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Show A POLIT;C.AL TEXT-DOOK FOR 1860. daveholdln,. or ron-slavehol<ling States, I nm not apprised of it. I believe the plan ,Jevlscd by the founder:! of the Government, including the Fathers of our Political Church, fot· the treatment of this great subject, and which has hitherto betn flO faithfully !\US!ained, and which ha~:~ proven so su ccc~sful in pre~crvlng the Union of these States, to lle not only tho wisest which the wit of man could have devised; llut the only one consistent with the 11afety and prosperity of the whole country. I do, therefore, desire to Rce It continued so long ns Rlavery exlst.s in the United ._ tatcs. 'J'ho extent to which I have sustained lt in the vn.riou~ public stat.lons I have occupied is known to the country. I was Itt the time well aware that I w nt further in this respect than many of my best friends could approve. nut <leeply penetrn.ted by the conviction that Slavtry was t.he only suhject th:tt coul<l endanger our blessed Union, I wn.s d etermined that no clrort on my part, within the palo of the Consllt.ution, should be wanting to sustain Its compromises, n.s they were then uncloretoofl, and it is now a source of consolation to me that I pursued the course I then adopted. The doctrine which the late Ualtlmore Coovcnllon has presented for tho sanction of the nation, is, in substance, that the laws I referred to were but so many violations of 'he Constitution-that this Instrument confers no power on Congress t o ex clu<lc ~lave ry f1·om the Territories, ns has so often heen dono with tho nssent of all. '!'his tlo ·tdno is set forth in the published opinion of the highly rc~pectable nominee of thn.t Convention, who, it is wo11 known, received that distinction, because he avowed that opinion, aad who, it is equally certnln, woultl not have received it. if he hall not dono so. It ill proposed to give this doctrine tho most solemn sanction known to our political system, by the election of its declared ntlvocate and support.er to the Presidency. If it r eceives the proposccl sanction of the People of the United State~ , the result cannot lle doubtful. The policy In regan! to tho exknsion of Slavery to the 'l'erritorles of the United States into which it ha:; not yet been introduced, which has existed since the commencement of the Government, nnd the con ·equences of which have lleen so salutary, must cease, anll every act of Con~rcss designed to carry it into clfcct lle defeated by thu V cto of the !i;xocutive. Tho Tenilorlcs now owned hy the United St:ttes nncl every ncqui ·it ion of territory that may hereafter be 1'nado to the United tales, whether ol>t ained by annexation by cession for a va.luahle consillcration, or by conquest m'ut~ t as long as this opinion is held, and a.s fat· as the ac'tion of the Nation;tl Legislature Is concom ed, be suhject to the inroans of Slavery. And this consequence is to be submitted to on the assumption that the framCJ-s of the Oonsti_tutlon, with their attention clirected to the suhject, and wtth a wull un<lerstood desire to clo so have fail ed to clothe Congress with the necessary power:: to prevent it. I cannot, with my vote, contribute to this sanction. I cannot do so, because I cannot concur in the opinion which we nrc ca.11ed upon to sustain. dbtlnctly announced my opinion In fa .-or or the power of Cong r ·ss to abolish Slavery ln the Dlstrkt of Cnlumbh a 1t1.10ugh I was, fot· reasons which W('r' tlH•n, a nti nre still sat.tsfactory to my mind, very decidedly opposed to Its ex crcL'Ie there. 'l'he question or power I~ certnlnly as clear in respect to the 'fenitories as it Is in regard lo th~t l>lstdct; nnd ns to the 'l'crrltorles, my opinion was also n:ndc known iu n still more solemn form, by giving the }l,xecutl ve 11 pprovnl r equired by the Cons I it utlon to the bill for the organjzation of the 1•erritorial Government of Iowa, which prohibited the introduction of Slavery Into that 'l'erritory. '!'he o pinion from which we dissent wns gt vcn In the face of, and direc1ly contrary t.o, the v iews expres~ed, In forrus tit(} m o~t ~-oolen1n nnd explicit, by ftll or nearly all the non-slu vch olcling St;ttes, n.n<l we arc not at liberty to :; u~pcct ll~e ~ince ri 1 y of these expressions. Honest and well-meaning lllen, H!l we know tho masses or our political friends In those States to be, are incapable of trifl ing with so grave a suhj ect. Our uncc ·tors s ignalized the commencement or this glol"ious Government of ours, hy rescuing from suhjectlon to lavery a Territory which is now covered hy five great State:~, ancl pe~pl ed by more than fom millions of freemen, In the fu ll cr~Joy_men t of every ble~l:l ing which industry and good tnstltutrons can confer. 'J'hcy did this when the opinions nn<i conduct of the worlcl in r egat·ci to the institution of Slavery were very d ilfo.:rent from what t bcy are n ow. 1'hcy <li<l so before Great llrltain had even commenced tho~e gig:wtic e lforts for the supprl'sslon of Slavery by which she has so greatly d is ti ngni~llet l hcrsctr. After seventy-four years' enjoyment of the sacred n.nd Invalua ble right of sclf-goveromout., ohtained fot· us by the valor and discretion of out· an cestot·s, we, their <lescendant.s, arc called upon to d oom, or if that is too strong a word, to expose to the Inroad of Slavery, a territory capable of sustainin~? 11.n equal number of new States to he a<lded to our Confo.:derncy-11. territory In a great p.trt of which Slavery has ne ver ex iste1l in fac t, :md from the re !due of which it hail been expressly aboli:lhe<l by the e)\.isting Government. 'Vc arc calle(lupon to do this at IL per iod when the minds of nearly allm<tukincl h:tve been penetrated by a couviction of the evi ls of lavery, and arc united In o.:lforts for Its suppression-at a moment, too, when the spirit of Freedom and Reform is e verywhere far more prevalent than it has ever been, and when our Republic stands proucl ty for th ns the grea t ex etuplar of the world In the scrcncc of Free Govem ment .. Who cnn believe tlmt a popul1ttion like that which in· habits the non-slavcholding ::!tates, probably amounting to twelve millions, who by their own a cts, or by the foreMight or others, h1we been e xemptc<l from the evils of S:avery, can at such a moment lle induced, by consitlera· tlons of any description, to make 11. rotrogmde movement of It charact er so extraordinary ami so painful? Such a movement would, in my view or the matter-and I say it with uufeignc<l defer enco to the con!licting opinions or othcrs-hriug r eproach upon the lufluence of free lnstltu· tions, which would delight the hearts an<l excite the !topes of the advocatea of !Lrbitmry p ower throughou~ the world. • • • • • . Acc<·pt, gentlemen, my warmest acknowledgments for !il l! obligi11g expressions containecl in your Iutter, ant! believv mo.:: to be Your friend, l\IARTIN VAN BURI>Y. 'l'be power, the e.\.i:;t.ence of which Is n.t t.his late <lny cleniecl, is, in my opinion, fully granted to Congr.:s:> hy the Constitution. Its language, tho.:: circumstances under which it "liaS a.doptc<l, tho roconlcrl oxpl:wat ions which accompanied its formation-the construction it has r eceived from our highest jUtlicial tribunals, and the very solemn ancl repeated confirm<tt.lons it has derived from tho measures of th_e Government- leave not the shadow of a doubt in my rruud, in regard to the authority of Congress to exercise tbe power in question. This is not n nc.1v opinion on my p a rt, not· the first occasion on which it h:\s bcin avowed To ~r N 1 w While the canclitlate of my friculls for the Pre:,iuency, i 1 ot'h~~:,~·~e \~ ~~~-{ nterh ury, Dn\'ltl Dudley Field, and LAND FOR rfiiE LAN l)L ESS. A ction of Congress on tl1c Public Lands. TrrE Public Domain of the United States is m ont the re are now about one thousand million3 st~ll.immensc, not.witl~standing the millions upon of ac1·es of public lands still unente r e d. "What m llhons of acres whteh h n.vc been sqnaudcrcd s hn.ll bo dono with this imme nse d omain?" is a Ol' passed ove1· to the hand.:3 of Rpcculators nnd ques tion which bas for years occupied the monopolists, by the action of the Xat iona.l Go. minds of thouabtful men who have the best ve~nment during tho past f ew years. It is interests of s~ciety at u~art. At le ngth, the e~tm1'l.ted. by intelligent persons, who have gt·eat question of the prope r disposition of these g1_vc~1 the ir l\ttcntion to the s ubje ct, that lying lands has become one of party, and m ay be stated Wltlun the S tates and Territories of this Gove rn· as follows : " Sha.ll the Public D o main be open MR. GROW 'S TE~ YEARS' lllLL. 18:! ()IV hv RJ)<'culator~, l e nding ·J I1CVI· t lt 'u-1 Y r icd , t h e bill ncYcr wouhl hn.vc IJecn r eache dd , to nt( 1 mor1 , 1•.11 ,i·stovr:tt:)' ? or slmll it be r('se r vcd a.ud would never hn.ve been h c:trd of aftcrwar • to :l ,ttt< tt · • . · · , t T he voLe upou the m o~io n to refer tho bill to for ttrltwl Ot'cup.tnt:; 111 sm:\ 11 .;~,tJ;~l;1tlll s, ~~~~~ the Comntitt<'C of the W hole, was as follows- · ~~ tl priev or wi t.hout prJ''· ,..- re w •l'e D c ttlO' 't""L" in J~om~w, the R <'l)ublicn.ns in uomt : 1"11" ·tt,ll v wl l·tli' Vl' l' iu adjusting thi:< ", ' .. ., be no· < 1. tl . · . · 1 'f Jtali.c:s, tt nd the Southern Ame r icans in SYALL 11 •111y tinte atHl m th ng tt w:t.)', 1 quc:.uon · ' . . 1 · 1 N •·0 ·tl c;I)..PITAL:> : lh Nt·~ro qut•;-;tion, wlttt: I, 11\. tIC a.t n, A tlntini ~ t r:ltion, al, :-:orhs or ovenul :s ~ll others, were 1t ot !1t·hint l it • Althong" h tlw• ; ,I S, an o ld ll\':-ltOit it liittl IH'\' t'l' ~O I.ntnttll.d Cd Ill vOI_Jgress, Y..:.&.S. r.L~ INK.- TVuocl-1. CuNNKCTICUr.- Arnohl, flishop-2. ~ .. ll<·n1·011 tu whi<:h tL ~~ e n tll l<'d, prev10us to tuc .t 1> I I" )aty· b e tlte or••:ttlizaliOtl or the \. •pu ) 1Cfll1 I r . I . • - b lt l .tl tlt ·tt t i tn • both the g r e:tt p:trttes N t;w-y onK.-Bui'I'OUOlL.S, l\11tchLy, Russell, Taylor-4. N ll:W ·J t;H~Ev.-Worteudykc-1. l'KNN:iYL\'ASIA .-Ahl, Chapman, Dewart, lllontgomery, .JloJTis, Ritchie, Wli lte-7. e·tU:-IC ll ' · j MAttYL.\NV.-IIARHIS, RIOAUD-2. i;tl~ ll'lticlt tlw country was divide< l. ~v rc e tt lCr ·otJ' r olk<l or thcit· actiou w:ts modth e d, by the cl1vtholdi1n~ inlt't"l'sL of the counl r .v. Thn.t intcr l'RI, witieh is t'\'l'r vi~ilaut, unde rstands th:tL 'l:trcr y t::lllllOL wdl ex t ·t W •re St~l:l.ll fr~e· holu. prcv:\il :!tHl h('ll<:e it OppOR<'H, With aJl1tH great p0 ,, cr,' a1l l'rccuq~ t.ion nttd l~oni ~·Ht~ad l:lws knoll'ing Wl'll that 1t our n ew tat. ~ ,tnd Terri torics an' to he occu pic<l in .C! u:u:tc r · sec~ i on~, tlt t•y willl,e occupied b y working f:trme r ·, antlnot IJv r-:pl'enln.tors tUtU W' •at plautcrH .. Vtrtr:rNrA.-Bocock, Caskle, l!:<lmuuLlsoo, Faulkner, Oar· no.:tt, ;\l il l:~on , Puwcll-7. . NouTn C.IHOLINA.-Craige, lluffin, ScalcQ~ Wmalow-4. SouTH C.u tOLlNA.-.Uuyce, .Unwch, l{etlt, McQueen, i\l iles-6. G~:onGI A.-C rawfonl, Oartre11, J ackson, Seward, Ste· phens, 'fui£'Pt>, Wright-7. FLOttiOA .- 11 ftwkins-1. ALA IHM A.-Curry, Houston, Moore, ~ho rter-4. tll r~st.~II'PI.-Bark dnle, Davis, [IJ cltac-3. LOUISIANA. Eu::lTI:l, 'undidgc, 'l'a.ylor-3. Tt.:XA::<.-llryan, lteagan-2. 'I'~: SNK;<St.:F..- A ikinH , J ones, l\IAYl(ARD, R ~ADY, Stt.vage, W a t kin~, ZOLLICon·cuct-7. l{ ~<: S TUCKY.-U urnett , Jewett, MARSIHLL, Peyton, SteSince tlt i::~ ques tion has as~;umed t~ ll :tit? H:tl vcu~o ll, Ta lbott, UNVKRWOOD--7. import:utc •, a cotH.: i~e record_ of the procc. ' dtn g~ and votPs in Congt·cs::; dunng tlt_c se~H~o n of 1838-9 :md 18.30 GO, upon the dtspo:::ttton of the l'l;ulic Do111ain, will be of i ttt •rc::;t as a 1\l lS::SOUlli.-ANDI>!I~ON, Cllruthcrs, J ohn n. Clark, James Crail{ l' licl p~, WOODSO.N-6. o 111~1. -llurnq, Cnckt! r lll, Oroesl~eck, Jlarl(tn, La w-re1 1cc .NiclwfH Pcnrlletou , V:tllnnutgharn- . . lN O~ \N.\.-Dt'tvill, En~li;h, Gregg, H~tg~l c~, Ntbla.ck-6 . matter of n~eonl. lLusu r:-:.-~ar:.hall, l\lorris, Shaw, Sulllll-4. On tlte 20th of J <li1Ullry, l 59, (Sec Cou!J.~·essio11al Ulubc, p. 4\1~,) a. bill r ·lat~ng to pr ·cmp: tions, rcporLcd front the Cornnuttee o n, ,ru~>l.tc Lantl~, was p e nding before the 1Io ~1::;e . 1 he b_tll propo 'eel to make ::~ont c c h :wge:-; 11_1 the dc~a!ls of existing preem ption bws, but wtthout a~I -~~ing the ·uust<tnco of t h e pr·cscnt y stcm ot th_::>· po:;ing of the public lands . l t wa , boweve r, Ill parlhuncntary ordl.!r to propose to a111end the uill 60 as to change the prc~e nt system, and to bri nrr the llonsc to a direct vote upon such propo:; i~ious. The friends of sucl~ change we re prompt to a vail themselves of tlus n.dvautage. ~fr. Grow, of Pcnnsyl vn.ni:l., moved. to -~~~~c ud the bill by :Hl<ling the following as n.n adUlttowd section: Be it ft£1'ther enoeted, 'fhn.t from an<l after the pn.ssage of this act, no public laud shall be exposcu to s:Lie by proclamntiou of the l' resi<lent, unless the same simi! h;LVC been surv(•.ve<l, !Uttl t ho return of such smvcy clnly ltlcd In Lhe Land Olliec, for Leu y ears or more befon: such sale. The fo rce and eflcct of tlt i:; a mendme nt would be to give the prccmptors ten year~ t he ~~art of the spcculn.tors and land monopoltsts. l h ;tt is to say : with the ll.lld ition of Mr. Gr? w'l:l amendment to the existing la.ws aud reg ula.t iOllil touching the Public Land , they would be open to preemption ten years before they could ~o.me within the gm p or the speculator, thus . g l vlllg the poor, industrious settler ample tunc to 11 clear u p " h i, farm and pay for it from the p r o eceda of the soil. '!'his wa s jus t what t h e South aml the Democracy d iu not want, a s the sequel will show. The o pponents o f the bill forthwit~l res~ rted to padiamcntnry tactics to avoid a du·cct 1ssuc 'fotal , 9ll. NAVS. ,",I .A INK -}'t18li'l" Gilman, .Jfm·8e, I. WttBhbur·r!r--4. ~ ' . ']' ') N EW -11" ) II';:.IIIU ~: .-UrfL{/I'n, ll]Jpar~r--. V~o;11~to.N'l'.-Jilorrill, lloyce, Walt~n-8. . Co- M Ass.~ c11 us"TT:I.-B,~(ftnwn, fl, t£?"ttnywne, Cha.Oee, mins, 1Ja'We8, llall, K napp, '1 ha_ye,·-~. HtWIIK 1-,.r,ANV.-Brayton, i)ttr:Jee--2. CoNNY.CTtCUT.-Olw•k, JJean-'1,. D dd Nll:w-Y O HK .-Anflr·ew~, Clark, J olin 5Jo<:lirane, O on' Fenton Uranye1· Hatch, Jlo<tr·d , Rd8 y, ..Jfatt~s . , .Jlo rym~ ' J.lfm·.~e, .lft~trruy, Otin, Patmel', l)wrktYr, ,:jp1.1lr ner 1'hom.p80ilr-1 S. N'Kw-J~-.H:;l\v.-Olawson, IIuy l er-2. J l' ~:N ~> SYLV ANIA.-Covode, !J-"d ie, Jo'lorence, Crow, ones, Keiln Leidy Pur·vinnce, tewart-fJ. M A:~YLAN U~-llowle, ~te,~art-2. VutGINIA.-G oode, llopkms-2. Nor\TH C \ltOLtNA.-Orun:n, VANCE-2. A LAllA~IA. -<JolJb, Dowdell, Stallworth-8. M 1::\SISSll'l'l. - 'inglcton-1. . . ' I L •t r Ouw.-JJinylwm, JJtiJ:JIIJ, Gul<~tn08, , Hal, et e ' ..Jfott, Sherman. ~tcwl<!n, 101111!~-m~, ll1a:~tt-/\vason lsurA NA.-Uu/jarr, .J. oley, ll. lf(JOI e, c L ' -~;.L,sois.-.F<vnl..Bworth,l{eltoaa. Lovejoy, Washu'Uorrne, -4. . 1 Mr::>SOUlll -Bltur- . . . m ld M1~111G A~.-J/uw<Lrcl, Leach, Wu.lul'i<l(fe, a ron ~VISCONSIN -J>otte1·, lVashbttrn- 2. l ow A.-Ourtis, IJuvis-2. CALIFORSI A.-~COtt-1. tal !)2 1\l r.NN~;suTA .-Cavanaugh, Phelps-2. To ' . • . 'l'he motion l o rcfet· the bill to the Commit-tee of the W hole having thus fail e d, thc GHou~e vns brou rrht to a direct vote upon bft'. f ~f'v 8 a~l CI1(lmc~t. which was adopted by t 1C o ow· ing votes: t pon Mr. Grow's p roposition. Their firRt movement w tts a m otion to refer the bill a.nd amendment t o the Committee o f the Whole, familiarly n.nd aptly styled 11 the tomb of thu Onpulets ." If that rcfert>ncc had been ca:- |