Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-01-03
uro1ANA LEGIsLATURE.

4 n The Senste, on Lee. 49, "o ''O"S
,...,.,;oos Of the subject Of slavery exte D''on
...,. m on it, second reading. They suthor-
:. -. oasssze Of . mere decIssatory resolution
sh,evsb Congress, expressive Of certain i"nda-
d 1000 ,r;pcipIes in regard to this subject Mr.
~. ,.o,ed 10 strike out from the resolving
.i.use and insert tho following:
~ WunEAs the people Of Indiana regard
The institution Of human slavery as
vreat moral and political evil, ana Where-
=. ~. limited States have recently acqui-
red from the Republic Of Mexico a large
: amount of territory, which is now free.
and which, in the opinion Of this General
Assembly, ought forever TO remain free
And Whereas it is the opinion Of this
General Assembly that Congress possess
a the power under the Constitution to
psoI,bit the extension Of slavery into such
territory, and that it is right and proper,
that such power be exercised by Con-
1yess, Therefore be it
Resolved, by the General assembly Of
tie State Of Indiana. That our Senators
in Congress be, and they are hereby in.
structed. and our Representatives reques.
ted 10 use their influence and vote in ia.
vor Of the passage Of law providing that
there shall be neither slavery nor invoiun-
fary servitudc in any Of said territory,
otherwise than in the punishment ofcrimes
whereof the party shall have been duly
convicted.
A division Of the question was called.
The question was then on striking out,
which was decided in the affirmative
ayes 81, nays 10.
Mr.. Buckles moved to refer the subject
10 the committee on Federal Relations.
Mr.. Orh opposed this. The former
resolutions referred to that committee had
gone, as he had predicted, to the tomb OF
the Capulets. They will never be seen
again. lfthcsc resolutions go there they
will meet the same fate. He desired the
Senate should now take the responsibility
Of acting upon this subject. There would
be a short session ofCongress, and if We
were to instruct our members there, we
mus, do il Immediately.
Mr. Millikin advocated the reference
lie thought it was usual to do so, and it
was proper to do it in this case. The
WiImot Proviso was Objectionable to the
South and if We could Introduce anything
here, little easier on the South, to which
they could not take so much exception he
was for doing it, These resolutions o,
the House he argued, were framed with
this object. IL the territory is now free
and Congress declares il 80. slavery can
not 90 there, and this would satisfy the
South The proposition Of Mr.. Orth for
bid ever the INTRODUCED on of slavery into
these territories. This seemed TO him too
harsh.
Mr.. Graham was in favor Of the refer
cnce. SO far as the Senate was concern
ed these resolutions which they have
stricken out embraced all that the friends
of Free Soil desired. lie objected to Mr.
Orth's resolution because Congress was
urged to pass n law forcrer forbiddinl
slavery into these territories. That wore
"foreycr" did not belong to the nature o
man. lie desired the resolution should
roto the committee on Federal Relations
where they could be considered and a
mcnded if necessary.
Mr.. Orth replied to Mr.. Miliikin. lie
thought the gentleman was Free Sol
man. and vet he seems willing to pass
resolutions here acceptable to the South
Congress possesses the power to prol,ibi
the Introduction Of slavery into these ter
yi,orics, and he was for ins,ruc,ing Con
gross to exercise this power, whether &C
ceptiblc to the South or not. Mr.. Ortl
then took up the resolutions Of the House
one by one and declared them ofno force
and Of bearing which he confessed
would be acceptable to every Southern
statesman. He was for telling Congress
what the people Of Indiana believed to be
constitutional, on this subject. and then
demand its exercise TO the prohibition oil
Slavery. Mr.. Orth commended that mere
declaratory resolution by Congress would
be Of no use whatever in excluding sla.
very from this territory. that it would be
Of no binding force upon those who car
Tied their slaves there, providing their
rights would be called in question before
the judicial tribunals Of the country
They would laugh it into dersion. There
were nothing in these resolutions Of the
House but what John c. Calhoun himsel
would recommend. He was for passing
his resolution. instead Of these. because
il was not acceptable to the South
That word ''forever" which the gentle.
man from Warrick excepted to. he was
willing to modify to suit that gentleman 5
taste. although he believed that gentle
mans constituents would forbid the intro
duc'ion Of Slavery into the new territories
to all eternity. five desired to have i,
free let us speak the language Of ruth
and soberness. the language Of that time
honored sage Thomas Jefferson.
Mr.. McCarty thought the only question
to be decided here, was the means hes
adapted TO prohibit slavery from these ter
ritorics. None doubted the evils Of slave
ry. But he was for keeping the Genera
Government in the scope Of its Legitimate
duties, He contended that it would be .
usurpation Of the General Government tc
exercise this power over these territorie.
Judge Mclean had given it as his opinion
that Congress had no power to lecislate
over the subject of slavery. An exercise
Of this power would weaken the ties o
this Union. Congress had no right t.
dictate to the people ofthese territories tn.
complexion Of their laws. II was fun
damental principle Of our Government tina