Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1848-09-08
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION OF GOVERN
MENr OR NO SLAVERY IN THE
TERRITORIES
TERRITORIES

InlS Is now Tue uoclrlne, earnestly pFOcIdiHet |
and insisted on in various quarters, and especially |
by those who are uneasy about the Buffalo n0miu |
atoms. II has been pot forth in Congress- in some
instances. And il has the endorsement OF as hig}
Judicial authority as that OF Judge Bronson AMI !
Judge Mclean.
Our friend of the Wisconsin Argus has got hold
oft; and taking it for granted that il is doctrine
which cannot be disputed and which will not be
called in question holds forth, in a column and
halt OF as serious remark, apparently, as ever was
put into catechism for beginners, that he has
arrived at the secret place Of the Van Buren, thun
der, and at the risk OF an indictment for burglary,
has broke in and has seen that there is really no
thunder there" We tell our friend. that in this
very thing, he goes ii blind :; as much so, al least
he did in his lie; and it would be difficult
Tor to state the affirmative OF that fact more
strongly.
lit be true that, in order TO the existence of
slavery, there must be the affirmative action of
government we pledge ourselves to prove, that
slavery did exist in one of the colonies of
Great Britain in North America. There never was
one affirmative act of legislation by tie Parliament
and King of Great Britain, nor can anything be
found IN the British constitution or in any legisla
I've act of that government since il existed, which
Institutes or establishes, or authorizes, ailirnls
such thing as chattel slavery. When the editor
ofthe Argus will show conclusively that the Brit
ah government ever instituted slavery by positive
law, in any colony of North America, or in any
island of the West Indies. we promise to give him
nne fat turkeys and chance to roast and eat them
at the great fire which the Barnburners prepar
ing for next November In fact all the slavery
which has existed in the western hemisphere, since
its commencement by the Spanards Almost three
hundred and fifty years ago, has, without an cxccp-
ion, found some other way 10 come into existence
than positive law enacing its existence
Some nine or ten millions Of slaves have been
brought from Africa to this continent, within the
last three hundred and forty years, AMI perhaps five
times that number born into the condition of chat
tel slavery this side OF the Atlantic within tie
same time and all without the possibility Of the
existence OF slavery here that is according to the
doctrine under consideration AS regards English
legislation for the purpose Of insituting slavery
here in amy period OF our colonial history, hes
iatc not in the least to pledge our vote, and our
bona fGe support, IN favor OF the nominees OF the
Baltimore couVentIon on consideration that the
editor Of the Argus shall furnish clear plool OF q
! single instance OF it. Virginia had been slave
! holding colony one hundred and fifty SIX years a
the date OF the declaration u: Independence; North
Carolina had been a slal eholding colony one hun
| dIed and twenty years: South Carolina a hundred
! and FIVE years Maryland hundred and forty
! years; Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhoue Island
! New York, New jersey. and Pennsylvania had all
! got the institution strongly established and in d
state oil vigorous growth al the period OF the com
! mehtenent ol our rev Oiution. And all without a
scrap shred OF tae affirmative action OF GOV ern-
meat winch our friend at Madison SO grauely talks
OF the indl>pes ble prerequisite sac qisa non
| III oldtf 10 the existence Of slavery Tie proyis
IONS OF the BRITISH constitution ale death on slal
ry and al" avs have been; Wheuet er and wherever
/ they have been applied The decision OF Lord
Mansfield III 1872, opened the eyes OF the people oil
Great Britain to the long existing but neglected
truth that English iaW contained nothing 10 autho
rise such all institution as chattei slavery. IuaI
decision established the character % Cattci 81
! III the American colonies, equally rs n &. Britain
! Is unmluSa'ed outrage, sheer uSurpaliun, without
! any authority or sanction OF law Whatever. The
| institution IN the colonies Was continued not 10!
want OF Law IN opposition 10 1t but tor Waut .
suihcient uprghtness and energy on the part oi go
! Iernnent TO carry ont and ENFORCE the law. lhe
| Ike Vas true OF he tnstltJtlOn IN the ,pnsh and
! Portuguese coloH!es IN tae French colonies and
! m the DHca oolonIes No nation OF the clvIi zed
world IN either hemisphere, has ever originated lis
! existence by any affirmative action ct It's govern
ment. Even Texas is not an exception 10 tie un!-
| ersal tact which age here stating. We might
J If
! by = the affirmative action OF government. We
'epeai, II Herer had HE sanction OF pos.tNc lax IN
us favor, any where IN his country till sub eQuent
10 the organization OF our federal Union under our
/ present constitution
We ask our friend of the Argus to recollect thl.
not few, and those, some of them II least m the
! hr>t rank OF American lawyers have most indus
| lrIously looked tins matter Though, rom \ 10 Il;
and, the result OF their researches, have u en-
! demonstration piled upon demo IS, ton. and inca
no lawyer OF ordinary ability has ever attempted To
reite or ever will that all the slavery we had Til
long subsequent 10 the date OF the organization oil
lne federal gos cTnment, was without the sanction
OF posltt'e law Tor IT'S existence.
And yer, Oh the foundation OF a contradiction OF
all our history, bold, and 50 brazen, and so pu.
erlle and aslu!Ee rs this, the Argus bases his whole
drgumentand assumes to represent the entire A me
rcan nation as being engaged in this great contest
"i'hou' 'FIiIHS except slIiy Fancy about an ao-
strdcton Ter Tie matter Of controversy
! If the position of the Argus lie enabe, thcre i!
aoc no staroy IN this country there has mere, been
| any there never cah be any, unless the people
call it into being by 1.-THE affirmative action of go
| vernment." Facts broad as the worlds history ioI
more than three centuries, declare the position OF
The Argus IN this matter untcnable and the asser-
! tons WHICH 1t rests upon untrue. Slavery has al
ways begun III sheer outrage in villauous contempt
OF right; and 1t no more his.or seeks TO have, its
origin IN positive law than has any other mons
trous and unnatural outrage cannbdism and IN.
tantclde, for example, There ale laws in New
Guinea regulating cannibasm and there are laws
IN 'hna regulating lnlanlicide but affirmative law
IN those countries did not originate these practices
so there are the slave codes OF slayehoding com
nunltes IN this country. But they are got up, and
kept up, to regulate an institution which is their
! parent and not their offspring We say again,
when the Argus will prove that its position is not
a false one, viii 90 the full length of what we
have proposed.
The skies are bright.
Several of our Citizens Just returned from the east
bring us cheering accounts of the progress of our
cause. One who has been sojourning in Vermont