Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1848-10-03

slave territory, and thus entail upon them
the endless curse Of slavery.
In this connection, ALLOW me to call
your attention to another consideration.
The proposition of those who are enc
deavoring to lead you astray with this
strange doctrine, is to extend over these
free territories the ordinance of l7S7.-
Now by glance at that ordinance you
perceive that article vi provides, "TheFs
shall be neither slavery nor involuntary
servltude in tbs said territory, otherwise
than in the punishment of crimes whereof
the party shall have been convicted.n
Now it the gentleman who has just taken
his seat, was correct when he told YOU
that the territories Of California and New
Mexico are now free-if Daniel Webster
and Judg &c MeLane and Judge Bronson
be correct in telling you that slavery can.
not possibly exist without the enactment
ofpositlve law, you do not need from con.
gress the establishment Of that freedom
which already exists. This is too pal.
Pable TO need enforcing by argument, and
Judge Bronson spoke wisely when Ls
said the north should not be the ones TO
agitate this exciting subject, when thew
already have all they could get by addi..
tlonal Legislation. But the ordinance goes
further, and here is "proviso." Now.
you are all great friends of the proviso.
and LET US see what this proviso is, "Pro.
Uided Arrays -That any person escaping
into the same from whom labor or ser.
vice is lawfully claimed in any one of the
original States,such fugitives may be lac.
fully reclaimed and conveyed to the DER.
son claiming his or her labor or serviee
as oppression" Now here let me be
distinctly understood. l have said that
no person detests slavery more than I
do. | here said would not disturb il
when its existence as a local law is re-.
cogaized by the constitution. That I
would leave The people of all such
territory to deal with it as they saw fit
The ordinance ofl7S7 being applicable
only to territory which the United States
obtained by cession of slave states, and
passed before the adoption of the con-
stiution was we'll enough-there when
slavery existed this ordinance limited il.
and being passed before the adoption OF
the constitution was not liable to consti.
tutional objection. But when an attemp,
is made to extend this ordinance TO fres
territory, it is only an attempt to measur.
ably extend slave law over that territory.
Now this is the light in which | regard
slavery. When it exists, being recog.
nized by the constitution, we Of the free
states are pledged not to interfere with
it. But its law is one emphaticalIy OF
physical force as between the master and
slave. III see my neighbors horse run.
ming away, and can with convenience,
there is moral obligation resting UPON
me to stop him. But not so with the slave.
do not recognize any rule of morals
which would require me 10 put on his
chains or send him back to servitude.-
And If there is any portion of the territory
OF the United States that is emphatically
free, in the name OF Heaven, why shall
we not allow it to remain so. If we have
kind of city of refuge for the degraded
African, shall we send to that territory
the ill-omened ordinance which compeis
the local authorities to recognize the
right OF the master 10 drag his victim
back into slavery? Shall We do this too
under the plausible prerence that we are
preventing the extention Of slavery1 Is
not this the position of these "free soil"
men, too Preposterous 10 be combated
by the force of argument! Now | have
said to you that Gen. Cass is the safest
candidate for the particular purposes Won
desire TO carry out. BY the sacred prin.
ciPles of the constitution, he proposes TO
impose an impossible barrier to its ex.
tension-to hold up that great chart of
our Union and say TO slave holders 'sibus
tar and no farther" To say to congress,
II by accident, majority should ever be-
obtained in favor Of extending it, you have
no constitutional power 10 do SO, These
views submit TO your judgment in the
utmost spirit of candUr. wish to bring
to your minds one other consideration.
and have done with this branch of the
gentleman's address. You all remember
with what pertinacity we have chung to
the rights and sovereignty of the states as
the great bulwark of the republic |
hardly need urge upon you the grea. dan.
ger ola centralism ofpower in the gen.
eral government. potent to the subversion
OF the rights of the states. And is no,
Gen. Cass right in his desire to keep
congress strictly within the scope of its
delegated authority, and leaving TO the
local tribunals the control of every matter
not expressly given by the constitution 10
the national Legislature.
The gentleman next made the discoy.
cry that the convention which nominated
Gen. Cass, admitted two sets OF delegates
from New York, giving them only the
number ofvotes New York was entitled
to. 1t is sufficient answer to say that
the convention which heretofore nomi.
mated Mr.. Van Buren, for President, did