Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-06-20
Col. BentOn'S Position.


The late speech of Col Benton has won
for him the admiration OF all parties at the
North. Even those who were the most
bitter in their denunciations Of Gen. Cass
during the late Presidential contest, are
most profuse in their praise of Col. Benton.
To this the democrats have no objection,
but on the contrary are glad TO see 1t. But
really it is difficult to see that there is any
great difference between his position and
that of Gen. Cass. The only point of diff
ference between them being in relation to
the constitutional power of Congress tol leg
islate in relllon to the territories, Col. Ben
ton holding that Congress has that power
but claiming that its exercise upon the
question of slavery would be without any
practical benefits. If Col. Benton be cor
rect in his views, the position of Gen. Cass
and the Democratic party is as sale Tor
the prevention Of slavery in the territories
as would be the Wilmot provso. Col.
Benton contends that the whole controver-
sy in relation 10 tie Wilmot Proviso, is a
controversy about nothing The democ-
racy of this State, and of many OF the
Northern States, had, previous to the nom.
nation Of Gen. Cass, in their State Con-
ventions, declared their opposition to the
introduction Of slavery into the free Terri
tories f,the United States. In this State,th the
Convention which recommended the name
| of LEWIS CAss as the first choice OF the
Democracy of the Buckeye State for the
Presidency, by resolution also declared
their unalterable hostility TO slavery ex-
tension; and had the position assumed by
him tended 10 favor the extension of sla-
very, he would not have received the sup.
port of the Democracy of Ohio. But to
the position of Col Benton. Here it is
in an extract from his late speech:
And now we arrive at substance-at q
practical point. Congress has the constitu
tional power to abolish slavery in the ter
ritories: but she has no slare territory an
aohach to exercise the poacer. We have
no terr tory but the remainder of Louisiana
north and west of 'Missour,-that in Cali
forna' New Mexico, and Oregon,
that north Of w isconsin, new Minnesota
In Louisiana north and west of US, it was
abolished by Congress in 1920. In the
! territory north of Wisconsin new Minnesota
it was abolished by the Jefferson proviso ol
1857 In Oregon it was abolished by Con
gress in ls4s, by what you may call the
Benton proyiso, if you please. In New
Mexico and California it was abolished by
r the Mexican government in ls29-con.
firmed in 1887, and again in le44''
''There is no slavery now in Mexico anc
California; and consequently none in an,
territory belonging to the United States
f and consequently nothing practical, or rsa
: an the aOhols slarery question, for the peo
Pile Of the United STATES to quarrel about
There is no slavery now by law, in ary ter
ritory, and it cannot get there by law. Az
cept by act of Congress; ana no such nc
y will be passed, or even asked for.
v The Romans had a class of disnn, q
which they called de lana caprina-Tba
: is TO say, about goa's aUool; and as tn
: goat has no aoool, the dispute acas abou
Y nothing. So it is of the dispute among u
, about excluding slavery from New MeXic
and California. There is none to exclude
and the dispute now raging is about moth
ino ;,