The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1848-09-20

I oar Limits. where was he nerrssisF { z
= his prnFisinas Again. The rlaase ~ lie
e Constitution whirh t0Lrrslsd she slave
; trade mil ISIS. giFes rnngies.. b. i'm.
D l.lirsilnn. power nlfF The suhjerI outside
: nf The limits ri i..r States. and leleIs the
Z exisleare &C lie in.a,uiian IN the Siaies
. themselves. By il Congress i prahlhi.-
ed from EsEhidiiagihe in,parsali, n If such
! property inlo surh Slaifs. Ihen in exis-
; Hence. - should :. think proper 10 admit
ia" The rrlaiion between The States. as
10 their municipal Law. i foreign. In he
l case Of bills ~ eArhange. drawn by eli.
zen NJ one State uPnn citizen IL anult-
sr Stale. we apply ihe law.mFrehani as il
Oper.ies upon foreign bills. The records
and iudirial proceeding IL The courts of
one al the States world he regarded by
the rnuris 0f any other State as the re-
e"rts and iullrisl proceedings Of To-
reign cnnri. were u NOT fnr an express pro-
tision on the subject in the Constitution.
The Constitution thus recognises. by this
clause. as veil as the one IN relation 10
slaves WIN have escaped into free States,
this fpreign relation Of the States 10 one
another. as 10 their municipal laws, hy
providing against lis effect in particular
rsses. lis difficult 10 see how the re.
laIion IT The States 10 the territories is
more iniimale than that of the States TO
nne another.
By The laws Of Mexico. as they existed
in The lPrrilnries nf New Mexico and Ca
lilnInia, at The time of the acquisition,
African slavery 10 prohibited. Peon sla-
very j. reIy different thing. As FAR as
ran understand il, il is state of seryl-
tnde in which The rredilor. hy law. puts
The debtor, 10 be terminated upon the IL
quiiaiion nl The debt by the labor Of the
peon. which debt j. SO managed by the
creditor generally. that il arrnmulates in
stead Of diminishing. With us the slave
cannot contract with his master. and Of
course could mol be subjected under that
law, unless, he first become free. Alri-
ran slavery, as il exists in the Southern
States. was forbidden in that territory at
The Time il became. By cession, a part Of
our country. According to the prinri-
pies Of international Law and,ho DECISIONS
of our courts. the only laws which, ipso
facio, were anuulled, were the political
laws. Ny colleague admits Ina, no laws
were chm ged except th"se which were
in Conflict with the Constitution. think
III hive shown that law prohibiting
slavery is NOT against The Constitution.
Indeed, II il were, the laws in The North
ern States sbolishing slavery are null and
void.
! How, then. can ] doubt that the courts,
III the present state Of the question, and
{ without some action of Congress, would
decide that. in California and New Mex.
iro. slavery could moi exist! Entertaln-
ing these views, honestly and rnnscien.
ilously, whether they be right or wrong,
how could | have voted for the bill,
Would ! not be yielding the claim of the
South. knowingly and wilfIiy! VIVA.
right have 10 deceive my constituents by
voting for bill TO keep the word of pro-
mise Ia our ear, and break il in our HOPPER
Much less could make the sacliIire with
oui some hope that il would bring peace.
II brought no assurance thai the waters
were suhsiding. There was no spirit of
compromise in The manner il was forced
through The Senate. II came to the House
branded with the spirit Of intolerance. Its
passage would have been the signal far
The cry of repeal. II would have mingled
itself in the Presidential campaign. There
would have been struggle TO get "A North
ern or Southern President, So as lohave
Northern or Southern judiciary esiab-
llshed in these territories. In the prov-
denee of God, Vacancy might occur in
the Supreme Court of the United States.
The Judicial ermine might have been
stained by political prostitution. At all
events, tue weight and moral influence Of
The court must have been forever destroy
ed in one section or the other Of the Un>
inn. We have no right 10 throw the re-
spon.ibility Of settling this question upon
the Judiciary. would not permit il 10
go there in any shape. if il could be avoid
ed; certainly not in this. II has surprised
me very much to see those men who have
heretofore been regulators of some of the
decisions Of this court upon constitutional
questions, now seeking refuge under its
wing. believe it is because they dare
no, meet the question. Sir. he who fall
ters now is no true lover Of his country.
Let Us NEE. il in spirit Of calmness and
Generalization, not " ilh heated Recommendations
and angry threats. lie, us meet il with
Il determination to settle il, and we must
assuredy succeed.
/ will examine the bill little more In
detail. The people of Oregon have enact
ed code Of laws for themselves. These
are subject 10 our control, and among
them is one excluding slavery. The bill
provides that these laws shall he and con-
Itinue in force until "three months after
- II L y