Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-10-04
WARREN, Sept. 80, l548.

bEAf olRt-OonSlaHi engagements III
Court give me but moments time 10 an
swer your communication of this date. |
hope however, 10 be as explicit as am
brief, in responding to the important ques-
tons propounded 10 me. l fully agree
with you as to the Importance of under
standing the position and principles of all
candidates for public trusts. This is the
right of every elector, indispensably nee
essary to be enforced TO enable him to
act understandingly, and the vital princi-
pie Of q representative Democracy. The
corresponding duty of the candidate is to
take his positions honestly, and to main-
tain them openly. His ''errors may be
safely tolerated while reason is left free
to combat them"
| am ia faver of maintaining the free
dom of the Territories of New Mexico and
California in their whole extent, and ut
terly opposed to authorizing slavery or in
voluntary servitude of any kind within
them, Or to any compromise which shall
doom any part Of them to the curse Of hu-
man bondage do not stop to state all
the reasons which bring me to this conclu.
sion. Suffice it to say the maintaining of
their freedom is in my judgment, due to
humanity, to republican principles, to our
character and interests as a people, to
Mexico and above all, to the poor Of our
own and other lands, who shall go there to
find homes for themselves and their fami-
lies, and who would be degraded and dis
graced by the contact of slave labor. En-
tertaining these views, if elected, should
support all such measures as were calcula-
ted lie maintain them, taking care at all
times not 10 overst ep the limits the Ma
tional Compact, or 10 encroach upon the
reserved rights OF the States. 1t is eonce-
ded that these Territories are now free
They must remain SO until changed by
positive law of the sovereign power. -
No question is better settled IN this country
than that slavery exists in State by vir.
tue of the local law" "It is clear that it
can no more exist in Territory without
such law than man can breathe without
air." Neither Congress, nor Territori-
al Legislature, in my opinion, possess the
power to establish it. 1t can only be done
by the people when admitted as a Stato''un.
der the general principles Of the Cons,itu.
tion." | have no doubt of the power of
Congress to erect Territorial Governments,
and to provide for the prohibition of slavery
within the Territories, and am in favor
Of and would support such prohibition.-
I do not think that ''the legal principle
against Territorial slavery would be made
stronger by prohibition" but as public
and authoritative declaration by Congress
of the fact that these territories are now
FREE and of the determination of the A.
merican people to keep them so, it may be
important; at all events it is open and fair
dealing with all parties, and l should be
unwilling to omit anything calculated 10
give security to the principle-our flag
should never float over another foot OF slave
territory. You ask what measures | am
in favor Of. for maintaining the freedom of
those territories-l have already stated
those which bear directly upon it-anoth
er of great Importance, indirectly, would
be to protect them, as well as all our pub
lie lands from the blighting curse of land
Without such monopoly slave.
~ cannot exist. Iregard the public lands
os trust in the hands Of The government
for the benefit of the people, and think
they should be freely granted, in limited
quantities, to actual settlers only. This,
in my opinion, would secure them against
and spectators of all Kinds;
and would settle them with a hardy and in
dustrious population Of freemen. In re-
gard to slavery in the District of Columbia,
answer that more than ten years ago |
had occasion to make public my opinion Of
the duty of Congress to abolish slavery in
the District of Columbia. The lapse of
time has only served to strengthen that
opinion. The question Us to the power of
Congress over the Interstate Slave trade,
has, believe, been settled by the Supreme
Court.