Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-05-26
SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 20, 1913.
JUDGE WOODBURY. S OPINIONS on THE,
EXTENSION OF SLAVERY.


the l.ocofoco National Convention at Baltimore
next Monday, is levi WooDBuRY Of New
Hampshire. 1t is not TO be denied that he is, al
any rate, the .farorHe candidate ofthe .New Eng.
tand portion of his party. His opinions, there
fore, on important topics that now agi,ae the
Country, and especially with reference to the
question, the great question, of extending Slav.
cry over any Territory of this Union, are of es.
sential consequence.
We ask no pledge of The Wing nominee, on
the subject, because we hold it to be wholly i'm.
possible that any man in this Union can obtain
the nomination of the Wing National Conyen-
ton, who denies the constitutional autioriiy of
Congress to exclude Slavery from our Terrific
res, or who would reto an act Of Congress pro-
viding for such exclusion. Congress is the Leg
isature of the National Territories and the
course to be taken to prevent the further ExTES-
SION of Slavery is to send to CONGRESS only such
men as are opposed and will lcgslatc in oppo.
si,on. to that extension. There is but ono class
of politicians in the Union who will interpose an
efectual obstacle in the way of this legislation
cianan, Dallas, dc, that he Constitution conters
no au lority upon Congress 10 legislate, one ,ray
or other, on the subject, and that the question of
Freedom or Slavery must be left to the people
who immigrate to Territory, and who compose
its population at the time of its application for
admission TO the Union as State A man
holding these opinions would rcio any act of
Congress declaring that Slavery thould not ex-
st in the Territories of the Union lie would
be compelled, by his oath to support the Const.
can never vote and, for such a man, we are
most happy to believe, no Wing in this Coun.
try is likely to be called on to vote. Every
prominent Wing in the Union, whose name has
been mentioned in connection with the the Pres
dency, MOI excepting Gen. TAYLOR, is knocn to
be either directly opposed to the farther extern
sion of Sla-ctv or in favor Of leaving the decis-
ion of the question 10 Congress. an intei-
gent Washington Correspondent of Haswells
Bennington Gazette, democratic paper,
writing from that city under date of the 18th
inst, says of Gen. TAYLOR -
If we are to be defeated 'here is no political oppo-
moment in the country who should SO h,e regret IN
see victorious. Gen Taylor He will not bring his
influence to bear upon Congress: He will remove,
p% Csnsre.s p"sses an @ef ferSGor osei
The neioly acquired territory, he 'cM oeto IT,
We say, therefore, that even with the nomina-
,iou of Gen TAYLOR by the Wing Convention,
and his election (Which would certainly follow
the true WING doctrine on the subject of the
extension Of Slavery, which asserts the Consti-
.utiona power of Congress over it, would be
sustained.
1t is in this view of the great question, that
the opinions OF candidate for the Presidency
become Of vital inportance-the view that res
poets his exercise Of the reto porcr in the event
of his election. And in this view OF the case
we present to our readers the following article
from the Washington Union of the llth inst
The n. Y. Erening Post (Barnburner) in conf
men,ng on this article says
"The amendment of Mr.. Yancy was offered, it
seems with special reference TO the views he attrib
uted to Mr.. Woodbury., and his speech was an emu
meraton OF the claims OF various candidates 10 the Ia
vor of the South.
Mr. Cass and Buchanan had both made vcrt good
declaration OF opinions so far as they had gone, but
they had stopped short halt way. Mr.. Woodbury.,
according 10 VII. unrE. coulu ne nav
ing gone the full length OF the slave holders doctrine,
and held that the right ct the master TO his bondmen
was beyond all interference or modification either by
Congress or the people, until the territory should be
filed with inhabitants and they should assemble 10
make their own separate constitution Having shown
them that there was one man at the north pledged 10
carry out their utmost wishes in this respect Mr
Yancy's proposition was that the support OF Alabama,
should be- refused to any lower bidder and that the
delegates of the should be instructed not to
to the nomination OF any candidate who did not 90
us tar with the south as Mr.. Woodbury.
The following is the article from the Union,
and we commend it to the careful attention Of
the democracy" Of the north -
"THE ALABAMA REsoLUTloNs.-The resolu-
tons adopted by the Democratic State Conven-
ton of Alabama have given rise to good deal
of comment in various sections of the country.
A controversy On the srhlect has also beer car
ried on i'm some of the leading Alabama journals,
between the Hon. William l.. Yancey, over his
own signature, and an able writer who signs
himself Giles Thc resolutions, as adopted,
were moved by Mr.. fancey in the convention;
and from his letter bearing date OF Montgomery
| ith April lS4S, addressed to the editor OF the
Alabama State Gazette, and published IN the
Montgomery Flag and Advertiser, we copy the
following passage explanatory of the manner in
which the resolutions we're presented and pas
scd:
"The amendment offered by me, and unani-
mously adopted by the convention, was framed
| before the convention met. after consultation
with gentlemen distinguished for great mental
ability, political experience, and an ardent te-
yo,ion to the interests of the south. The COM
miitee upon resolutions did not make their re-
mort until the last evening OF the session OF that
| BODY As soon as they rerort ID, Mr.. Semplc
offered an amendment. My resolutions were
then offered as substitute for Mr. Sempls's
amendment. Before action was taken, Mr.
Semple. Mr.. Elmore, Mr. Winston and Mr.
| Mccormick addressed the convention, the two
former in favor of, and two Latter against
amendment of the report.
81 then addressed the convention ut length,
in support of my proposition, and quoted, IN my
| remarks, from ,ti,c letters of Mr. Cass and Mr.,
Buchanan, and from the speech OF Mr.. Dallas,
and from the resolutions and address Of the late
Albany convention, TO show that while they op-
posed any federal action upon slavery, they at
the same time admitted that the people of a ter
ritory of the United S,ates--the settlers of it
could make regulations, to exclude slavery
from it, before they framed constitution prepar-
atorv TO adnittance into the Union. | read ex-
tracts from letter in my possession, which |
averred to be reliable authority stating MT,
Woodbury. to be opposed to both federal ana
popular interference with slavery IN the teiIi'o'