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Show ) 210 TilE :M.ISSOUlU QUES'riON. Thus they so.itl, "Con()'ress shall have }\Ower to exercise exclusive legisla.tion in all cases whatsoever," within the ten miles square. Bnt no such power to legislate over the territories is granted. The power is, to dispose of, and make all needful regula-tions respecting the properLy of the United SLates. vVben that is sold and conveyed, it ceases to be an object of the power to make regulations respecting the property of. U oiLed StaLes; and if the construction contended for by our opponents be correct, and Congress possesses power to legislate for a territory, that would not authorize them to make regula.Lions which shall continuo in force when the territory became a StaLe, and the United States ceased to own property therein. * * * * * * * Snpposo that a general emancipation was to tnke plnce, and the two people were to co-mingle, what would he the effect on the character of your country throughout the civilized worlu? Would you be willing that your nation should become a nation of mulattoes, and be consi(lercd on a level with ll1tyti? .Are the two rnces equal ? If so, how is it that that the race of whites has produced so many civilized nations in ancient and modern times and the I race of African negroes not one. * * * * * * * As the emancipation of the present race of blacks in this country cannot be ciTcct~, the tentlcncy of the popular meetings, resolutions, pamphlets, and ncwspapct· puulications, respecting this question, merit no t ice a.n<l exposition. The philosophers, the abolition societies, and socict ics of frienfls to the negroes, in Europe, who w I'O 110L at nll illtcrestcd in negro slavery themselves, produced the cn.Lastt·ophc of St. Domingo. The philanthropists, societies, and popular meetings of the North, arc pnrsning a similar course. THE MTSSOURI QUESTION. 211 Like causes profl ucc like cfTects. Our philanthropi ~ t~ may acquire as good a title to tho execrations of the Sou thorn people us H.o bcspierre and Gr goirc acquired to the •xecraLious of the Prcuch peoplo of St. Domiugo. Februar·y 1. Mr. Reid, of Georgia, said : Sir, the slaves of the South arc held to a se rvice which, unlike that of the ancient villui n, is ccrtai n and moderate. 'rhcy arc well supplied with food and raiment. 'rhey arc "content and carclc s of to-morrow's fare." The lights of our religion shine as well for them as for their master, ; n.n<.l their rights of personal security, gnnrantccd by the Constitution nnu the laws, arc vigilantly protected by the courts. It i true, they arc often made subject to wanton net' of tyrau11y; but this is not their peculiar mi. fortune I Por, senrch the cntn.loguc of crim es, and you will fLnd that mttt1-thc tyrant-i continually preying upon his fellow-men; there arc as many white as black victims to the vengeful pas. ion and the lust of power I Believe me, sir, I am not the panegyrist of !:!lavery. It is an unuatural stale ; a clark cloud which obscures half the lu Lre of our free in titutions I But it is a fixed evil, which we can only. alleviate. Arc we called upon to emancipate our slaves? I answer, their welfare, the safeLy of our citizens, forbid it. Can we incorporate them with us, and make them and us one people ? 'L'he prejudices of the North and of the South rise up in equal strcnglh ngainst such a measure; and even tho e who clamor most loudly for the sublime doctrines of your Declaration of Independence, who shout in your ears "all men are by na.tu rc equal," wonld turn with abhorrence and disgust from n pnrti-colorecl progeny 1 Shall we then be blamed for a state of things to which we are obliged to submit? Would iL be fair, would it be manly, would it be generous, would it be just, to ofl'er contumely and contempt |