Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1819-12-25

tereSt III Its decision. 1t IS no less
question, than whether, in this enlight-
ened and philanthropic age, a mighty
empire, of slaves shall be permitted to
be formed on the soil and under tho
sanction of republican America, and adj
mitted into her union: or, whether that
new empire is to be composed of men
who shall have constitutional, as we'll
as national, right to " life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness"
The power of congress to control the
character, as it respects slavery, of this
great prospective population, has been
denied, and its efforts to impose the re-
striction, have been branded in terms Of
violence and menace, as high-handed
usurpation. 1t congress possess the
power, it is important that they should
exercise itwithout fear, and as they would
answer to posterity, to conscience, and
to God; and that they may be sure of be-
ing sustained in thus exercising it, it is
desirable, that, in addition to the spirit o.
our institutions, and the laws of a MAORI
ty of the states, they should be animated
by fresh and strong expressions of the
public opinion.
The constitution gives congress al
thority to admit new states into the
nnion," and it requires that there should
be guaranteed to every state republican
form of governm ent." The treaty OF
cession of Louisiana stipulates " for the,
admission of the inhabitants into the
union according to the principles of the
federal constitution" Hence, it is in
ferred, that their right to admission rs
absolute, and that the power of congress
is limited to single inquiry, respecting
the form of government.
If this inference were true, we should
submit in silence, but with sorrow ana
have only to regret that the great anG
good men who framed the constitution,
had in this particular lost not only their
moral sentiments, but political fore
cast, and withheld from the charter OF
our union, a principle, vitality essential
to justice and its own perpetuity.
They were not thus blind. They
found the evil of slavery in existence and
in strength. 1t could not be eradicated
at once, but it could be circum scribed
and restrained and time would pave the.
way for the introduction Of more power
full and controlling laws. They there
fore declared, in reference to the domes
tic condition of slavery, as well as to tire
slave trade, /" that the migration and i'm
portation of such persons as any of the
states now existing, shall think proper to
admit, shall not be prohibited by the
congress prior to the year 1902
The right to prevent the migration of
slaves, rests upon the same basis witii
the right to prevent their importation ,
and the more effectually to conhne the
evil within the limits where it was then
found, the prohibition was confined to
the states then existing. Over the ter
ritories and the new states that nigh,
thereafter be form ed, the authority OF
congress was left absolute; and in the
undisputed exercise of that authority
the importation Of slaves into the Mis-
sissippi territory from abroad was pro-
hlbitcd in 1898; the entire exclusion OF
slavery from the North western terrific
ry re-confrmed in 1889; and subse~
scquently, from the latter territory, the
states of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, were
admitted into the Union. We therefore
are fully convinced that it is within the
constitutional power of congress to pro-
hibit the introduction ofslavery into any
OF the new states or territories, and thar
it is competent for them to enforce such
prohibition by the Legislative acts under
which they are organized or admitted III
to the Union.
We forbear to enumerate, which we
might easily do, other constitutional con.
siderations leading to the same result
We forbear, also, to enlarge on the i'm
policy Of our southern brethren in wish
ing to extend an evil-the terrors OF
which they even now acknowledge TO be
appalling-and to lose their safeguard
against the dangers of some future ser
vile war, which they will look for in
vain unless the western states are peo-
Piled exclusively by race of frcemcn.
Nor shall we dwell upon the injustice Of
further extending that principle of re-
presentation, that was granted in spirit
of concession, by which freemen are L.
gislated for through votes derived from
the possession Of slaves. We feel con-
strained, however, to declare, in relation
to all the considerations connected with
this subject, that in our opinion the die
tates of sound policy, the principles Of
morality, and the best interests of the
nation, imperiously urge the Introduction
of the further progress of slavery in our