Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-06-24

said il did not provide the people of Oregon
they would provide for themselves and he expressed the
hope that Congress would receive gaciousy the suggestions
Of the President give the notice 70 Great Britain and give
the people Of Oregon government Yet, with all these
authorities with the uniform action OF Congress from hs
very first, with the authority Of the constitution, inter
preted by its legal expounders, the Supreme Court
the United States and with the authority Of all the writers
elementary law backed up by the authority Of Gen. Cas
at the last session. he asked the gentleman from Virginia
whether his views the subject not peculiar and un
sustained
Mr.. MEADE interposed but
Mr.. HUDSON declined to yield from want OF time and
said, the gentleman had lit put him question in
under tone, he had taken the liberty him by
putting another in different tone, and now they
he apoogzed for the hasy manner in which he had
the subject referring merely to authorities and positions which
ne bad not time 10 read carry out and said he
t to prepare his Speech he should exercise the perogaye
which ne believed they all possessed Of enagng, by making
fuller quotations, &c.
He believed he had fully established the position that Con-
gress had all the Legislative power over the Territories, and
could do every thing therein prohibited by the constitution
of the United States by the deeds Of cesson by treaties
any such there were, by which had acquired territory
He believed this Government had sovereignty sufficient
limit herself and If she accepted territory conditions she of
course would be bound but where territory acquired
without express conditions for instance the Mexican
rtory embraced in the late treaty. he believed the power Of
Congress absolute full plenary and that could do any
thing and every thing expressly prohibited by the
(Mr PErTT that the Congress had the power to confer
titles OF nobility create established religion in the
Territories, these acts expressly prohibited by the
constitution but where not thus prohibited by the constiu
ton or the deeds of cesson the power Of Congress
absolute in California when the treaty duly ratified
the authority of any State Of this Union within its
ritory.
In the remarks he had made he had designed not only
establish the power Of Congress in the Territories but the
power Of Congress particularly in reference the subject
slavery for be believed the argument which sustained the
sustained the other ALSO He believed Congress had much
rghu authority to exclude slavery from California it had
to exclude British French goods from California until they
had paid duty She had the power this question
that she had every other question: and to deny this
to contradict the highest, best uniform authority Of this Go
vernment from the adoption Of the constitution
If then had been proved that Congress had full power
and authority up Territorial Governments and had the
right exclude slavery from the Territories, the question
whether she ought exercise this power He admitted
that Compressor any Government individual might
possess power which, under circumstances it not
wise to exercise 1t did not therefore, necessarily follow,
because Congress had the power exclude slavery the
Territories that she ought do it. This subject deserved
sdeation and in order determine whether slavery should
be excluded from Territory another preliminary question
must be settled namely whether slavery in itself
evil If it was an evil, every patriot would wish to see it
excluded, he would evil Of any other kind If
more than evil, if it calamity, SIM enormy,
JUST proportion to the degree Of that enority would he de-
sire to slavery excluded Now he believed slavery
moral evil and, entertaining these views he should be
false to himself his constituents his country the very
Territory for which they legate, if he did
his influence to exclude this evil he considered it from
these Territories.
Mr. SAWYER interposed, and wished to ask the gentle
man from Massachusetts, question.
Mr.. HUDSON yielded, condition the gentleman would
ask but one, his time limited
Mr.. SAWYER said he DESTROYS that the question
should be answered for his benefit and that of
munty. The gentleman had given his opinion the sub
ect of slavery he asked him the opinions he gave
the opinions of the Wing candidate for the Presidency
Mr.. HUDSON replied, he believed that Gen. Cass his
Tetutn home, when he arrived certain in Ohio
Cleveland, introduced the people by Judge Wood
very distinguished and leading Democrat who said that the
democratic candidate had been msepesented to the people,
and andered by being represented opposed the Wmot
proviso and he would leave Gen. Cass himself his
views; and that Gen. Cass said the meeting large
there such immense and tumuuous gathering OF the
Democacy-tbat they could not understand his explanation,
and he woun have the subject. Laughter.
He had already said he believed slavery be and
physical evil He believed, if viewed in financial point Of
view every must at cxered baleul influence,
that 1t was in fact whitening in any country. II
illustration Of this fact wished let them compare Virginia,
they pleased with New York Virginia, in her natural
resources had the advantage OF New York she had great
bay running her country hundreds OF miles whose
waters navgable for great distances her
tain region which abounded minerals Of the greatest value
WATERPROOF sufficient to manufacture for the whole World
and yet with all these advantages, Virginia, which
tied much earlier than New York. and which, the adoption
Of the constitution, large, while New York small
all these natural advantages, Virginia
looked like the atomination of desoaton spoken Of
by the prophet when compared with New York. her
sister and slavery had undoubtedly been the principal
Of this difference. II undoubtedly might be traced in great
degree TO the act OF her people continuing this institution
of slavery for told the highest authority that
God "urneth the rivers into wilderness the springs
into dry ground, the fruitful land into barrenness Tor the
wicked Of those that dwell therein" He might bring up other
comparisons to illustrate this point but they
sary.
Slavery not only pecunary curse, but political
II weakened any community, any State in which found
In Of instruction OF foreign what would South
Carolina be able to accomplish Her slaves her black popu
laon, ounumbered the whites and in Of invading
army she would have much she could do perhaps
than she could do TO guard her interests protect her
slaves This idea not with him it originated with
the establishment OF the Government At the time Of the
adoption Of the constitution and in the first Congress doctrines
like this advanced and to make it little palata
bic to gentlemen, in the first tariff bill Mr. Parker Of
Virginia, moved an amendment to impose of dollars
upon Oil slaves imported into the country and the
signed that this traffic in slaves with human
~ and stigma the American character gentleman
from South Carolina opposed the Introduction Of that proviso
the ground that they had their supply gentleman
from Georgia said they bad not and ef Mr. Msd
reply What did he say He said that slavery weak
ened any State that Georgia and South Carolina would be
better off without their slaves than with them that every adj
don they made to their slave population increased the dan
ger Of domestic instruction and invited foreign aggression
and nasmuch as Congress bound by the constitution TO
protect any State IN Of foreign invasion domestic in
surrecton be said Congress had the right