The New York herald., 1849-05-30
GREAT SPEECH
HON. THOMAS II. BENTON
JE FF Il n ON, mo-,
THE POWER or CONGRESS
Slavery in the Territories,
TIE RESOLUTIONS OF MIR. CALHOUN, THE
MISSOURI INSTRUCTIONS,
&C., &c., 30.

Sr. Louis, may ~, lo4s.
Co. Benton has been making great speech at JEFF
ferson city the subject Of slavery in the Terrific
res, &c. &C., which is creating much excitement among
the democrats Of this State and will doubt attract
much attention throughout the whole country
Only part of tho speech is in print-and so
much of it occupies thirteen columns Of the Jefferson
City Inquirer.
Col Benton takes very strong ground in support OF
the principle that Congress has complete authority over
the including the to abolish or exclude
slavery thererom and he declares that the citizens
of slaveholding States have right to carry their
property into the territories and hold such pro-
perty In them without the sanction Of the National
Legislature. True the power Of Congress- in respect
to this matter has been fully exercised but he
insists that the fact of its existence has been
recognised and sanctioned by all the feds-
raj and State authorities, from tho foundation of
tho government to the present timo He says that q
STAKEHOLDER cannot lawfully carry tho slave property,
inch beyond the boundary line of the State which
has created such property except by the consent Of
the government within whose jurisdiction he proposes
to enterthat the only result Of the conveyance Of
slaves to California, &C.. at the present tme would
be their freedom Besides, he thinks that the people
of California and New Mexico almost unanimously
opposed to the establishment of slavery among thom
The resolutions Of the Missouri legislature instruct
ing him to his future in the United
States Senate connection with this subject Colonel
Benton regards but echo of the resolutions in
trouced by Mr. Calhoun into the United States Senate
in 1S47. To know the object of the resolutions of in
struction, it was only necessary to know that Mr..
Cahoun's resolutions aimed at the stability Of
the Union, we'll at those members of the Senate
from the ssvehot ing States ncluding himself part
cularly) who would not submit to be led [by Mr.. Cl
He could discover difference between the resolu-
tions Mr. Calhoun and those of the Missouri Legis
ature except that the former had the most immediate
reference to the dissolution of the Union Colonel
Benton enters at length into exposition of the
inconsistencies of Mr.. Cahoun's public career in refe
to the slavery question well other matters
The position taken by the Senator from South Ca
rona was that Congress had right to interfere with
slavery in any manner; and that there could be no
compromise upon that point. Yet In 1920, the adms-
sion of Missouri Stat the result of compro
mise Of this very question-and that compromise had
been assented to by Mr. c. The present course of Mr.
Calhoun and his followeas calculated to prevent
compromise with the North, inasmuch as the lattor
were incepsed to take ALSO extreme position In op
position.
[The above is the substance of Col. Benton's re-
marks far could gather It from dispatches
Our correspondents at ST. Louis promise continuance
Of the report as soon as 1t is published there