The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-07-25
ot, has involved himself a, every step, iriaIse

tor, has involved himself at every step, infalse
statements. contradictions, inconsistency and alb.
surdties.t | will notsay, that he made hischases
knowing them to be false; for that would brand
him as base calumniator and slanderer; bu!
will say he ought to known they were. ltmay
be however, that he was too much blinded ny
his passions andprejudice, or lacked the discrim.
ination to perceive they were.
have passed over all that was directed a.
ganst me personally, and not intending to i'm.
peach my fidelity to you and your canse; because
it did not fall within The reasons, which induced
HE to notice him at all. have also passed
over the torrent of abuse. he has poured ont "a
eanst me; not only for the same reason but be-
cause deem it beneath my notice. lie doubt
less thinks differently, and regards it, as the
| finest portion of his speech; for he has used ex-
prcssons, which pretty clearly Indicate, that
he anticipates it will raise him to the level o f
the great Athenian orator, for indignant denun.
citation. II e mistakes his fate. He will he for.
tunate should he escape sinking TO the level of
'rhersiies. lie seems, not to apprehend, that
the difference is wide between the indignant
eloquence ofpatriotism and truth and srurriIons
defamation also pass over his attack on the
Southern Address; because it has been too gen.
orally read, aud is too well understood, by ynu.
Ior him 10 do any mischief by assailiug it. The
wonder is, that he should venture to make an
attack in open day light The remote twilight
tregion ofthe past lying between truth andiclion,
best suits his taste and GENUS
Passing all these by, am brought to where
he throws of'his disguise, and enters the camp
of The enemy, and openly procanng himself
an aboIitsnis, endorses all their doctrines. aud
steps forth as their champion. In that charac.
Ter, he assumes a diclatorial air, and pronounces
that i, is absurd to deny the power of Congress
10 Iegisate as it pleases, OH the subject of sla
very in The territories that it has exercised the
power from the foundation without being ques
lioned until introduced my resolutions; that
slavery is local in its character; that it must he
created by law, and cannot be carried an inch
beyond the limits of the State that enacted IL
that slaves cannot be carried into New Mexico
or California because the Mexican laws abo
lisbed slavery there and are still in force, con-
cludes that it is a mere abstract question otno
Importance, because the people there, and es.
pecay the foreigners, are opposed to it, and
will not permit you to emigrate into the terrific.
ry with your slaves
do not propose to enter into formal repetl.
lion of assertions so osteutaliously pronounced.
II is not necessary. They were The same that
were put forth and relied on By those opposed
10 YOU in the discussion on the Oregon terrific
rial mill, during the session preceding The last;
and which were then fully met and refuted by
me and Others who took your side ofthe qucs
sion. What now propose is a very summary
and brief notice of those several assertions.
begin with that which asserts that Congress
has the power 10 do as it peases upon the sub.
iect of slavery in The territories. deny the
assertion and maintain that Congress has no
such power over slavery there or elsewhere, or
over any other subject. deny that Congress
has any absolute power whatever; or that 1t has
any of any description, except such as arc spe.
officially delegated, or that are necessary and
proper to carry them into execution. | main
lain. that all its powers arc delegated and trust
powers, and not positive and absolute, and thai
all Of the latter description belongs exclusively
TO the people of the several States in their sove.
reign character. also hold that Congress is
but their representative and trustee, and that in
carrying into execution its powers, it cannot
rightfuy exercise any Inconsistent with the ma
ture and object ofthe trust, or with the charac-
ter of the party who created the trust, and for
whose benefit it was created. finally hold,
tha, instead ofhaving the absolute power over
The territories. of doing as il pleases, that Con.
gress is restrained by all these limitations, and
that its power 10 exclude you from emgrating
with your slaves into them, cannot be maintain.
ed without denying that ours is government
of specific powers that it is government of
which States and not individuals are the CON
s,uents, and that Congress holds its powers as
delegated and trust powers. Nor can it he min
tanned, without assuming that ours is consoll.
dated Governmet, and holds its powers abso-
lu,ely in its own sovereign right of doing as it
pleases.
also dony, the truth of his next assertion,
that it has exercised The power over the terrific.
rtes, as il peases, without being questioned un.
til introduced my resolutions. | maintain on
the contrary, that such power never was e1cr.
cised by Congress, until he and his associates,
passed the Oregon territorial bill. That was
the first bill contang the Wilmo, Proviso, that
ever passed as has been stated-passed solely
to assert the absolute right of doing as it pleas.
es. All others, including the ordinances of
1857 were passed as compromises which waiv'
ed the question power, as has heen frequent.
y shown. Nor is his assertion more correct,
that the power never was questioned, until the
introduction ofmy resolutions. 1t twas question.
ed from the start, beginning with the ordinance
Of 1887. Mr.. Madison pronounced that it was
adopted without shadow right. Since then,
it has been acquesced in not as right, but as
compromise until the North refused all com.
promise, and forced the South to stand on its
rights, where it should have stood from the first.
The next assertion, that slavery is local in
its character; that it must be enacted by law,
and cannot be carried an inch beyond the limits
of the State, that enacted it, is equally nnmain.
tainable. 1t is clear that in making it, he in.