Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1848-09-08

the SUBJECT OF petitions ana all along III the history
OF this government, it was and has been conce-
ded point that Slavery in the states IN which tdid
exist, matter of State regulation exclusively
and that Congress had not the least power it.
right to interfere with it. Therefore, say that
all agltalps and attempts to disturb the relations
between master and slave by persons not living in
the slave states unconstitutional IN their spirit
and, IN my opinion productive of nothing bat evil
and mischief. | coun.enaIice none of them. The
manner in which the governments of those States
where slavery exists TO regulate If for their
own consideration under their responsibility to their
constituents, to the general laws of pro,riety hui
mainly, and Justice. and to God Associations
formed elsewhere. springing from feeling of hui
mainly, or any other cause, nave nothing whatev-
TO do with it. They have never received any en-
enlargement from me and they never will In my
opinion they have done nothing but to delay and de-
feat their own protested objects. Ihave stated as
understand it. the state of things upon the adop-
ton ofthe Constitution of the United States What
has happened since! Sir, ii has happened that a.
bove and beyond all contemplation and expectation
of the original trainers of the Constitution foreign
territory has been acquired by cession first from
Spain and then from France, our southern from
tier, And what has been the result of that? Five
savehoding States have been created and added to
the Union bringing ten Senators into this body II
include Texas, which consider in the light of
foreign acquisition also) and TO this hour in which
address you, not one free State has been admitted
into the Union from all this acquired terri~orv NOT
onel
! Mr.. Berrien Gin his seat)--yes-Towa.
| Mr.. Webster-Iowa is not vet in the ITnion,-
Her Senators not here. When she comes in
there Will be one to tive-one free State to five slave
/ formed out of new territories Now: i seems
strange to that there should be any COMPLAINT of
injusticeexercised by the North toward the South
These facts; and as the gentleman from Geor
| ora has VERY
we ought to present ourselves before the world
| for Its judgment, let see how we sand
do not represent the North | state my own
case; and present the matter in that light in which
| am willing Individual Member of Con
gress, to be Judged by civilized humanity | saw.
then, that according to true history the slavehold
ing interest IN this country has not been dsfa-
vored interest; it has not been disfavored by the
North. The North has concurred to bring in
these five slave-holding States out of newly ac-
CURED territory; which acquisitions were never
at all III contemplation of the Convention which
formed the Constitution, or of the people when
they agreed that there should be repres entation
OF three-itths of the slaves in the then existing
States.
| MIR. President what is the result of this? We
stand here now at least | do for ne-to say
that considering that there had been already five
new slave-holdlng States formed out of the newly
acquired territory and only one at most non-slave-
holding State, do not feel that | am called on to
! go farther | do not feel the obligation to Weld
more But friends of the South say YOU
deprive US of all our rights--we have fought for
this territory, and you deny participating in it.
Let us consider this question as it really is; and
since the honorable gentleman from Georgia pro-
poses to leave the cause to the heightened and
impartial judgment of mankind and as / agree
with HIM that 1t is case proper to be considered
by the enlightened part of mankind and let us see
how the matter in truth stands. What is the con
sequence Gentlemen, who advocate the cause
which my honorable friend from Georgia with so
much ability sustans, declare that we invade their
rights-that deprive them of participation
in the enjoyment of territory by the common
services and common exertions of ALL Is this true {!
How deprved2 OF what do we deprive thero 4
Why they say that we dprive them of the privi-
lege OF carrying their slaves, slaves into the
new territories. Well, sir, what is the amount of
thats They say that in this way we deprive them
of the opportunity of going into this acquired ter
rltory with their property. Their property
what do they mean by that We certainly do
uot deprive them of the privilege of going to these
newly acquired territories with all that in
the general estimate of human society in the
genaral and common and universal understanding
OF mankind, is esteemed property. Not at all
The truth IS just this: They have in their own
States peculiar laws, which create property in pei
sons They have system of local legislation on
it is against natural law or at least against the
the common understanding which prevails as to
what Is natural law. | am not going into Meta.
fphyscs, for therein | should encounter tie Hon
member from South Carolina, and we should wan
der in endless lost until after the time for
adjournment of Congress- The Southern States
have peculiar laws. and by those laws there is
property in slaves. This is purely local The
real meaning then of Southern gentlemen in ma
king this complaint, is that they cannot go into
the territories of the United States CARRYING with
them their own peculiar local lava law which
creates property in persons. This, according to
their own statements all the ground of complaint
they have Now, here think gentlemen are un-
just towards us. How unjust they are others will
Judge generations that viii come after us will
Judge 1t will not be contended that this sort OF
personal slavery exists by general law 1t exists
only by local law. | do not mean to DENY the va.
idity of that local law where it is established =
but say 1t Is. after all, nothing but local law
And wherever that law does not extend propertv
in persons does not exist
Well, sir what is the demand on the part
of our Southern friends They saw We will car
ry our local laws with wherever we 90. We
insist that Congress does injustice unless it es
tabishes in tho Territories into which we wish to
go, our own local laws" This demand T. for
one shall resist 1t goes upon the idea that there
Is an inequality unless persons under this local
law, and holding property by authority of that
law, can 90 into new territory and there establish
that local law, to the exclusion of the other law
Mr.. President. 1t was maxim of the civil law
that between Slavery and Freedom, Freedom should
always be presumed and Slavery must always be
proved If any question arose as to the status of
an individual in Rome, he presumed to be free
until ne was proven to be slave. So | suppose
is the general law of mankind An individual is
presumed TO be free until law can be produced
which creates ownership in his person l do not
dispute the force and validity of the local law, as
have already said but say it is a matter to be
proved and therefore if individuals go into any
part of the earth, it is to be proved that they are
not freemen, or else the presumption is that they
ia Il IL. l.