Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-07-01

bama and Florida, contained enactments fully
equivalent in regard to the extent of power
in Congress over the subject of slavery in the
territories to the express exercise of it in the
other cases. These acts were approved by
Presidents Washington, the elder Adams,
jefferson, Madison, Monroe, jackson and my
self, all bound by our oaths of office to with
hold our respective approvals from laws which
we believed unconstitutional. If in the pas
sage of these laws during period of half a
century, and under the administration of so
many Presidents, there was anything like
sectional divisions or greater or less parti
cipation in their enactment on the part of the
representatives of the slave holding or of the
non-slave holding States, am not apprised Of
it.
believe the plan devised by the founders
of the Government, including the fathers of
our political church, for the treatment of this
great subject, and which has hitherto been so
faithfully sustained, and which has proved so
successful in preserving the union of these
States, 10 be not only the wisest which the
wa vi man Soulu ldNc utN1SCu, Dut thC OIIN
one consistent with the safety prosperity of
the whole country. | do therefore desire to
see it continued so long as slavery exists in
the United States. The extent to which
have sustained il in the various public sta.
tions have occupied is known TO the coun-
try. was at the time well aware that
went farther in this respect than many of my
best friends could approve. But deeply pene-
trated by the conviction that slavery was the
only subject that could endanger our blessed
union, was determined that no effort on my
part within the constitution, should be want
ing to sustain its compromises as they were
then understood and it is now a source of
consolation to me that pursued the course
adopted.
The doctrine which the late Baltimore con-
vention has presented for the sanction of the
nation is, III substance, that the laws have
referred to were 50 many violations of the
constitutional that this instrument confers no
power on Congress to exclude slavery from
the territories, as has often been done with
the assent of all. This doctrine is set forth in
the published opinion of the highly respecta-
BILE nominee of that convention, who il is
well known received that distinction because
he avowed that opinion, and who it is equally
certain would not have received il. if he had
not done so. 1t is proposed to give this doc
trine the most solemn sanction known to our
political system, by the election of its de
clared advocate and supporter to the Presi-
dency. If il receives the proposed sanction
of the people of the United States, the result
cannot be doubtful. The policy in regard to
the extension of slavery TO the territories of
the United States into which it has not yet
been introduced, which has existed since the
commencement of the government, and the
consequences of which have been so salutary,
must cease, and every act Of Congress de-
the veto Of the executive.
The territories now owned BY the United
States, and every acquisition of territory that
may hereafter be made by the United States,
whether obtained by annexation, by cession
for valuable consideration, or BY conquest,
must as long as this opinion is held, and as
far as the action of the national Legislature
is concerned be subject to the inroads of sla-
very. And this consequence is to be SUBJ
mitted to on the assumption that the trainers
of the constitution, with their attention di-
rected to the subject, and with well under
stood desire to do So have failed to clolhe
Congress with the necessary powers to pre-
vent it. | cannot with my vote contribute TO
not concur in the opinion which we are called
on TO sustain.
Our ancestors signaized the commence
ment of this glorious government of ours by
rescuing from subsection to slavery, terrific
ry which is now covered by five great states.
and peopled by more than four millions of
freemen, in the full enjoyment of every bles-
sing which industry and good institutions can
confer. They did this when the opinions
and conduc, of the world in regard to the in.
stitu,ion of slavery were only different from
what they are now.
They did so before Great Britain had even
commenced those gigantic efforts for the sup
preston of slavery, by which she has 50
greatly distinguished herself After seventy.
four years enjoyment of the sacred and in
valuable right of self-government, obtained
for us by the valor and discretion of our an
cestors, we their descendants, are called upon
to doom, or if that is too strong word, to
expose to the inroad of slavery, territory
capable of sustaining an equal number of new
states to be added to our confederacy--a ter
ritory in a great part of which slavery has
never existed in fact and from the residue of
which it has been expressly abolished by the
existing government. We are called upon to
do this at period when the minds of nearly
all mankind have been penetrated by con.
viction of the evils of slavery, and are uni
ting in efforts for its suppression-at mo-
ment, too, when the spirit of freedom, and
reform is everywhere far more prevalent
than it has ever been, and when our republic