Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1849-07-05

"ReSotued, That the peace, permanency
and welfare OF our national union depend
upon srict adherence 10 the letter and
spirit oil the 9Th section Of the act OF Cons
gress oil the United States, entitled, "An act
10 authorize the people Of the Missouri ter
ritory 10 form constitution and state gov.
eminent, for the admission OF such state
into the Union on an equal footing with the
original States, and 10 prohibit slarery in
certain territories" Approved March 6,
1920.
RESOLVED, That our Senators in the Con,
gress Of the United States, are hereby in
structed and our representatives requested, tc
vote in accordance with the provisions and
the spirit OF the 9Th section OF said act. in
all the questions which may come before
them in relation 10 the organization Of new
territories or states. out OF The territory now
belonging 10 the United States. or which
hereafter may be acquired either by pur
chase, by treaty or by conquest.
Now, TO make the question more
plain, let us see what the 9Th section OF
the act Of Congress of 1920 is. Hers
it is:
SEC. 8. That all that Territory coded
by France 10 the United States, under the
name OF Louisiana, which lies norlh Of SO
degrees end 30 minutes north latitude, no,
included within the limits Of the state, (Mis
soufl) contemplated by this act, Slavery and
involuntary Seruitude, othcrWiSe than in the
punishment Of crimes, whereof the parties
shall haze been duly convicted, shall be, ana
is hereby JoreUer prohibited"
What? the peace, permancncy and
welfare of our national union depend
pend upon strict adherence TO the
9Th section of the act Of Congress,
the one just quoted. Now, j, is no
quIbbIe, but a necessary consequence,
that if our Legislature believed, a, the
time those resolutions were passed,
that Congress had no power to legislatc
on the subject of slavery in territories,
then they made the peace, permanency
and welfare of our national Union De.
pend upon Congress doing an uncon-
s'itutional act. No one will pretend to
put our legislature in SO ridiculous a
position. Col. Benton obeyed these in
structions. But suppose he had said to
the members of the legislature, Gen
tlemen appeal from your instructions
i am sworn 10 support the consttu.
ton, and it will be q violation of that
instrument 10 lcgisate on the subject of
slavery in the territories; and suppose
he had said farther, as one of the reso-
lulions of the last legislature says, "lhe
right to prohibit slavery in any terri
tory belongs exclusively to the people
thereof, and as this power belongs ex'
clusively TO the people, even ina terri
torial condition, then Congress has nc
power to pass any law on the subject
and will not do an unconstitutional
act by giving the vote you instruct me
to give" Had this been the language
of Col. Benton, you and ] know tina,
he has enemies, and that they would
have arraigned him, then, with as much
forocity and more plausibility than i:
now done, and all the past legislation OF
the country would have been brought
up in judgment against him. But it SC
turued out that Col. Benton believed
then, what he declares now, that Con,
gress had the power and obeyed the
is ructione, Doubtless he entertained
these opinions before that time, blu
these resolutions tended TO confirm hin
in his belief. And are we TO give
countenance TO the charge lha, Col
Benton is an abolitionis, because he ex
presses his opinions now, which he wa!
instructed 10 sustain by our legislature
two years agol trust i may never
be found engaged in any such absurd
ty. Nor do believe the people o
Missouri, who have no motive save tha
of justice, will engage in any suci
work. | do not recollect that | hav,
ever seen it stated, in so many words
that our other Senator, Judge Atchison
for whom l entertain the highest per
sonal regard, ever denied this powe
TO Congress, nor do suppose it will be
for if rightly recollect, as / have no
the proceedings of Congress before
me, of the fact however l feel certain
that Judge Atchison. perhaps in th'
winter of ls47, as one of the commit
tee on territories reported bill for thu
organization of the Oregon territor,
with clause prohibiting slavery there
in, and not only reported it, but if my
memory is not at fault again, made {