Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1850-04-04


ted States was in session at New York.
was matter Of design, as we know,
that the Convention should not assemble
IN the same city were Congress was hold
ing Its sessions. Almost ali the public
men OF the country, therefore, Of disiinc-
t'on and emlnence, were in one or the
other OF these two assemblies; and ! think
II happened in some instances that the
same gentlemen were members Of BOTH
II mistake not, such was the case of Mr.
huius king, then a member OF Congress
IRON Massachusetts, and at the same time
a member OF the Convention TO frame the
Constitution, from that State. Now, it
was in the summer Of l797, the very time
when the Convention in Philahephia was
framing this Constitution, that the Con-
gsess In New York was framing the ordi-
nance Of 1887. They passed that ordi-
nance on the 18th July, 1887, at New
York, the very month, perhaps the very
day, on which these questions about the
importation OF slaves and the character of
slavery were debated in the Convention at
Philadelphia. And, so far as we can now
learn, there was perfect concurrence of
opinion between these respective bodies;
and it resulted in this ordinance of 1887,
excluding slavery as applied to all the ter
rltory over which the Congress Of the
United States had jurisdiction and that
was all the territory northwest ofthe Ohio.
Three years before, Virginia and other
States had made a cession Of that great
territory to the United States. And a
most magnificent act it was. never re-
fleet upon it without disposition to do
honor and justice-and justice would be
the highest honor--to Virginia for that act
| OF cession of her northwestern TERRITORY.
| l will say, sir, that il is one of her farest
claims to the respect and gratitude of the
| United States, and that perhaps it is only
second to that other claim which attaches
to her; that, from her counsels, and from
the intelligence and patriotism Of her lead
ing statesmen, proceeded the first idea put
INTO practice for the formation of general
Constitution of the United States. Now,
sir, the ordinance Of 1857 applied thus to
the whole territory over which the Con-
gress OF the United States had Jurisdiction.
II was. adopted nearly three years before
the Constitution OF the United States vent
into operation; because the ordinance took
effect Immediately on its passage, while
the Constitution of the United States, hav-
ing been framed, was TO be sent 10 the
States to be adopted by their Conventions;
and then Governne ent had to be organ
lied under il. This ordinance, then, was
in operation and force when the Consiitu-
tuition lsas adopted and this Government
| pai in motion, in April, 1889.
MIR President, three things are quite
i~ciesr historical truths. One -, that
| there was an expectation that on the ceas-
ing ofthe importation Of slaves from Afri-
Ca, slavery would begin,o run out. That
was hoped and expected. Another is, that
as far as there was any power in Congress
TO prevent the spread Of slavery in the
| United States, that power was executed
in the most absolute manner and TO the
fullest extent. An honorable member
whose health does no, allow him 10 be
here To-day
A sESAroR. lie is here. (Rererring
to Mr. Calhonn.)
Mr. WEBSTER. l am very happy to
hear that he is-may he long be here and in
the enjoyment OF health to serve his country
said the other day, that he considered
| this ordinance as the first in the series of
measures calculated TO enleeble the South
| and deprive them of their just participa-
ton in the benefits and privileges of this
Government. lie says very properly
that ii was done under the old confederation
and before this Constitution went into ef-
feet: but, my present purpose is only TO
say, Mr. President that it was done with
the entire and unanimous concurrence Of
the whole South. Why, there it stands!
The vote of every State in the Union
was unanimous in favor Of tie ordinance,
with the exception of a single individual
vote, and that individual was Northern
man. But, sir, the ordinance abolishing.
or rather prohibiting, slavery northwest of
the Ohio, has the hand and seal of every
Southern member in Congress. The other,
| and third clear historical truth is, that the
Convention meant to leave slavery, in the
States, as they found il, entirely under
the authority and control of the States.
This was the state Of things, sir, and
this the state of opinion, under which those
very important matters were arranged and
those two important things done; that is,
the establishment of the Constitution with
a recognition OF slavery as it existed in the
States, and the establishment Of the ordi-
nance prohibiting, to tie full extent of all
territory owned 10y the United States, the
Introduction oil slavery into those terrific
ries, and the lea,i ing to the States all pow
er over slavery, i'll their own limits. And
here, sir, we may pause. We may reflect
a moment upon the entire coincidence and
concurrence of sentiment between the
North and The South upon these questions
at the period OF the adoption of The Con-
stiion. But:opinions. sir, have charged
greatly chang ged--changed North and
changed South. Slavery is not regarded
in the South nnw as it was lhen. | see al,
honorable member Of this body paying Inc
the honor ol lis;ering TO my remarks; j.; lie
brings TO me. SIR freshly and ,is idly the
sentiments OF his great ancestor, so much
distinguished in his day and generation, 80
worthy 10 5e succeeded by so worthy a
grandson, with all the sentiments he .x-
pressed in the Convention in Philadelphia.
Here we may pause. There was, if not entire
unanmity, general ConcurI enCe of sentiment iun-
ming thorugh the whole community, ard especially
enfn inedh nv no Rn,iu m al pf