The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1849-08-10


the same reason, but because l deem il be.
meath my notice. He doubtless thinks diff.
ieren,ly, and regards it, as the fines, por.
iion Of his speech; for he has used ex.
pressions, which pretty clearly indicate,
that he anticipates, i, will raise him to the
level Of the great Anihenian orator, for in.
dignant denunciation. He mistakes his
fate. He will be fortunate, should he es.
cape sinking 10 the level Of Thersites.-
lie seems not 10 apprehend, that the differ.
ence Is wide between the indignant elo.
quence Of patriotism and truth and scurril.
Gus defamation. also pass over his at.
tack on the Southern Address; because it
has been too generally read, and is, TOO
well understood, by you for him to do any
mischief by assailing il. The wonder is,
that he should venture TO make an attack
in open day light. The remote twilight,
region Of The past, lying between truth aud
fict on best suits his taste and genius.
Passing all these by, am brough, 10
where he throws of his disguise, ard en-.
tiers the camp Of the enemy and openly pro.
claiming himself an abo!i,ionist, endorses
all their doctrines, and steps forth as their
champion. In that character, he assumes
a dictatoral air, and pronounces tina, i, is
absurd to deny the power Of Congress to
leglslate as i pleases, on the subject Of
slavery IN the territories that il has ex.
ercised the power from the foundation with.
out being questioned, until introduced
my resolutions that slavery is local in its
character that it must be created by law,
and cannot be carried an inch beyond the
limits of the Stale that enacted it; that
slavery cannot be carried into New Mexi.
CO or California because the Mexican laws
abolished slavery, there and are still in
force, and concludes that it is a mere alb
stract question Of no importance, because
the people there, aud especially the foreign.
ers, are opposed TO i, and will not permi,
you 10 emigIate into the territory with your
slaves.
/ do not propose 10 enter into formal
competition Of assertions so os,entatiously
pronounced. Ii is not necessary. They
were the same that were put forth and re.
lied on by those opposed 10 you 10 the dis.
cussion on the Oregon territorial bill, do,
ring the session preceding the last and
which were then fully me, and refuted BY
me and others, who 9ok your side of The
question. What now propose is a very
summary and briet notice of these several
assertions.
begin with tina, which asserts, tina, Con.
gress has the power TO do, as it peases, up.
on the subject Of slavery 10 the territories.
| deny the assertion and maintain that
Congress has no such power over slavery
there or elsew here, or over any other sub.
ject. | deny tina! Congress has any alb.
solute power whatever ; or that it has any
Of any description, except such as are spe.
officially delegated, or that are necessary
and proper to carry them into execution.
| maintain, that all its powers are delega.
ted and trus, powers, aud not positive and
absolute, and ,ha, all OF the latter descrip-
lion belongs exclusively to the people Of
the several States in their sovereign char.
acter. also hold, that Congress is but
their representative and trustee, and that
in carrying into execution its powers, II
cannot rlghttully exercise any inconsistent,
with the nature and objec, Of the trust, or
with the character Of the party who created
the trust, and for whose benefit /, was cre-
ated. finally hold, that instead Of having
the absolute power over the territories OF
doing as i. peases, that Congress is re.
strained by all these limitations, and that
lis power TO exclude you from emigrating
with your slaves into them, cannot be main
tanned without DENYING that ours is gov.
ernment Of which States and not individuals
are the constituents, and that Congress
holds lis powers as delegated and trust
powers. Nor can it be maintained, with.
out assuming that ours is a consolidated
Government, and holds It's powers absolute
~ in its own sovereign right Of doing as it
pleases.
| also DENY, the truth oe his next asser
ton, that ii has exercised the power over
the territories, as II pleased, without being
questioned until introduced my rcsou.
lions. maintain on the contrary, that
such power never was exercised by Con-
gress, until he and his associates passed
the Oregon territorial bill. That was the
first bill containing the Wlmot proviso,
that ever passed, as has been stated pas
sed solely to assert the absolute night OF
dong as II pleases. All others, including
the ordinances Of l1-7, were passed as
compromises which waived the question Of
power, as has been frequently shown. Nor
is his assertion more correct, that the pow.
er never was questioned, until the introduc-
ton OF my resolutions. 1t was questioned
from the start, beginning with the ordl-
nance Of 1877. Mr. Madison pronounced
that il was adopted without shadow Of
tight. Since then, il has been acquiesed
in not as right, but as compromise un-
Ill the North refused a. compromise, and
forced The South to stand on It's rights,
where il should have stood from the Fl ST.
The next assertion, that slavery is local
in lis character that II must be enacted
by law, and cannot be carried an inch
beyond the limits Of the State that enacted
ii, is equally unmaintaDable. /. is clear
[ tha, a., kipu ha iptanbad In . n ,p