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Show 212 'l'IIK M ISSOUHI QUESTION. to tho nnforLunatc man who wears a cancer in his bosom I bcc~ws he will not sulnnit to euutery at tho hazard of his c.·ist nee? l!1or my owu pn.rt, f;unoundccl by slavery frum my cradle to the present moment, I yet "Hate tht'l touch of sorvilo h:mds ; I loatho tho sln.vos who cringo around;" and I would hail that day as tho most glorious in its L1awuing which should behold, with safety to themselves and our citizens, tho black population of tho United SLates placed upon tho high eminence of equal rights, aud clothed in the privileges and immunities of ..American citizens I Hut this is a dream of philanthropy which can Hover be ful!illed; aud whoever shall act in this country upou such wild thcoric , shall cease to be a bcucfactor, anu become a destroyer of tho human family. It is said, however, to be high time to chock the progress of this evil, and that this may be uest done by inhibiting slavery b yond the Mis i sippi, and in Missouri, which prays to be :ulmitlell as a Slate into the Union. It is imporL:. w t to consi<1cr if thi project be consislcn t with the Constitution of the United States. 1,ho States formed tho Constitution in the capacity of sovereign and independent States, and tho Constitution is the instrument by which they conveyed ccrtnin power to the general gover11mcnt. This is evident, not only from tllC nature of tbc governme11t formed, n.11d in every line of the Constitution, but it is a doctrine distinctly asserted iu the ninth and tenth articles of the amendments. "The enumeration, in tho Constitution, of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or di, parage others retained by the people; anu the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohiuitcu by it to the Slates, are reserved to the States respectively, or to tho people." llence it will follow, that tho several States re- 'fliiC MISSOUlU QUES'l'ION. 213 tain every power not delegated by the Com;tilution to tho general government.; or, in other wonh.;, tll n.t in all C'tmmoralcu cn.sC's, the sevcrn.l Stn.tcs nr' left in the full enjoyment of their sovereign and ind pendent jurisdictions. * * * * * * * * Bnt it is argued that Congress hn.s over imposed restric-tions npon now Stales, and no objection has been urged until this moment. If' it be true, that only one condition cn.n conHtitulionally be imposed, it wonld Rccm that any other is null and void, and may be thrown off by the Stale n.t pleasure. And then this at·gum nt, tho strength of which is in prece-dent, cannot avail. Uniformity of decision for hunclrcc1s of years cannot mnko that right which at fit".'t was wrong. If il were otherwi se, in vain would science and the arts pursue their march t oward perfection; in vain tho constnnt progress of truth; in vain tho now and uright lights whi ch nrc daily finding th 'ir way to tho l~t~man mind, like the rays of tho distant star~, which, passing onward from the creation of time, arc said to be continun.lly reaching our sphere. Mal u, ?t:u. abolenclw; est. When error appears, lot her be detected an<l ex posed, and lot evil precedents be abolished. It is trnc that tho old Confedcra.tion, by the 6th section of the Ordinance of 1787, inhibited Hlavcry in tho territory northwest of tho Ohio, n.nd tha.t the Stn.Lcs of fllin oi t:~, Ohio, and Inl1iana lmvc been iutrodn 'cd in to the Union under ' this restri ction. Sir, tho On1inancc of 1787 had an origin perfectly worthy of the end it seems destincu to accomplish. I t had no authority in tho Arti cles of Confel1cration, which did not contemplate, wii11 the exception of Canada, tile acquisition of territory. |
