Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-08-18
VOLUME II--NUMBER Is.


concern or apprehension with me, because
know they have been IN your custody for a year
or two, aud have not complained AT an Tor the
want Of legal enactmenls; they have only com.
/ planned that you have made too free use of gun.
powder. Rather than not act in the matter lul.
/ ly aud definitely, as would if there we're no
emergency, would allow those provinces 10
take care Of themselves for another twelve
months, and come here at the beginning Of a
new session, ready to acI upon the subject as
my judg gmenl should dictate.
Now, sir, in the first place, | understand We
have message from the President, although
believe 1t has not been advcred 10 by any one.
calling upon US to designate the boundaries Of
these Territories of New Mexico and California:
and another branch Of The Legislature has been
anxousy looking to the geography of those
countries, and tracing their history, and are as
yet incapable Of determining where Texas ends
and New Mexico begins; and they have been
under the necessity Of appy ying to the Chief
/ Magistrate to give them a lesson in geography.
/ What the substance of the information they
have received was donotknow, butI have been
informed, upon the floor Of the Senate, that
Texas extends 10 the banks of the Rio Grande.
If this be so, must be permitted to look to
the gentlemen Of the Committee for information
as TO how much is left for New Mexico what
extent Of territory, and what amount of popu.
Iaton! Is it worth while to establish Terrific
rial Government there, if il be true that Texas
extends to the Rio Grandel ] think il will be
found that there will be but fragment of New
Mexico LEFT, so far as population is concerned.
/ 1t viii be very convenient, perhaps, 10 attach il
| TO the Government of California. lf you send
your Governors and other officers there without
establishing the boundaries, there will be con.
lllct Of territorial jurisdiction. Is ii not expe-
diont toseule il now, when you are foundngnew
Governments there, and placing side by side in
suutons which may be very dssimiIa2 1t is
PerIecl y certain that Texas will extend her laws
to the Rio Grande; and if she does, she will
comprehend within her jurisdiction large pro-
portion Of the population of what was formerly
New Mexico. Here, then, is my special demur.
rer. Under other circumstances. am sure the
Senator from Vermont would agree with me that
il is indispensable to the Governments which
we are about to establish, that the limits of their
jurisdiction should be defined, although do
not know that this would be an nsupcrabIe OBJ.
lection with me. if the other portions Of the
bill were such as could give my assent 10.
And now intend, in few words, to state why
| object to this Compromise bill. Sir, there is
no one--there can be no one--who does not de.
sire that every subject Of Legislation which
comes before the Senate should be seuled har-
moniousIy, and, if il might be so, with the unan-
imous concurrence Of every Senator. But, sir,
in my Judgment. with this subject as it stands
before us, it would be arrogant presumption to
undertake to vote upon this bill, with question
before us which we undertake TO transfer 10 the
Judiciary department Of The country. How is
this! Is it nota new thing in your legislation,
when a system of policy is proposed, and the
constitutional propricty of that policy is ques-
toned, to pass an act for the purpose of getting
Il case before the Supreme Court, that that Court
may instruct the Senate of the United States as
to constitutional duty in the matter! Sir, if we
know certainly what that law will be, need there
be any heSanCy how we shall vote upon this
bill! Can any one suppose that the Senator
from Georgia, or the Senator from South Caro-
lima, if they believed that the litigation that is
proposed by this bill to be brought into the Ju-
diciaI tribunals Of the country would result con-
lrary 10 their determination Of what the law
SIlbulu DCs Nll lllNi NOuu UC Ill luNOI Vi SUCH
bill as this! Does any one believe that if the
Senator from Vermont could anticipate that the
Supreme Court Of the United States might de-
eide that Congress, being silent upon the SUBJ
ioct, had allowed Slavery to pass, at its pleasure,
into these newly acquired Territories, and to
become parts Of the municipal institutions of
those Territories. and TO decide, also, that if Con-
grcss had enacted prohibitory law, it could
not have gone there, he would vote ior this bill!
Certainly he would not. Is there any necessity
that there should be prohibtory law passed,
in order that the question of Slavery should be
presented with the aid Of Congressional legsla-
tion TO the Supreme Court Of the United States?
will not undertake to say that differ with the
Senator from Vermont in a single legal PROPOSE
ton that he has laid down. lregard Slavery as
Il local institution. believe it rests on that ba-
sis, as the onl Y one that can give it moments
security. ! believe it cannot be carried, by the
power of the master over his servant, one inch
beyond the territorial limits of the power that
makes the law. believe that slave carried
by his master into the territory about which we
are talking, if Slavery be abolished there, will
be free from the moment he enters the terrific
ry, and any attempt 10 exercise power over him
Us SldNe Will uC nuSdtoly' 1Hul 10 my JuuS-
ment. But would guard against any doubt on
this subject. would So act that there should
be nothing left undone on my part to prevent the
admission of slaves, for | am free 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 not allow you TO
take your slaves there, if Slavery did not exist
there already. More than that; | would abol-
ish it if could, if it did exist. These are my
opinions, and they have always been the same.
know they were the opinions of Washington
up TO the hour of his death; and they were the
opinions of Jefferson and Of others who, in the
infancy Of the institution, saw and deplored its
evils, and deprecated its continuance, and would
have taxed themselves to the utmost to extermi-
nate it then. | possess no opinion on the sub
I Jou;yod from,