Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-05-16


including Mr. Madison himself in favor of
the CONSTRUCTION for which contend.
iffurther Virginia authority is required,
l have one before me, of much later date,
IN a report TO this House Of the Committee
on the District Of Columbia. made BY its
Chairman, Mr.. Powell, distinguished
member from Virginia, in January, 1927
in which he said, .the Congress ofthe u
nited States has, By the Constitution, exclui
sive jurisdiction over this District and has
the power upon this subject, (the impris-
onment Of free negroes as runawaysl as
upon all other subjects Of legislation, to |
exercise unlimited discretion" Unlimit- |
ed was the very term applied to The power
Of Congress here, by Patrick Henry in the
Virginia Convention, forty years before.
1t would be waste of time to cite fur
Their authorities, which might easily do,
in support of the position that, Congress
have power to legislate upon the subject
before u.s. aa.a .#
Is THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY WITH
IN THE COMPETENCY OF ANY LEGIsLA-
TON But it is sometimes said, that tho
Congress haze the power of exclusive le-
gislation. Gin all cases." yet this must be
understood to mean all cases proper for ie-
gisIation; bat that the abolition of slave
ry is not within the competency of any Ie-
gislation. # .a. .s.s 49,.
Not within the competency of any le-
: gislation2 What has the civilized world
been doing for the last half century? Not
to speak Of those governments in Europe
in which the institution Of slavery has been
indirectly assailed by the supreme power,
let me point the objector to the history Of
Great Britain during that petiod. Fifty
years ago, slavery. as it now exists in our
own country, existed in the colonies of that
empire; while an unrestrained trade in
slaves was carried on between the coast of
Africa and the colonies. NoU, that trade
: is made piracy, and slavery is abolished
L throughout the British dominions And
e all this has been effected by Legislature
< POl0er-a power which the objection as
D sumes, is not competent to abolish slave
I ry. The same power has been exercised
! by the governments of all the South Amer
lean States, Brazil excepted, and by Mex,
e leo. So em. 49,. "
a So, too, in our own country, slavery has
I been abolished by the governments of N
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
e Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and
% Pennsylvania. 1t has not been abolished
/ in Vermont, for Vermont never had any
is to abolish. No, sir; thank heaven, the
foot Of slave, held by authority of thai
IS State, aersr trod her soil nor, let me add
" did the heart of slave ever beat in the DO
t. som of one of her sons. . .. H.
at To these examples l add that of this M
re ton itself In the first place, we have G6OI
I'd ished Slavery on the ocean. Our acts abol
o ishing the foreign slaye-trade are, clearly
en acts Of emancipation. We enter a vesse
en- of one Of our citizens, on the high seas
Is take that slave which he has purchased il
IN Africa, and set him at liberty What il
a. this but emaneiPatioa2 What but the alb
clifton Of slavery in one its multiplied form
pm Of outrage on human rights2
ne We also abolished slavery by the ordi
tie nance of 1897, in the territory north-wes
ne of the river Ohio. The 9th of the "arti
de cles of compact of that ordinance, declar
ut ed "that there shall be neither slavery no
ut involuntary servitude in the said territory
H. otherwise than in the punishment O
!. crimes" 1t is well known that Their
o. We're slaves in that territory at the date u
81 the ordinance, who were emancipated b,
oy it; and that, too, without compensation.
CT II Is worthy of remark that the pream
Or bic to those six ARTICLES of compact de
a. clares that they are established '.for tn
on purpose of extending the Fundamental
ry principles of civil and religious liberty
ne which form the basis whereon these reput
lies, their laws and constitutions are erect
ne ed" and ito fix and establish. those pr1n
u eiples as the basis of all laws, constitution
r" and governments, which, forever hereafter
le- shall be formed in the said territory"
US was for such purpose" that slavery wa
1t forever banished from the territory; an
1 this, be it remembered, was the solemn
a declared purpose of erery State in the Ur
rs, ion the vote for the ordinance havln
se been unanimous, with the exception of on
en- voice, in the Congress of l7e7.*
10 And is it for as TO say, after all thu
that it is not within the competency of Il
lat gislation to abolish slavery! 7....
to might add numerous individual al
m thorities, but my limits must restrain m,
ne | cannot, however, omit the authority {
Ia. WAsHINGToN, Shich is most clear an
'ed explicit. In writing to, Robert Morris, 0
he the 18th Of April, 1886, he said, /" Their
90 is not man living, who WISHES more sir
~ cerely than i do, to see plan adopted fc
On. the abolition of slavery; but there is onl
ire one proper and effeetual mode by which
I a can be accomplished, and that is, ,by legi
all. Latire authority and this, as far as N
Of suffrage SeiH go. shall nerer be WaRting.
'en On the 10Th Of May, 1886, he thus write