The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-10-02
] 0 B " ORK
Mr.. Van Burcn's Letter 10 the citizens o.
l.0uisvillc, NY. relative 10 slavery.
WASHINGTON, April 2lst, 1910.

WASHINGTON, April 2lst, 1910.
GENTLEMEN: Il have received your
letter of the 2nd inst, and cheerlully
comply with your request. You have
inadvertently fallen into an error in sup
posing that the questions propounded to
me by the Hon. Sherrod Williams, in
1886, embraced the subject of Abolition.
My views and opinions in regard to it
were, however, communicated to the peo-
pie Of the United States, in reply to a
letter received in the same year, from
Junius Amis, Esq, and other citizens of
North Carolina, and also through other
channels. Perceiving that | cannot do
justice TO your inquiries in the form which
you have given to them, by general
reference to the answers | have heretofore
given, will repeat the substance of them
First: That the relation of Master and
Slave, is matter which belongs cxclu-
sively to each state within its own boun-
dary,--that Congress has no authority to
interfere, in any respect whatever, with
the emancipation of the slaves, or in the
treatment of them in any of the states !;
and that any attempt to do so by the
government or people of any other state,
or by the General Government, would
not only be unauthorized, but violate the
spirit ofnthe compromise, which lies at
the basis of the Federal Compact; and
which is binding in honor and good faith
on all who live under the protection of
the Federal Constitution, and participate
in its benefits. This doctrine is in strict
conformity to the principle embodied in
Resolution passed by the House of
Representatives of the United States, in
1890, upon the report of Committee,
consisting almost entirely Of northern
men.
Secondly: That conceding to Con-
grcss the abstract power Of interfering
with, or abolishing slavery in tho District
of Columbia, under the broad grant of
exclusive legislation in all cases whatso-
ever over that District, there are, never
theless, objections to the exercise of this
power ''against the wishes of the slave
holding states, as imperative in their ma
mre and obligation, in regulating the con-
duct Of public men, as the most palpable
want of constitutional power would be-"
Thirdly: That ] desired the people
of the United States then to understand,
that, If elected, would 90 into the Pre-
sidential chair the inhexible and uncom-
promising opponent of any attempt on the
part OF Congress to abolish slavery in the
District of Columbia against the wishe:
of the slaveholding states; and also with
determination equally ennexible to resist
the slightest interference with the subject
in the states where it exists.
The Twenty.Fourth Congress, whose
constitutional term expired at the moment
when mine, as President, commenced,
had avowed its belief that it was sex
tremely important and desirable that the
agitation of the subject of slavery should
be finally arrested for the purpose of re-
storing tranquility to the public mind"
and made it the basis cf extensive and
deliberate action in both Houses. In the
House of Representatives, Committee
IA majority of whom were from nom
slaveholding states reported, pursuant to
instructions, two resolutions; the first
was--''that Congress possess no consti-
tutlonal power TO interfere in any way
with the institution of slavery in any of
the states of the confederacy )" the Sc
cond, "that Congress ought not to inter-
'fere in any way with slavery in the Dis
trict of Columbia :" and third, which
was, in substance, that all papers and
motions bearing upon the subject of sla-
very, should be laid upon the table with
out any further action thereon. They
were accompanied by an elaborate and
very able report, setting forth a, large the
reasons in favor Of the opinions reported,
and the course recommended by the Com.
mittee. The whole subject was finally
discussed, considered and decided upon.
The first resolution passed by vote of
1872 10 0--the second, of 1872 to 45---and
the third, of III 10 90. In the Senate,
the matter was considered upon a memo