Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-08-26
LANCASTER, WISCONSIN, SATURDAY, AUGUST 60, 1s4S.

to declare that if you were to acquire the
country that lies under the line, the hottest
country to be found on the globe, where the
white man is supposed not to be able to
work, would nor allow you to take slaves
there, il Slavery did not exist there already.
| More than that, | would abolish it il could +,
! II it did exist. These are my opinions, and
they always have been the same. | know
they Were the opinions of Washington up
to his death, and they were the opinions of
Jefferson and of Others who, in the infancy
of the institution, saw and depiored its evils,
aud deprecated its continuance, anu would
have taxed themselves to the utmost 10 ex-
Terminate it then. possess no opinion on
the subject that have not derived from
! these sources.
] have cniy 10 say that those opinions have
always received the concurrence of my own
understanding upon the best investigation
that have been able TO give to the subject.
IL find the institution existing in several
States of the Union, under the guarantees
of the CONSTITUTIONS; and find that AS a
legislator, | am forbidden 10 net upon the
subject by the Constitution, which | am
sworn TO support; and being thus forbidden,
would not interpose as would upon every
spot on the face of the earth where by law
| am not forbidden, Sir, what has been your
lpraetice on the subject, if at any time in the
progress of the affairs of the Government
you have acquired Territory where Slavery
existed, what did you do with its With
the forecast of stateman you took upon
yourselves the difficulties of managing it.
When Louisiana was acquired such was
the tone of public sentinIent--and take up
on myself to say that it it had been in the
power of Congress to abolish il thea they
would have done soft they had not fore
seen the state of things that would have been
consequent upon such an act, they would
have abolished Slavery in Louisiana. What
did they do in regard to the Northwest
Territory in 1872 These were the men
who gave direction to public opinion
Would to God they had something to do
with public opinion nowi
They abolished Slavery in the North
west Territory. 1t is true it did not exist
there to any great extent, except in few
French settlements, cOmprehending Illinois
and pait of what is now the State Of lndi-
ana. And why did they do III Why did
the men who then exercised the power of
the whnle Confederacy-the men who were
the leading spirits who formed the Cousti-
tuition of the United States-why did they,
in 1887, abolish Slavery in that Territory!
Did their opinions suddenly change, so as
to entertain such an abhorrbnce of Slavery
that they abolished it wherever they could,
though sovereignty piled on sovereignty en-
deavored To invade that land cousecrated TO
free institutions by that awl Thus was the
patrimony of Virginia transferred TO the
United States; and thus did they who offer
ed that patrimony aud nobly gave il to the
IL. "A IL, 4
ever pollute its SOIL And, Sir, is there any
name on the historic page Of Virginia more
Industrious than that of Jelfersons
Why there is scarcely Vrgnian who
dares to have an opinion contrary to the
Ilightest thought that he ever expressed
4 And is it so, that we are now to be required
for the sake of some imaginary balance Of
power to carry slavery into n country where
it does now exisii That, Sir, is the ques-
ltion propounded by this bill. She Senator
from Vermont is satisfied that slavery cannot
be extended to these territories. believe,
liz his confidence in the judicial tribunals Of
the country were well founded, that slavery
could not possibly go into these territories,
provided the Senate is right both as 10 law
and the facts. ] ask every member of the
Senate--perhaps may be less Informed
IMAM HHN-NHGlUsT FtHNtiN AAittN NV tAi~t
by some Mexican law at this hour, in Cali
fu-nia,
Mr.. flanagan lin his seat.] !, does ex-
its: Pe0n slavery exists there.
Mr.. Corwn-I would thank the Senator
from Indiana it he would inform IRE what
Peon slavery is; and really ask the ques-
ton for the purpose of obtaining infOrma-
ton. desire to know its conditions. L. il
transmissibe 10y inheritancc5 Does the
marvellous doctrine of which the Hon. Sem
ator Of Virginia spoke as being part and rar-
Gel of the law adopted in Virginia--par.es
seq1itw uentrem-prevail' l. that holy
ordinance, that the offspring of the work of
the womb of her who j. slave must nee
essarily he slave also, there recognizedi
Mr.. Hannegan-As ] understand, slavery
exists in California and New Mexico, "a il
does thre Ighout the Republic of Mexico,
and is termed Peon Slsvery-Slavery for
debt, by which the creditor has right 10
hold the debtor through al time in far more
absolute bondage than that 10y which any
Southern planter holds his slaves here.
Mr.. Corwin-So il has been Described 10
me. have not seen the Mexican laws up
on the subject, hat the statement just made
agrees with that Of many gentlemen who
profess 10 know something ON the subject,
and therefore ! am inclined TO think that il
is so, and that these people are the subjects
of that Internal law. The Senator from
Delaware, the other day, informed US that
the Committee have not given to the peope
of California and New Mexico the right Of
suffrage, because they were incapable ofex-
ercising it-because large portion Of them
were Of the coIored races. Now snpposiDg
7 that 10 be the case, and snpposing the prop
usitIon to be submitted 10 the Supreme
I Court Of the United Siate---Was slavery
an institution of new Mexicoi What would
he the answeri II the Senator from lndi-
ana was here to make response, he would
reply in the affirmative he would say that
The institution was there-ihat 10 be sure it
had lis necnliarifie< and notifications bur