The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-08-12
Vol. 70, No. 4. Whole No. SIG,

also become n bowling wilderness. That
reason will not do. Sensitive as they may
appear to the morbid benevolence spoken OF
with which | have no sympathy at all--0nd
tender hearted as am can sec through
tlnt--the citizens Of Ohio cannot accept these
men upon such terms.
What is there in the way, then, Of my Civ
ing az intelligent vote on this subject P
Nothing at all. ! would take this bill in II
moment i'll had faith in the process through,
which that law is 10 pass until il be
come law in the chamber below. But have
not that faith, and will tell the gentlemen
why. 1t is u sad commentary upon the per-
lection Of human reason that, with but very
few exceptions, gentlemen coming from II
slave State--Hnd think have one behind
me who ought always TO he before mo Mr.
Badger with II very few exceptions, all en-
inent lawyers on this floor from that section
Of the country have argued that you have no
right to prohibit the introduction Of slavery
into Oregon, California and New Mexico;
Willie on the otEer hand, there is not maui
in the free States, unlenrncd clerical or lay,
who has amy pretcntionS to legal knowledge.
but believes in his conscience that You have
a right 10 prohibit slavery. Is not that Gu
rous commentary upon that wonderful thing
called human renson
| Mr. Underwood. 1t is regulated by line
Mr. Corwn. Yes, 36 deg. so min, and
what is black on one side of the line and
white on the other turning to jet black again
when restored to its original locality. How
is that? Can have confidence in the Sn-
preme Court of the United States when my
confidence fails in Senators around me here!
! DO | expect that the members of the body
will be less careful than the Senators from
Georgia and South Carolina to form their
opinions without any regard to selfish consd-
crations' Can suppose that either oftlesc
gentlemen or the gentleman from Georgia on
the other side of the Chamber. Mr. Johnsoul
or the learned Senator from Mississippi. Mr.
Davis who thought it exceedingly infamous
that we should attempt 10 restrain the Al
mighty in the execution ofhis purposes as
revealed TO us by Moses? Can | suppose
that these Senators. with all the terrible re-
sponsibilties which press upon us when en-
gagged in legislating for n whole Empire,
came to their conclusions without the most
anxious delibcraton? And yet on one side
Of the line, in the slave States the ConsttI-
ton reads yea, while on the other, after the
exercise of an equal degree of intelligence,
calmness and deliberalion, the Constitution is
found TO read nay.
admire the Supreme Court of the United
States us u tribunal. ] admire the wisdom
which contrived il. ] rejoice in the good
consequences which come to this Republic
from the exercise of its functions. also Ne.
we're the Senate Of the United Suites but
here is the august hodyin the II o>t worldthcy
say, composed of men who have wasted Tho
/ midnight oil from year to yenr-mcn who IN
cloisters, in courts, in Legislative halls, have
been reapng the fruits of ripe experience
coming here, and suddenly their mighty in
tellccis,nhle to scan everything however min
ute, and comprehend everything however
grand, utterly fail them, and they knccl down
in dumb insigniicance and impIore the SUI
preme Court to read the Constitution for
them. think the Senator from South Caro-
lima must have had some new light upon tho
subject within the last few years, and that
several oCmy Democratic friends on all sides
of the Chnmhcr must have been smttcn with
new love for the power oflhe Supreme Court,
/ Do YOU remember the case ndvertcd to by
the Senator from New Jersey to-day? Tree
oeci very we'll when we did not stop TO in
! quirc how the Supreme Court had decided
or ordained. 1t had decided with John Mar
shall mt it's hcad-a man whose highest cou>
| lectures upon the subject of Constitution law
has always had with me as much weight na
the well-cousidored opinion Of almost any
other mun--ihat Congress had powcr TO es
tabish Just such Bank rs you had; but with
what infinite scorn did Democratic gentlemen
Jackson Democrats ms they chose to he
cal'cd-curl their lips and turn up their no.
sos when referred TO that decision of the Su.
!
Judges for ourselves: we make no law unless
we have the power to enact it," Now, how4
ever the doctrine is that here is trbuua,
competent 10 put the matter ut Fest forever
Thank God, though all should fail, there is
an lnfallihle depository of truth, and it lives
once year for three months in n little Chnm=
Der below us We can go there. Now |
understand my duty here to be to ascor;aiV
what Constitutional power we have, and when
we have ascertained that, without reference
to what the Supreme Court may do-~.fOr they
have yet furnished no guide on the sub jeci -
wo are to take it for granted that they will
concur with us. 1.-THE Court does not COM
cur with us, agree with gentlemen WIG
| have been so lost in their cncominms upon
that Court, that their decision, whether right
or wrong, controls no action.
But we haye not hitherto cndcaporcd to
ascertain what the Supreme Court would do,
| wish then to ascertain in what mode tha
wonderful response is to he obtainctlv-noi
from the Delphic Oracle, bn, from that in.
falible divinity the Supreme Court. How ii
il to be done 4? a gentleman starts from Bal.
timore, in Maryland,with dozen black men
who have been parties scqlGtW Ueniy7,m burn
! into their skins and souls all over he take;
them to California, three thousand miles nf;
| Now don't know how it nny lie in ollcp
parts of the world but know that in tho
State of Ohio il is ordained that the law ID
carried 10 every nnn's door.
| NYhnt then is the admirable con,riyanco Ia
this hill by which we can get at the meaning
ofthe Constitution? We pray for il, wo ugs
onze for it, we make law for il, and that i,
may he speedily known--tor, ifnot speedily
known itmuy MS we'll never he known, il
| d. Il