Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-08-25
ed that no Slavery should exist in Il | country
NnrfhAunst nE tho Dl1in

cd that no Slavery should exist in Il | country
Northwest Of the Ohio.
i gather now, as a matter of inference from
the history of the time and the history of the de-
ba'es, that the prevailing motives of the North
TOR agreeing 10 this recognition OF the existence
Of Slavery in the Southern States, and giving Il
representation to those States, founded in part |
upon their slaves, was based upon the SUPPOSE
ton that no acquisition of territory shoull be |
made to form new States on the Southern from |
tier of this country, either by cesson or conquest. !
II is plain that taking the history of the times
together, the reason why the slave representa-
ton was allowed, was that since the Northwest
Territory was destined by ordnance to b, free,
and since nobody looked to any acquisition by
conquest or ccssion for the creation of Slave
States a the South, there was an insisting on
the par, of The South to suffer Slavery where it
til exist and to be represented according to the
principles and provisions of the Constitution, i'll
asnuch as it was limited by these two consider
atoms: first. tn, there WIS to b, no Slavery in
the Territories AM second, that there was not
the least anticipation Of tn, acquisition OF any
new territory And now, Sir. an one, who un-
Outstanding that to be the purpose OF die Consti-
tuition, moan to abide by it.
There is another principle equally clear, by
which mean TO abide and that is, that III the
Convention and in the FIRST Congress, when ap-
pralcd to on the subject By petitions AMI all
al,ng in tn, history of this Government, it was
and has been a conceded point that Slavery, in
the States in which it dill exist, was a tnttter OF
State regulation exclusively and that Congress
had not the least power over it, or right t. inter-
ftre with it. Therefore, ! say that all agita-
tons and attempts to disturb the relations be-
tween master and slave by persons not living
in tn, 5, I'VE Stttcs, are uncon stitutonll in their
spirit aud ar,, in my opinion, productive OF moth
ing but evil AMI mischief ! countenance none
of them. The manner in which the Govern
mcnts of hose States where Slavery exists are
to regulate it. is for their own consideration, un.
der their responsibility to their constituents. to
the general laws of propriety, Immunity, and
Justice, and 10 Gnd Associations formed else
where, springing from feeling of humanity. or
any other cause, have nothing whatever TO do
with it.
They have never received any enconrag 'mont
from rue and they never will. In my opinion,
they have dnuc nothing bnt to delay and defeat
their own prof 'ssed obj have stated, As
un er-tand it, the state of things upon the ad'p-
ton of the Constitution Of the UaitPd Satcs.-
What has happened since Sir, it has hap
pened that. above and beyond all interpolation
or expectation of the original trainers of the
Constitution, fore gn territory has been acquired
BY cesson. frs from Spain ana then from France.
on our Southern frontier. y ri what has been
the result Of that? FIVE Sitvehnlding States
have been created and Ode to the Uainn bring
inr ten Senator's into this body, q include Tex
Us, which consider in the lirht of foreign
acquisition ais ~ arlu to this boar in which |
al!ress You. II It on, fee Stat, has been admitted
into the Uh n from all this acl1 ired territory
-lIot one.
Mr.. B,rrcn Gin his scl)-Ies Iowa.
Mr. Wehs,er.--lpwt is not yet in the I'M
ion. Her Seniors are not here. When she
comes in, there viii BE- one to iivc-onc free
st ,te to lv, Slave form ID out Of new territories.
Nov, it seems stranr, to me that there should
BE- any complain OF injustice exercised by the
North toward the South. Northern votes have
been necessary. they have been ready, and they
have been rendered to aid the formation of these
five new Slaveholdn- States. These are facts
and as the gent'm from Georgia has very
properly put 1t as cause in which we ought To
present ourselves before the world for its iud.r-
inent, let us now see how we stand. | do moi
represent the North. state my own case and
present the matter in that light, in which anl
willing. AS an individual Member Of Congress, to
be Judged by cyilizal hum unity. -iy, than
that according to trne history. the savehoding
interes, in this country has not been di-livor-
ell interest. it has MT been disavorcd by the
North. Tne North have cunclrr6l t. bang N
these five Slavch ,lIng States out Of neWIr-ac-
qlrel territory when acquisitions were never
at all in the cOntcmp alton of the Convention
which i,rm ii ,hn Constitution, or OF the people
wha1 they agreed that there should BE- repre-
eantation OF three ii'ths OF III, Saves in the thea
existing Safes.
Mr. President what i, TIE result Of this p
We stand here now--1r at last do, for one
to say that considering thtt there nave beer
already five new slvehold,ng States formed
out OF newly acquired Territory, AM one only
at most non-s,,yeholliny State, do not ic =
that an call ii on to 20 farther: do MT fee
IT,, oJlig ttion to yield more. Bat orr tiieud'
OF the South say, iol d,prive us of all oul
rigits-v. have fought for this Territory, an
yon deny Us participation in it.-i't rs con
slider this question a it really Is; ani since the
hon ,rtble ganeu,n from ,ornia proposes t.
leave the case to tn, enlightened and mplrta
judgment of mInkinl, AMI as | agree viii
him tina, it is case proper to b. considered
by the ca'ig Henri part of IN tnklnl, lei
IL consider nov tn ins'ter in truth stands.
What IS tn, con5el 'c1cr! G'nlIern N,
VINO a lyocate tn, ctSo which my honor
able fre II from Georgia with 81 much abiI-
iy su>tainS, d 'clrc that we invale teil
right'-,hit W. d,priv, them of Il pirtlcipat
il the en;oym MT Of territories ac iurld by the
com non services AMI com non eXnrtlrn' of all
Is this tra'! How deprived! OF whit d.
W. deprive th'm WY, they say that we de-
rrive them of the privilege of carrying their
slaves, as slaves, IN 10 the nrw territories.
Wei, sir, what is the am n It Of that Th'y
say that in this way We d We them of the op'
p)ru ly of gpns into tAi' ac llir'd territory
with their property. Taar property what
do they mean by that? We certainly do no,
deprive them of the privilege fgong into these
newly acquired territories with all that, in III
general eStimlie Of human society, in the gene
raj and CON n'n and universal und .rsttnlng I'll
mnknl Is esteemed property. Not at all
Tie truth Is Just this They have in their own
States, peculiar laws, which create property il
persons. Tney Lave a system of local leg.sa.
ton on which Slavery rests while everybody
agrees that il j. against natural law, or 1t "a
against the common understanding whic, pre-
walls as to what j. ma ura law. ! am not gong
into metaphysics, io- therein should encounter
the hon. mrnler from South Carolina and We
Should wander in " eniess inlzcs lost" unit
a0erihe time for the Adjournment of Congress
The 5 ut ern II ties have re ultr laws AMI b,
those laws there Is property in Slaves. This !.
pur ly local.
The real meaning, then, of Southern gentle
men, 10 making thi, complaint, j. that they car.
not 90 into the territories Of the United Sr,c.
carrying with them their own peculiar loca
Iva law which creates property in persons
This according to their own statement. is al
the ground OF complaint they have. Now h r.,
think gentlemen are unjust towards Us How
upiust they a re others will ind ranor,I;...