Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-02-22


trict, was made TO ensure the exercise Of an
exclusive authority Of The General Govern
nent 30 render this place a safe and secure
seat OF Government, and to promote the well
seeing OF the inhabitants OF The District The
power granted ought TO be Interpreted and
exercised solely to the end for which il was
granted, The language OF the grant
vas necessarily broad comprehensive
and exclusive, because all the tx:gen-
cies which might arise 10 render this Sc
cure seat Of The General Government could
not have been foreseen and provided for
The language MAY possibly be sufficiently
comprehensive 10 include power of abol-
ton, bot il would not at Ill thence follow
hat the power could be rightfully exercised.
The case may be resembled TO that OF plen-
potcntiary invested with plensry power,
but who. at the same time, has positive in
instructions from his Government as TO the
kind OF treaty which be is 10 negotiate and
condemn If he violates those instructions, &
concludes different treaty. his Government
is not bound by il And If the foreign Govern
neht is aware OF the violation. il acts in
bad faith Or il may be illustrated by an
example drawn from private life. am an
endorser for my friend on a note discounted
in bank. He applies to me TO endorse anoth-
er to renew it, which do 10 blank Now,
This gives him power 10 make any other use
of my note which he pleases. But il, in
stead Of applying il 10 the intended purpose,
he goes TO broker and sells it thereby
doubling my responsibility for him. he com
mits breach oftrust, and violation Of the
good faith implied in the whole transaction.
But Mr. President, il this reasoning were
as erroneous as believe il TO be correct
and conclusive. is the affair of the liberation
OF six thousand negro slaves in this District,
disconnected with the three millions of slaves
! in the United States, of sufficient magnitude
10 aeiiate. distract and embitcr this great
Confederacy2
The next case in which the petitioners
ask the exercise Of the power of Congress,
relates TO slavery in the Territory of Flori.
du.
| Florida is the extreme southern portion
of the United States. II is bounded on all
lis land sides BY slave states. aud, is several
hundred miles from the nearest, free state.
1t almost extends within the tropics. and
the nearest important island TO il on the wa
ter side is Cuba, slave island This sim
Pile statement OF its geographical position
should Of itself decide the question. When.
| by the treaty Of 1919 with Spain, il was
ceded to the United States. slavery existed
,siibip ill., PsS, fas. t'rps,.nJ thai.tre ibe
secured to them. and they are allowed TO
remove and take them away, if they think
proper 10 do so, without Limitation as TO
time. If il were expedieul. therefore, TO a
boish slavery in il. il could not be done con-
sisiently with the treaty, without granting 10
the ancient inhabitants reasonable time 10
remove their slaves But further. BY the
compromise which took place on the pass
age ofthe act for the admission OF Missouri
into the Union. in the year 1920, it was a
greed and understood thai the line OF 36deg.
| 80 min. of north latitude should mark The
boundary between the free states and the
slave states, 10 be created in the territories Of
1.-The United States coded by the treaty oil
Louisiana those situated south OF II being
slave states, and those north free stales.--
| But Florida is south of that line. and conse-
gently, according 10 the spirit Of the un
dertsanding which prevailed at the period
alluded 10, should be slave state
! Ii may be true that the compromise does
/ not in terms embrace Florida, and that il i:
not absolutely binding and obligatory; bu
| all candid and impartial men must agre,
that il oughtnot to be disregnrded without ths
mos. weighty considerations. and tina; moth
| ing could be more TO be deprecated than &c
open anew the bleeding wounds which were
happily bound up and healed by that com
promise. Florida is the only remaining ter
| ri,orv In he admitted into tho union with tht
! institution of domestic slavery. while Wis
consin and Iowa are now nearly ripe fol
admission withoutit.
| The next instance in which the exercise
of the power of Congress is solicited, is thai
of prohibiting what is denominated by the
petitioners the savetrade between the states
or. as !, is described in abolition petitions, the
traffic in human beings between the. States
4 This exercise ofthe power OF Congress is
| claimed under that clause ofthe Constitution
which invests il with authority to regulate
commerce with foreign nations, and among
1.-The several States, and with the Indian tribes
| The power 10 regulate commerce among
1.-The several States, like other powers in The
| Constitution, has hitherto remained dorman
| in respect 10 the interior trade by land be
! tween the States II was power granted
like all the other powers Of the general gov
ernment, to secure peace and harmony a
Inong the States Hitherto il has not beer
necessary TO exercise it All the cases il
i which. during the progress Of time, i may
become expedient to exert the general au
lihority TO regulate commerce between th'
4 States, cannot be conceived. We may ea
4 u A. rlac xxb n