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Show 870 'J'liE AOI'J'.A'ffON IN 184 7- oO. rognJntc all t.h<·ir oi.lH'I' COIIC<li'IIS ttL Our pleasure. Uut Ll1cro arc other so urces, accepted or r<'jucied, fil:i llliuds diO'cl'cntly constituted Lnkc part in this conlrovcr~y, whence ihi.· rio·ht is dcri"cd indirccLly, a nee :-;~ary Lo the cxerci~e of somo power found in the Constiwtion, or of solllc other power found out of tho Constitution. It will hardly be deniedthe time for denial has not yet come, thotwh apponrancca imlicntc iL ns fnst nppron.ching-Lhat these indirect ot· incidentnl powers arc Lo be employ d no further than is llCCcssary to meet t.he occasiou which cnllH them into a.cLiou. Dcrivu.tivc in their uature, they n.re liruiled in their excl'eiso. They cn.unot go beyond the legitimate ol,jcct which is sought to be attnincd. If the nccc ·sity fot· social order iu the 'rm·ritori 'S, ns many, perhaps as mo. L of tho speakers contend, is the true foundation of the riJ.;h L of Congress to legi:lnto ovor Lhem, it is u. right which cxtcndH no f11rLhcr than mn.y be neccsRnry an<l proper Lo fulfill llti~ firsL duty of society. The means must be prop('r for Lhc end, n.JI(} propor'Lionod to it; uud. if tlti~ end can l>o ouinincd by Lhe eRtrtlJli:-;IJilreuL of Iocn.l governments, there ceascH the consLiLuLiounl action of Conr,ress, and the in Lcrnn.l Jc,rislu.Lion should bo commiLLed to the people to be afl'ccted by it. H is csscnLiul, therefore, to ascertain whence this power comes, that wo may ascertain how fur it may go ; csl:lCII Lin.], thut we muy noL violu.to t.he Constitution ; esRcu tiul, that we may not violate o. fundamental principle of freedom, tho uttaliennule connection lJctwccn rcprcscnLuLion and internal legislation; nnu csscutia.l, that the people of tho Territories mny conduct thcie own concerns in their own way-tho very cnrdinal rloctriue of .American freedom. * * * * * * * * 'Ilwre is no clause in the Constitution which gives to Congress express power to pass any law respecting slnvcry in tho Territories. Tho authority is deduced from vn.rious sources, which I propose to examine by and by. nut every 'rHIC AO l 'l'A'PION TN 184. 7-GO. cottHLrucLion which wou1<1 giv Lo n. foreip;n lcgisln.turc juri!:idiction over 1 hiH twl>jeci. of !:i l:tv 'ry- hy forei~n I nwan noL clcet ,d by the people to lw 1til''cled by its acts, nor re:-;ponsiblc to LIH'm-would equally give it j11risdidion over ercry other department of lifo, social and political, in tho tcrritori eH : over the rclationH of hushnn<l and wift·, of pnrcnt und child, of guardian nnd ward, us \n•ll ns orer the n·lations of JllaRtet· tuHl r-;ervnnt; und cmbra ·ing within the Rphcre of its operations the whole circle of huttlltn rightH, pcnwnal and political- life, liberty, untl prop •t'Ly, in nil their various modes of enjoyment. I Hay "the power of Congre:-;s over slu.very ;" fot·, if wo hn.vc power to uholish it, or to <·xcllldc it, we ha.ve power to inHt.itutc it. vVo poss 'SS complet jurisdiction over the suhj ct; for· there is 110 intelk<:t., however acute, which can so limit the lcgisln.t ivc rig-ht of action, if il exist n.L all, ns Lo apply iL Lo the exclusion of sln.vcry, nnd withhold it from its inBtituLion. lf nny one doubLs tltis propm;ition, let him turn Lo t.ho Constitution n.ntl 1-ihow Lhc limitation. B ·fore I cn.n believe that Fmeh n. power was grn.nted, so ren10ic from the ohjecLs of the gov rnmcnt which the framers of the Constitution Rought Lo esta.bliHh, belonging cxcluBive1y to the locn.l questions all'ccting tho di[ercni communiti s i11to which we nrc <1ividctl, I must abnndon mn.ny f the iJlusions 1 have cherished respe ling tho wisdom of tho statesmen who composed tho Couvent.ion ofl787. * * * * * * * * Itevertitlg to LhG p1'opoRiLion thai Congr ss hn.A unlimited power of lcgiRlat ion over the tenitori s, the first r flection which st rikes Lhe inquirer is, tlrn.t if' th is powct· were inLcndNl to be grnntccl, nothing wns more euHy thnn for the Convcution to place the subject beyond doubt by a plain expression of lbe object. |
