our !n succ ·~:~lOll t>lt:<"Ctl aw:L.Y, lc:tving Oltr in<ltitutions Governm 'nt, and furnislt another guamnty uf its perm:\· un~cathed, an1l our country aclvancin~ In nu111hers, ucnce anti prO!!perity. I a.m, dear s ir, respectfully, your QOIVOr and wealth, and in a ll the other elements of obedient servant, L t:WIS C.1.S::i. ~tloa'at p•·osperity, with a ra.pluity uuknown iu a.ucient A. 0. P. NwuoLsoN, Esq., Nashville, Ten a. j.\ffi. V1\N BUREN ON LA VERY IN TilE TERRITORIES. '1'1111: fo\lowi n~ lcttC l' W IL.~ tlUUr 'HRd tO the ~cw York Oi Ly D c l e~a.tes to tho Utie:t Prcc Soil Convention, of 18·l , in r ~ponsc to a. letter to l f:u·tin Yn.n Bur n, :t~king hi.:~ opir1ion on the subj~et ht•rdn uiseu:;:<cu : I LtSDKNWOLD, J tUM 20, 13-lS. GKSTI.Inn::><: ...•. \'ou d esire lll~ o my vie1v~ In regard to tho pr!Jhil>itiun hy Congrcss of lavery in tcrrit<Jries wher~ iL doc.; not now ~:x:iHL, :wtl rhcy ~h:\ll be given in a rew wonls, autl in a. liHl llilel' which will not, l h ope, incr~ a,e , ir it docs 11oL duniui6h thc exist ing excitement iu tltij public 111 intl. The lllu~trion~ fonntlcr:~ of our Government were not ln~cnslb le to Lho apJlfL!'ent Inconsistency between tile r~rpt:tUllti(lll or Slavei'Y in the United ~tates, llrtU the princi ple~ tlf the ltevolution, :ui tlclincated in the DeciMation nf lnrle)H' IItil!IICC ; and they wt.:rc too logt:uuous in their di~po~11 ion~ to :Lttempt to conceal the imt)re:J~ion!l by which they we rt! c•ub:trmR~c·l. Uut they knew, a.lso, ~hat iiS Apeedy :thOIILion in several or the St:tlc:l, W!LS tmpoo~~ihle, ami its cx i tcncc in all, without fault on the pan of the prcHent.generatlon. They were also too upright anti the fr:Liernal f~:;clin);:l which h:Ltl carrietl them through tht! trug~lc for i n!l 'llt:ll1lence were too strong to pormit them to <lc<tl 1~itlt ~lt ch :\ matter upon any othor Jlrinciples than tho..:c nt' lit,er:di ty anti ju~ ticc. The p olicy they a1l?pted w:L' t •> ~o:t~ ;\r:l!llet: to the ~l:tlt!:> iu which la.very t:.Xlitcd, an ext·ln ~lve control ovl!r the suhj ••ct within t heir rt!~pectivc j ltri~llictiou~. hut to prevent hy nnited d l'nns, It~ ti:<:lensi<•n l<l Lerrit.oric~ or tile United !:lLILtes In which IL tl ltl n 'tin f,tct exist. On all &itl~s t"e mo~t eX)ledicnt lllCitns to c11.rry out t~i~y Jlicy Wl!re atloptc1l with alacrity tl!ld gootl fe eling. 'lhctr ll.r-t step WtL, w interd ict thc introduction of Sl:tvery Into the Nnrthwc~tern Te rritory, n ow covert:u by the !\ta.tes of O!lio, lntliana, lllinul~, Michi~; ttn :1.nd Wil!consin. Th1s !!liLY JlliLly be rc~<Lrd.•rl, IL:I l>cing in the m<Lin, a ~outhern 111casurc. 'rh1' suhj.:ct W it:~ first hrought forw<trtl 111 Cou~re s hy l\{r. J dfcrs nt. Viq;irtia. macle the C('Ssion Of terrrtory upon which the ordin:L!It:t! W tL~ intentl t.:d lO Operate, :tul Lite It••t)l'c:;cnlttLive,; from all the ~>laveholuln~ Sta.l(:~ );:tvt:: it a unanimou~ ~upp t> rl. Doubts have &risen tn lite tuiuds or !!Ollie whether the Ortlin :ll1Ctl or 11 1 Wtl~ authorize1l by the <~rticlc~ of Confcdemtion. A bill wa~ r n t r n1l uced in the uc w Con:;ti tuLio n, rccogn izi ng and ad;q>tir1g it to the ll t: IV'" or~n!r;:Ltion. a.rHl it h 1U1 ever since been treate<l anti r ·gard ecl 11s a val itlact. 'fhis blll r t:cei ~etl the Constitutio n:Ll upproltation of l'rc!litlt:nt Wa.~htng ~•ln, whose highcdt ancl s1vorn duty it was to ~ur•port the Constitution under which it WILS e n iLCted. Ntlr was the N or~h hackwfl.nl in doing its part to s u~t:Lin the poll?y which hlld been wi~cly a.dopt etl. 'l'hl!y tLS~ente1l tu the mse:tion of p1·ovisions in the Oon tltntion neces~a.ry &rHlsutlicicnt to protect tlmt interest in the State;~ , ;w•l they c.lld more. tmrle by the Quakers of Philarlelphia. and New-York, and l>y Dr. Franklin as P re itlent of a. society for the promotion of Abolitio n. 'l'hese petitions 1vere in tho House of ltepresentu.tlves, r eferrecl to a Committee of seven, all but one of whom were Northern memhers, whose repor\ as nrnentlcclln Committee or the Whole, aflinned "tlHLt Congress have no power to interfere in Lhc em:L!lcipation or slav~:>, or in the t reatment of thcrn within any of the t<ttes, it remaining with the several Htatcs alone to provide any re~ulati()ll 1 hcrtin which humanity a.ntl true polky mi~ht require." The flt:r~evcmncc a.n1l gootl f;~ith with which both branches of volley thus adopted have, nnul very recently, been recognized and carried out, nrc h ighly honorablc to the whole country. The peculi:trily of the suhject to be couve rtctl into an element or political :tgitu.tion, as well in the s laveholtl ing as in thc non-~l<tveholtling tatcs, lllfiY h<we !eel to occt\8ionftl attempts so to employ it, but the~o elforts h:we been very :;uccc::~~fully fru3tmtctl hy the gootl sense a.rul g\)otl feeling of the people in every quarter of the Un!<Jn. A detailetl account of the nu111erous acts or the Jt'cderal Government, sustaining and c:trrying intG full elf\lct the policy of Its founcler::l upon the !iUhject or Shtvllry In the StateR, and Its exten~lon to lhc T.:rrito rlc~, a.n tl the stt:IIS ~ken, in the n on-sla.veholcliug Lates, to supJJre~s or neutralize untlue agillttiou in rcgartl to it, woultl l>e alikc instructive u.nd h onomhle to the l\Ctors in them. But it will be readily p crcei\' etl th:tt this coulu n ot be given within the necess;try li1nlts of ft .communication like the pre~ent. It must therefore suffice to say that fr om l1oT the date of the onlinance for the prevention of Slu.vcry ir~ the Northwestern Territory, down to and lnclutling 1 3 , nt lea.~t eleven acts of Congress have been JHLsseu, organizing •r erritor lt:s which have ~:~ince become ::ltat es, in tt l! of wl1lch tl•e Ooustitutlon:Ll p ower of Oongess t11 iatenlic t. t.he introduction of Slavery into the Territories of the Unitetl States, i!l either directly i!Xcrci~ed, or cle,t.rly a.ssert.ctl by ena.ctmen ts which, a:1 uuLtlers of .·t uthorlty are tanta mount to its e x en;isc ; ltrHlth<tt at the - , . ~ only p en otl when tlte pea.ce of the l;LVdwltltng States wa!:l suppu:~ed to be seriously entl tlll);ereu by Aboll ion agitation th ·re w<LS <L Sllontaneous upri<~ing of the p"ople of the North of both parties, by which ugit11ti01\ W:L!:I paralyzctl, 1wd the I)Uth rea:!~urctl ul our liJclity to the compromil!eS or the Constitution. In the lau·s for the organization of the 'l'erritorles, wh!ch now· constitu~e the State:~ of Ohio, Indiana, 1\lichiga'!l, ll!inci!l Wisconsin ancl Iowa Slavery was cxpres~ly prohibite< t: The Jaws for the organization of the 'l'erritories of Mississippi, Ne~r Orleans, Arktl.nS<L~, AhLb!lmt1 and ll'loricln, containing en<tctments fully C!IUll'ttlent in r.egard to the extent of power In Congress over the :;u!>JCct or SltLVery in tile Territories to the ex:prc:JS c xcrct~e or it in other case!i. 'l'hese ttcts were a.ptn·ovcd ~~y Preslclcnt~ Washington, the elder Ada.ms, J e(ferson, Matl1 nu, l\l~nroe, Jack ·on ll.tHl myself, all bound by our oaU1s of o l.hce to withhold our reRpectlve approvals from htw:~ winch we The troul>le o.pprehcmletl at the commencement or the Government from this soun:c, beg:tn to show itself a:~ early n11 the year 1790, In the form of Petitions p resented to Oougres:~ upon the suhj·~ct of Sl:wcry ;~.::ll the sla r e - believed unconstitutional. If in the pass:q~c of thi!!:!C l.o.ws during :1 periotl of half a century, anti under the ~~<lrmols· tration of so many l'resltlents, there was :u~ytlun~ like sectional eli vi!lions, or a greater or less p:ut t~lptt.l\on in their enactment ou the part of U1e Represcut:~h ves of tho |