Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-11-01
Gen cass ard Slavery.

goged in their work OF detract'on and t"lse'
hood, We cannot forbear occasionally re
curing to i. for the purpose of dI'abuslng
the minds Of such MS may have been de-
ceived in regard to Gen. Cass position.
It often requires slime upon line, and pre-
cep, upon precert'' TO rel"te even false
hoods of the mos, glnrirg character.
The opponents of Gen. Cass decIare
that he is in favor Of the extension OF sla-
very. Now, what we want to know Is,
upon what evidence they ground this "s'
serlion? Where is The proof 10 sustain this
charge? We have waited in vain for nm
ny long months for the proof. but it does
not come. DO they find it in his location,
his associations. his education, his habits
of life? No, in hone of these. These are
all with the free Do they find it in his
declaration tha, he never owned slave
that he never would-ihat he depreca'es
slavery in principle. and pr"ys f'r lis nb-
"li.i"n every where: No; lha: showed
feeling averse to ii. Where, then, do they
find ii? Why>,t hey user, lhatsuch is the
doctrine of hi achds n sletser. They
do not fnd il in HAT part Of that letter in
in which he says, eve may vel. regret
the existence "i' slavery i'll the southern
sites and wish they had been saved from
its Introduction. Neither du ,Iey find i,
in that part OF the same letter, il, which lie
shows the lupossib.ity OF sa, cry eA,end-
ing i,seit into the territories {then 20 bel
acquired from Mexico. These ihrgs en-
hibl t;en. Ca>s in no such p'silio, and
the only hope they have Of sustaining any
s'ch charge is by referring lo lhn: portion
of The letter in which he declares tina. he
fluids in the Constitution no grant Of power
to congress I" legislate upon The sui CT
AID is lheI e."re opposed to lis exercise.
| his position ii is affirmed, convicis Gen.
C;:ss oi Icing i'll favor oil ,e extension of
sl,very. 1t is adm lied thai tle territories
III question are ncao tree-lhHt slavery
c"nnol legally eAi>, uro" foot OF ,ha, soil
for "a dav, an h,nr--tI IL; To establish, sla-
very there. requires positive legislative en-
actment, law authorizing and snnc.ionirg
it. Dues Gen. Cass advocate the establish
ment of any such law? Ills position is
lar from ii that lie denies the constitutional
power of Congress TO Iegi>la,e upon the
suljact 1t is Ole wa,--and a way which
none bu. the most desperate politicians
could have conceived--of making man
in favor of that which lie denied the power
TO create. But to show that Gen. Cass'
position lends to nn such result, and that
in the minds Of men OF the highest legal al
tanmen:s, it will be productive of n" such
end, we ngain ask attention to the follow
ing sentiments Of Judge Mel. can on the
subject, rs expressed in letter 10 certain
gentlemen in Cleveland; and, in the mean
time we ask i: to he remembered that the
writer is ns thoroughly imbued with anti
slavery sentiment rs any man IT. the Tn
ION, ard is n whig w,hal:
REsr1lG upo> THE PsINcIPLts OF THE
CONSTITUTION. As THEY HAVE BEEN
JUDE lALli SETTLED. the free states,
b. moderation. rigilance and frmness,
MAY PREVENT IHk EXTE> son OF SLAVERY
TO THE FREE TERRiToRY LATELY ANNEXt u.
WITHOUT HE SANCTION OF
LAW. SLAVERY CAN NO MORE
EXIST IN ERRIiORY THAN \
Nm CAN BREATHE WiTHOU L
AIR. Slares are nat prore.ty achere
they are not made 50 BY tns municipal
kzu. TIE t.E.ti.ol4AiURE OF \ I Err
Rl.ORY CAN EXERCISE: no POW.
ER WHICH, Is Nor ONFERRED
ON IT BY AN AIT OF CONGRESS.
With the highest res? ?ect,
| am, gratefully. y"nr ob't servant.
JOHN MCLEAN.
The doctrine of Gen. Cass has raised
strong opposition to him among the slnve-
ry gandis,s OF the South, on the very
ground that it will forever keep rbose ter.
ri,ories tree. I.ar recent letter of the Hon.
RosEaT looms, of Georgia, he uses the
following langnage:
"If we could succeed IN maintaining tha,
Congress has righ, /" iegi~inte W on The
subject, we would us H.r.u Ill, dcfeat our
o'j"cls as by the passage OF the Wilmt
Pr"vis',. HERE IS VALID AND Sub
s!>TlNG LAW AGAINST sLA, ERy IN THus.
TERtrr"RIt.S; THAT LAW WILL. REMAIN
UNTIL ABKoGATsD By Competent aU
THnE,rY; then NO LEGlSL ION"
10 OUR tx ;LU>h,N Some per>ous
have 'darkrned counsel with w.rcs.' and
others taIkt d vaguely about our c.,,,sl,Iu
ito" ;'br"griing 1t. 1t Is undoubtedly V true,
that when our constitution is eAt,lulei u.
yer these c~'nqnes,s. if that law "r any 9TH
er is in conflict with its provisiols su III
law is null aud vnii. / @ controversy
can be ended by printing out IL clause III
the c..n|lllnt'"n conflicting with the law.
IL is written instrument; 1T CONTAINS
80 such CLAUSE, s.ruEKE m,,>l
MUST De GiSLA'lON BEFORE WE CAN
ENJOY OUR RIGHTS 10 THtsE TiRR' TORIES.
WE REQUiEE LEGISLATION BEFORE WE
CAN REMOVE EXIsTIAG 1t GAL IMPEDiME>T$
AGAINST ST. HEHOLDI>G THERE, aid tn Sc
cure u> ~ The quiet and penceable eiJ"v-
III.