Columbus Democrat., 1849-08-18
Extract from Mr. Calhonn's Reply.


have now repeliel all The charges, intendet
~ snake your confidence in my fidelity to you, il
reference TO thu most vital ot subjects to the South
nave shown thatIhcy all rest either on state
Hlenls that are utterly false, or conclusions tina
are entirely erroneous or inconclusive. have
al SO shown that Colonel Benton has involved
IT. hseh al every step, in Ialse statements, Contra.
"e'lohs' inconsistency and absurdites. | viii
40, say That he made his charges knowing then
70 De false for that would brand hun as a base
eaiunnlator and sanderer; but | will say he
ought to have known they we're. 1t NAV be.
howeyer, that be was too much blinded by his
passions and prejudice, or lacked the Iiscrmina-
''on 10 perceive they were.
have passed over all that was directed
against me personally, and not intended to i'm.
peach my fde y to you and your cause be-.
cause Ii did not tall within the reason which in.
"uced me TO notice him nj all. have also pas.
SEQ over the torrent Of abuse he has poured out
against me- not only for the same reason but
because deem it beneath my notice. He doubt.
less thinks differently, and regards it as the finest
portion OF his speech TOR he has used express.
s'ons which pretty clearly indicate that he antic.
ipates 1t will raise him 10 the level OF the great
AthenIan orator for indignant denunciation. lie
'nlsiakes lis tate. He will be Fortunate should
he escape sinkingt to the level of Thersiles.-
lie seems not to apprehend, that the difference
Is VIDE between The indignant eoquence of pa
uIotIsm and truth, and scurrous defamation. |
aiso pass over his attack on the Southern Ad,
dress; becSuss it has been too generally read.
anu Is Too wei! understood by you, for him 10 do
any mischief by assailing it. The wonder is
that he should venture to make an attack in
open daylight. The remote twilight region Of
The past, lying between truth and felton, best
suit. hiS taste and genius.
Passing al these by, am brought to who're
he throws fhis disguise, and enters the camp
Of the enemy; ana openly proclaims himself an
ahollllonlsi, endorses all their doctrines, and
slep9 forth as their champion. In that charac
ter he assumes dciaorial air and pros
nounces that il is absurd TO deny the power of
Congress 10 Iegslate as it peases on The subject
Of slavery in the territories that il has exe.cis.
ed the power from the foundation Of the govern
ment without being questioned, until introduced
my resolutions that slavery is 0calin IFS char.
acler; that il must he created by law and cannot
kc carried an inch beyond the limits of lhe State
that enacted it; that slaves cannot be carried in
10 New Mexico or California, because the Mex.
lean laws abolish slavery there, and are st in
force, and concludes that it is II mere abstract
question Of no Importance, because the people
there, and especially the foreigners, are oppos.
ed TO il, aud will not permit you 10 cmgrate into
the territory with your slaves. do not propose
10 enter into formal repetition OF assertions so
oslontauousy pronounced, 1t is not necessary
Vbey were the same that were put ;0lth and re-
lied on BY those opposed 10 you in the discussion
op the Oregon territorial bilI, during the session
nreeeding ihe last and which were then fully
me, aud Iefuted by me and ohers, who took your
side Il the question. Whit now propose is,
very Summary and brief notice Of these several
assertions.
begln with that which asserts that Congress
has The power to do as it pleases upon the sub
iect Of slaves in the territories. deay The as
serion, and maintain that Congress has no such
mower over slavery there or elsewhere, or over
any other subject deny that Congress has any
absolute power whatever, or that il has any Of
description, except such as specifically dele.
gated, or that are necessary and proper 10 carry
them into execution. maintain that all its pow.
ers arc delegated and trust powers, and not pes
tive and absolute, and that all of the latter de-
scription, belongs exclusively 10 the people Of
the several States in their sovereign character.
| also, hold, that Congress is but their represen>
,atiye and trustee, and that in carrying into cx,
ocuion lis powers, it cannot rightiuiiy exercise
any inconsistent with the object and nature ol
the trust, or with the character Of the party who
created the trust, and for whose benefit it was
created. finally hold, that instead Of holding
absolute power over the territories oidoing as il
peases, that Congress is restrained by all these
limitations, and that its power to exclude you from
emgraiing with your slaves into them, cannot
be maintained without denying that ours is a
government of which Sgates and not individuals
are the constituents, and that Congress holds its
powers as delegated and trust pswers. Nor can
it be maintained, without assuming that ours is
consolidated government, and holds its powers
absolutely in its own sovereign right of doing as
il pleascs.
also deny the. truth ofhis next assertion that
II has exercised the power over the territories as
it pleased, without being questioned, until in
troduced my resolutions. maintain on the con.
irarY, that such power never was exercised by
Congress, until he and bis associates passed the
Oregon territorial bill. That was the first bill
containing tho Wilmot Proyiso that ever passed,
as has been staied.-passed solely to assert tho
absolute right Of doing as It plcases. All others,
including the ordinance OF 1887, we're passed
as compromises which waived the question Of
power as has been frequently shown. Nor is
his assertion more correct, that the power never
was questioned, until the Introduction OF my res
oluions. |, was questioned from the start, be-
ti-s ~ nth ordinance Of l7S7. Mr., Madison