Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-02-27
SPEECH OF HENRY CLAY,
ON THE ABOLITIUN QUESTION. DELIVER.
ED In THE SENATE, FEB. =, 1889.
lConchldfa. !

y mol true, that either OF the two great parties in
thus country has any designs or aims Ut abolition
/ should deeply lament ifit were uue should
consider u were true, tina, the danger Of the sta
bility ct our system would be ininitals greater
than any which does, hope actually exist. Whilst
neither party can he, think, Justly accused Of any
aoohtinn tendency pun pose, both have pro6ied
and both have been injured in particular localities
Y inc accession OF abstraction Of abolition support
1t the account we're fairly stated believe the nar-
/ " 20 winch am opposed has proGted much more
ana oeen inquired much less, than that 80 which |
| belong But nm Far, for that rcason from, being
disposed TO accuse our odyersares OF being aboll.
| tionists.
And now, Mr.. President, allow me To consider
the several cases in which the authority of Congress-
is invoked by these abolition petitioners npou the
SUBJECT OF domestic slaves, The FIRST relates 10 ii
] as il exists in the District of Columbia The fl
/ lowing is the provision OF the Constitution of The
/ United States in reference to the matter
10 exercise exclusive legislation in all cases
whatsoever over such District (not exceed ny ten
mes sqnare) as may by cession al particular States
and the acceptance Of Congress- become the Seat of
Government of the United States.
! ms provision preceded, in poiut oftme, the
actual cessipns which were made by the States of
| Maryland and Virginia. The obj ct OF the eseon
was TO establish seat of GoUernaaent Of he Uni
fed States, and the grant in the Constitution Of ex.
elusive legislation must b. understood, and should
always be interpreted as having relation 10 the
object OF the cession. 1t was with full knowl-
edge OF thus clause in the Constitution that those
| two States eeded to the General Government The
ten miles square, constituting the Disircr OF Co.
| lumbia. Ia making the cession, they snppo.ed
that 1t was to be applied, and applied solely TO the
! purposes OF seat OF Government for which il was
asked. When II was male, slavery existed in both
| those Commonweaths, on in the coded territor,
Is II now continues to exist in all of them Meth
| er Maryland nor Virginia could havo anticipated
that, whilst the institution remained within their
respective limits. its abolition would be attempted
by Congress without their consent Neither of
| them would have made an unconditional cess sion if
they could have anticipated such result
From the nature Of the provision in the Consti.
tuition, and the ayowed object OF the acquisition of
the Territory, two duties arise the part Of Con-
gress. he first Is 10 render the District available
comtJrtabie, and convenient as II seat Of Govern-
tnent of The whole Union the other is to govern
The people within the District SO as promote their
happiness and prosperity. These objects are total
~ distinct in their nature, and in interpreting and
exercising the grant Of the power of exclusive le-
gisaon, that distinction should be constantly borne
IN mind. Is 1t necessary, in order TO ender this
place comfortable seat of the General Govern
ment, to abolish slavery within It's linils7 No one
can or will advance such proposition The Gov.
ernment has remained here near forty wears with.
out the slightest Inconvenience from the presence
OF domestic slavery. Is it necessary to the well
being OF the people of the District that slavery
should be abolished from amongst ihemf They
! not only neither ask desire, but are almost
unanimously opposed TO il. Itexists here in The
| mildest and most mitigaied form. In population
OF 1854 there were, at the last enumeration of
the population OF the United States but 10 slaves
The number has not probably much increased SINCE
hey are dispersed over the ten miles square, en-
gagged in the quiet pursuits OF husbandfy or in me.
| al in tic e.. I "a,
to the efficiency Of this place as seat of the Gene
raj government to abolish slavery, which is inter-
| ly denied, the abolition should be confined 10 the
necessity which prompts il, that is to the limits of
the city of Washington itself Beyond those linn
its, persons concerned in the Government of the
| United States have more TO do with the inlabi-
tants OF the District than they have with the rab-
itants of the adjacent counties Of Maryland and
Virginia which lie beyond the District.
| 10 abolish slavery within the District Of Column
bia, whilst IT remains in Virginia and Maryland
situated that District is, within the very heart of
those States would expose them to great practical
Inconvenience and annoyance. The District would
| become place Of refuge and escape for fugitive
slaves from the two States, and place from which
asprii OF discomfort insubofdinatio and insurrec-
ton might be fostercd and encou aged in the two
States. Suppose, at one time under considera.
lion, PENNSYLVANIA bad granted ten miles square
within its limits for the purpose Of a seat Of the
| without "A
Violate oil good faith, have introduced and estab
shed slaves within the bosom Of that Common
wealth. in the coded Territory, aCrr she had ubol.
shed II so long ago as the year 1867 Yet the in
convenience to Pennsylvania in tho case supposed
would have been much less then that to Virginia
and Maryla in the are arguing.
| 1t was upon this view Of the subject that the
Senate at It's last sesaion, soemnly declared tlat
It would be violation of implied faith, resulting
from the transaction of the oession, TO abolish
slavery within the District of Columbia And
would 1t not be BY implied faith is meant that
when grant ID made for one vowed aud declared
! purpose, known to the parties, the grant should
not be perverted TO another purpose, unavowed
and undeclareo, and injurious to the e. autor. The
grant, IN the case we considering, of the Ter.
! ritoty OF Columbia, was for seat Of Government
| Whatever power Is necessary 10 accomplish thai
object Is carried along by the grant But the abo-
| huon OF slavery is necessary to the endowment
OF this site as a seat of the General Government
The grant 10 the Constitution, Of exclusive power
of legislation the District was made 10 en-.
sure the exercise of an exclusive authority Of the
General Government to render this place safe and
secure seat OF Government and 10 promote the
well being OF the inhabitants OF the District The
power granted ought to be INTERRUPTED and exer
csed solely 10 the end for which il was granted -
The language OF the grant was necessarily broad
comprehensive, and exclusive; because all the ex.
I. igencies which might arise to render this secure
seat OF the General Government could not have
been foreseen and provided for. The language
may possibly be sufficiently comprehensive to in
cludc power Of abolition. but il would not at al
thence follow that the power could be fightfully
exercised. The case may be resembled TO that Of
a plenlpotentiary invested with plsnary power
but who, at the same time, has positive instruc
lions from his Government 10 the kind of treaty
which he is 10 negotiate aud conclude Ifheyio-
atcs those instructions, and concludes different
treaty, las Government rs nor bound by il. And If
the foreign Government is aware OF Inc violation.
il acts in pad faith. Grit may be illustrated by an
example drawn from private life. | am an endor-
sor for my Trend on note discounted in bank
lie applied TO me to endorse another torenew il.
winch IA in blink. Now a. n;.ca hin .r.,...ar