The southern press., 1850-10-09
SPEECH OF
uur., n sewaId, of New foIk'
n. r.;,,,;o,, in the District 0 Co'"mos". Ds
SPEECH OF

~ r.;,,,;o,, in the District Qf Cot""o'". Ds
-. -, Senate of the United Staies, Sepfemts
IL, 1880
49,. c,.x,s bill for the abolition Of the sior
n he District OF Columbia being under con
s,ds,aror in Committee OF the Whole, Mr.
ns..cr. Of Maryland, moved amendments which
aroy;dei that the offence of enticing slave to es
t.ne or the offence of assisting or favoring suci
nm escape, or of harboring slave with a view &c
assist his escape from slavery, should be felony
punishable with not less than two nor more thar
ten years imprisonment in the Penitentiary and
further conterring upon corporations in the DIS
trict of Columbia authority TO impose conditions
upon the residence of free colored persons with
in the District.
These amendments were adopted by vote o
yeas 26, nays Is whereupon Mr.. SEWARD, sub
mitted proposition to strike out the whole bill
anJ insert the following
AMENDMENT AS SUBSTITUTE:
SEC /. Slavery shall forever cease within the
District of Columbia, and all persons held in
bondage therein shall be free. The Secretary OF
the Interior shall audit and pay, to all persons
holding slaves within the District at the time this
act takes effect, such damages they shall suffer
by the passage thereof; and the sum Of two hun
dred thousand dollars is hereby appropriated to
cIrry this act into execution, out ot any money
in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
SEc. 2. An election shall be held in the Dis
trict of Columbia to ascertain whether this bill is
approved by the people thereof. Those who an
prove the act shall express their appreciation by a
ballot containing the words "For emancipation in
the District" Those who opposed shall vote
by ballot containing the worls, 'Against eman-
cipation in the District" All persons entitled to
vote for any municipal officer in the District, and
all citizens of the United States residing within the
District permanently, shall be deemed qualified TO
vote such election. Such election shall be held
within six months from the passage of this act,
IL. axr, sl>.,oo
to be given by the Marshal of the District. IT.
majority of the votes given at such election shall
be IN favor of this act, it shall go into effect imme-
diately If a ma jnrty Of the votes shall be agains,
the sam-, this act shall be VOID and Of no effect.
The question being the amendment,
Mr.. SEWARD rose and said
Mr.. PRESIDENT, in submitting so grave a
proposition us this, am aware that it would have
been no unreasonable demand on the patience Of
the Senate or that Of the country, to have asked
tor time enough to explain the policy of the mea-
sure, and to defend the form in which it was SUBJ
mi,ted. But there remain only fifteen secular
days of this session Of Congress, and in my judg-
ment the time has come for debate to cease, and
for action TO go on. For this reason forbore
from debate on offering the amendment and for
bore, also, because at an earlier stage Of the
session had discussed at large all the principles
involved in the measure. | had another reason
for that forbearance.
JUDGE and no injustice to Others may be allowed
to remark that the abolition of slavery anywhere
seems to me just and wise policy, provided it
can be effected without producing injury out
weighing its benefits. Opposition to emancipa-
ton in the District of Columbia, therefore seemed
to me to be bad cause, and IT is the nature Of a
bad cause to betray itself. did not mistake, then
In supposlng that the opposition which my pro-
position would encounter, would prove it's bes
vindication.
Influenced by these considerations, shall moi
now address myself to the broad merits Of the
question, but shall be content with simply ad
vertng to the points which have been made during
the present debate. The first point was made by
the honorable senator from Georgia, Mr.. DAw
SON, with the concurrence of some other senator's
and consisted in the improper or bad motive
which they saw mt To impue to the author Of tn
measure. Sir, the great instructor in the art G
reasoning Lord Eacon) teaches that it is bette
always to answer TO the ''mat,er" Of an udversar
than to his ''person. The imputat,on of me-
tives does not come within that RUE, and therefor
it falls at my feet. The measure have su,mitts
is either right or wrong. fright, no unworth
ness of motive of mine can detract from its merits
if wrong, no purity of motive can redeem it,
The second point is that which has been so fu
ly answered by the honorable and distinguishe
senator from Kentucky LMr. Crawl viz tha
Congress has no power to abolish slavery in tn
District of Columbia find that power in th
Constitution, and it is defined by these words
'To exercise exclusive legislation in all case,
whatsoever over such district, not exceeaine tel
mi es square, as may, by cession Of particular
States, and the acceptance Of Congress, become
the seat of Governme At OF the United States.''
The District Of Columbia is that district not ex
ceeding ten miles square. 1t has become the sea
Of the United Sthtes by cesson of the State O
Maryland, accepted by Congress. 1t is Of tn
very nature Of the power that it is Exclusive,
applies 'tto all cases whatsoever" whene ,er til
in fha da6n a1 ,ta
OF the Government of the United States. This,
think, is a conclusive answer to the argument q
the honorable senator from Kentucky, that il i.
limited by an implied understanding that it should
not be exercised to abolish slavery Neither could
the Stale Of Maryland make nor could the United
States yield such reservation.
An ercfusire power is that power which is pos
sessed and may be exercised indepently of all
other soveregntes en- earth. Congress-, then,
having Exclusive power" has absolute sover-
eighty, unless cases be excepted in which it shall
not be exercised. But such exceptions are exclu-
ded by the broad expression, sin all cases what
soever."
Those who framed the Constitution were fully
aware of the extent of the power which it con-
ferred. Mr.. Madison thus describes it in the 43d
number Of the Federast
"The indispensable necessity of complete au-
thority at the seat Of Government carries its own
evidence with it, 1t is power exercised by every
Legislature Of the UEion--I might say of the
worldly virtue of its general supremacy
Yes, sir, it is complete, not an imperfect power
II is power over the District, equal to any au-
thority which can be exercised by ann Legislature
Of any" State in this Union" or by any Legisa-
ture Of any State nation :" in the ,corid" Ii is
power described in the philosophy of Govern
ment as "snmmum imperium, summo ,nodo''-a
power, within the region Of its exercise, complete
absolute, universal. Now, every Legislature in
this Union, every sovereign authority in the
world, has the power TO abolish slavery. More
than half the States in this Union have abolished
or prohibited it, France, England, and Mexico
have abolished and prohibited it. Congress can
do, IN the District of Columbia, what they have
done within their respective dominions.
dwell upon this point only moment longer.
Slavery within the District of Columbia exists
only by the action of Congress. Instead Of pur-
SUING the argument further, to prove that Congress
mas the power to make free man, demand
PROOF that Congress possess the power to make
slave, or hold in bondage.
All the other points viii h have been raised, ap
ply, not to the merits Of the proposition for eman
cIpauon, but only TO thu form and manner of car
YYJng 1t effect Such We're the o,iect; IN N,