Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-08-30

J. upon The probability Of adding Canada I,
u our possessions. should we AZ anv tim,
u acquire II by conquest. or by treaty witt
: the british Government, according 10 til
: very modest pretrnsions set up BY Virgin
: III and other southern States. il would DO a
once transformed into slave territory ,ani
: the institution of slavery would. by its &C
question. be at once spread throughout il.
entire length and breadth, so long as i
; should remain a territory Whatever else
may be said of this position, its claim tc
: novelty cannot be denied. Although tho
relations of the territories to the cscncrai
Government have been much discussed al
different periods Of our Government, such
a position as this has never been assumed
before II Is not now of more than ono
years growth. and il was certainly no or.
binary genius by whose inventive powers
II was first brought into existence.
The first position assumed in this res.
oiuilon is. that Congress has no power to
prohibit slavery in any territory belong.
ing to the United States. The same po-
sltion has been frequently urged on.. this
toor. That cause in the Constitution
which provides that /" Congress shall hare
me powcr4o dispose Of. and make all
ncedJnl raics and regulations respecting
hefcrr,sory \. other property belongirgfo
ne U.s.. has been frequently quoted "a
the only clause in the Constitution from
which the power to legislate for the Ter
riories is claimed, and it is denied that
any such power is given by il. Ii would
seem 10 me. Mr.. Chairman, to be a sufii.
cient answer to this to say, that. from tho
time the Constitution was adonted IN tho
present time. this clause has been uni.
tormly regarded rs comforting this power
upon Congress; that it has been SD recon.
nised and expressly decided by the Su.
preme Court of the United States: and
that the power has been time and time a.
gam exercised by Congress without dis.
sent, and with the general concurrence
ct the country Bnt whether the power
IS conferred by this clause of the ConstiI
futon or not. do not regard as essential
to the argument. The gentleman from
Mississippi. Mr.. THoMrsoN.) a few DAYS
ago. inquired with an air of apparent tri-
umph. "i)oes Congress possess the power
and the right TO legislaie Tor the people Of
the Territories! II 50. place your finger
upon the grant, 1t seems 10 me that tho
gentleman from Mississippi is the last per.
son who should question this power under
tho Constitution, as he has repeatedly vo.
ted, as member of this House, to cxcr.
else it,.
Now. would be obliged To the gentle.
man il he would "put his finger on tho
grant in the Constitution which author.
ICES the acquisition by the General Gov.
ernment Of foreign territory. Will he in
form US under what clause Of the Conxti.
tuition Congress is authorized TO conau.v
foreign countries, and add them to the
on'onf Will he point out the article or
section OF that instrument which author.
ICES their acquisition by treaty! When
the gentleman will do this, think can
readily point him to the grant of power
winch authorizes US TO govern them when
we have acquired them. During M. JET;
ierson 3 administration he neg niated with
France for the purchase of louisiana,
lie. as well as others, had doubts
OF the power under the Constitution. 10
make the purchase but have never learned
That he, or any other statesman Of that dav.
doubted the right or power Of the Gov.
eminent to exercise legislative authority
over the territory after it was acquIed1-a
1t is very certain that they did exercise
the power, and their right to do so was
never called in question.
During Mr.. Monroc's administration
Florida was purchased from Spain Com
gress exercised Legislative authority over
Il until us admission as State, two wears
ago. The right to govern a territory is q
necessary incident to the right 10 acquire
i. ms right to govern and controli il con.
tinues until il is admitted as q sovereign
State into the Union, when it ceases: tho
sovereignty being then tranferred from the
United States to the particular State,
Our title to Oregon has accrued since
T,f tho nv
title is based upon the cessions of Louisi.
ana and Florida, and tic discoveries of
capt. Gray. New Mexico and Califor-
MA we hold by conquest, although thew
nave been ceded to u.s. by treaty; yet il
vas treaty dictated 10 Mexico by our
Government. with our victorious army in
Of her capital. They consti-
ute the ''indemnity for the past ind SEE
;unfy for the future,'' which the Mexican
var has brought US. Until they shall be.
to the Union sovereign States.
With equal rights with the other States. The,
'ower OF governing and controlling them
must rest somewhere. Where Is that
'ower, IT MOI IN me United SIatesr-
Viii any one contend that we had power
'nder the Constitution to conquer these
and add them TO the United
;tates, and yet, that the moment they are
cquired, Our authority over them ceases,
nd we have no power 10 control. OF shape
heir institutions! Such position to nv
mind, involves the grossest absurdify. ),
The right Of Congress to legislaie for
nd control the Territories is right which.
las heretofore not only been unquestioned,
'ut has been repeatedly exercised. and
. reference to every territory which The
Ma1ed States has at any time possessed
$500. shortly after the purchase ofL,oa-
congress passed m act creating
70 lrritonal governments within, the &C.
lod&erritory The act reserved TO Cou.
IEess the power TO annual and declare.
'oid any laws which might be passed v5fh-
n those Territories. No objections were.,