Weekly miners' express. (DuBuque, Iowa) 184?-1849, 1849-03-13
Comm lgnicatiOlls.
For the Express.

In my last alluded TO the actlon o. slunols
in the exclusion Of free blacks from her }bord.
RS. Ihuvc now the clause OF her neU Consti-
tuition before me, OF which spoke, is as
follows: Tho Legislature shall at its first
..scssion under the amended Constitution, pass
.'such laws as will etfectually prohibit free
.pcrson Of color from emigrating to aud set
Wiling in this Stutc, and to effectually prevent
"the owners Of slaves from the introduction
"of slaves into this State for the purpose OF
"setting them free: Resolved, that when this
'Constitution is submitted to the people ofths
"Stutc for adoption CT rejection, the forcgo-
sing shall be submitted to them to be voted
''on separately as a section Of said Constitu-
''tion; and if ma jority Of all the votes cast
.'for or against the same shall be for its adop.
''tion, then, in that case, the same shall form
"a section of the new Constition, but if u ma.
'.joriy shall be against its adoption, then tho
''sume shall be rejected
The Convention adopted the foregoing clause
by vote OF ninety two to forty three; and
understand it was triunphantly sustained by
the people. And this is the State which con.
tans more rank and radical abolition and free
solism, than perhaps any State in the Union;
the State which lays to with u more mastery
zeal TO promote the cause Of philanthropy by
theft than any other; the State which, both at
home and abroad, furnishes more advocat 8,
both lay and ecclesiastical, in favor OF the the
DRY Of freedom, than any other. And what of
II this, it may he asked? Nothing, reply,
save to admire the consistency and humanity
Of their course on one occasion, as compared
with that Of another. First they take good care
| 10 make their own soil Tree; free, not TOR, but
from negroes; they then. instruct their Sena-
tors in Congress to do their cndeavor to keep
California free and pure themselves. 1t IS
settled Seston, that the Slaves Of the States
where thew now exist, can never ENJOY Tree
dom and residence within those States, cS-
cept to a limited extent. What. then, is to
be the result of Illinois philanthropy con-
TESS that | cannot sec, save as 1t eXPcnds ltscit
in stealing, and transporting by stealth, slaves
to .he Queens domniou:. Us it has here toiore
done. Here is i beauti vi commentary upon
the virtue and morality of free soil philosophy,
as set forth in the civil and political action of
this great State.
also alluded IN my last article to the Stat
utes of Iowa touching this same subject. They
will be found in the book of Statutes at page
50, as follows: THAT from and after the first
.'day Of Apri. next, No39) no black or muiat-
''to person shall be permitted to settle or re.
''sesidc IN this Territory, uni less he or she shall
'producc fair certificate from some Court
"within tho United States. of his or her &C
"tual freedom, and give bond with good and
"sufficicnt security in the penal sum OF five
"hundred dollars, conditioned that such per-
'son shall not, at any time, become charge
ITO the aid county in which the bond shall
'be given, nor to any other county in this
"Tcrrtory. as also for such person good be-
"haviour: and the conviction Of such negro or
''mulatto OF any crime or msdemean nor galnst
''thc penal laws of this Territory, shall umouht
ITO forfeiture Of tho condition Of such bond
and the next section provides, that upon u fail
ure to give the bond, it shall DC the duty of
the commissioners to hire them out.
Now, suppose it may be bly, 'nier-
red, that when such men 'thc potent,
grave, and reverend Seigniors'' who compose
the Senate ola sovereign State, introduce and
pass such resolutions those in which they
instruct their Senators in Congress ito use
their influence in favor of u law, prompting
the introduction Of the institution of slavery
within any territory now free they mean
something definite and certain. And III this
case, the object must be to bring conscqucn
: ces to bear upon the slave older or the slave
Now, the object cannot be to benefit the own
er OF the slave, bnt the slave himself. sup
! pose the Senate of Iowa would hardly under
take the former without being consulted. Tbs
object then, must have been to benefit the
' slave, or in some manner to mlti gate the evils
, Of slavery, and cause its final disappearance
and to accomplish this. the resolutions incui
Q cate (rccsoiilsm in doctrine, and free soil it
self, as desirable condition Of things.
Now, then, ask in all good conscience dc
] you not q mean the Senate Of Iowa. sec how
unreasonable your action in the matter Of tho
: resolutions is, as compared with those cXcIu
r sive slututcs?. But it is probable you were no
aware Of the existence OF those statutes. l1ac
you have been, do you not think you would
have been fairly chargeable with insincerity
if not Hypocrisy You certainly do not wish
ali other soil to be free, and your own cxclu
slvc. But am not without my fears that 9th
,ot lrn ~I,DrI f u Nour
the mover OF those resolutions is a lawyer OF
no short standing in this State, and It is hardly
to 30 expected that he was unucuuaintci with
tho IL ws in question. Mr.. Senator, do you no,
believe you would have performed more eff
Ccctual service in behalf Of free soil, first tc
t have made your own free? No doubt, if your
detcsmined authorship and support Of the mca
sure should come to the knowledge Of those
whom you appear to wish TO serve, they at lcas
would rcposc more Confidence in the simple
honesty of your intentions. had your charity
t begun nearer home. No doubt there mlnj
! free persons Of color almost within cannon
shot of you, who would most sincerely thanI
you, if you would sweep out those disabling
la ws:-no doubt there are hundreds of slave
within the same distance, whom. to set free
3 their owners would rejoice. could they, if free
set their ieet in peace upon the shore on eth
or side Of our great river. l not ling
State of Iowa upon this subj ct:-that vii
: have to be done only when it adopts your re
:, solutions
But perhaps you will say those laws were
, upon the Statute book, and that you had n
reason 10 believe that the people desired thei
repeal. Had you any reason TO believe tina
i they desired the passage o. your resolutions
Perhaps you will say, there is connection
between lrce-soism in California and Iowa
e Why not? In making California free, the ma
= turll result will be to confihe slaves wher
\ they are, far California is concerred:-
i and then, if they forbidden room for tn
sole Of their foot in your State, and the othe
, free Suites, should suppose they would very
naturally conclude that free soIlsm was til
. very worst ism, IN the world, for them. 70,
q may say that those Statutes do not exclud
n them: but it would be puerile to say so:-t
. exclude was their very object, and such IN
e quest ionably their effect. Now, l insist, tina
before you lecture on civil pollty, you sha
afford some evidence that you understand an
believe your own 81 stem; at least in its mora
bearings; then your neighbors will feol lha
you are actuutsd by principle, and not for sci
G notorcty. ~
:. AS to the Wing portion Of the Senate VIII
1 sustu ned those resolutions, have not wor