Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-03-02
ABOLITION OF SLAVERY IN MEXICO.
Ix sESArE-FEBRuAnr ~, 1850.


The Senate resumed the consideration Of the resolutions
submitted by Mr. CLAY, in relation to the adjustment OF the
questions controversy between the States OF the Union
arising ont Of the institution Of slavery.
Mr.. BENTON. Mr. President: II has been affirmed and
denied on this floor that slavery was abolished in Mexc,
o. those who affirm its abolition and propose now to
read passages from Mexican law for the purpose OF sup
porting my opinion In doing this, shall have recourse 70
authentic law publications in Mexico, and shall produce the
laws which rely, both in the original language and 10
English translation begin with the decree Of the Pre-
sident Guerrero in 1929, and read from book which was
printed n the city Of Mexico the year 1885, and which is
the eleventh volume of the laws Of Mexico officially pun
shed under the orders of the Supreme Government will
read the title page show its authentic and Official charac
ter. This is it:
Recoplacon de Ieyes, decresos bandos reglamentos
ccuares provdencias de los supemos poderes otras
auordades de epubca Mexcana Formada de orden del
Supreme Gobeno por al lie. Basio Jose Arrilaga."
In English this title reads thus Collection of laws de-
crees procamaons regulations circulars and official orders
Of the supreme powers other authorities of the Mexican
republic made by order Of the Supreme Government by the
lawyer Basilio Jose Arriaga"
From this title il will be that this volume, from which
propose read the decree Of 1922 is only authentic and
Official but that it is the work Of lawyer che
orders of The Supreme Government and supposed to know
what and what not the laws of his country With
this exposition of the character Of the work, and its title TO
credit proceed to read the decree II stands thus page
2l3, under the month Of September, s29
Dia l5-Decreto del Gobierno rirtud de facuAades
sesfraordinarias.
Abolicion de la esclautud en- la repabEcalo Queda
aboda Ia esclayitud la epubca % Son por consigui
bres los que hasa hoy habian considerable como
escavos 80 Cuando las circumstances del eraro 10 per-
man indemnzar los proprearios de esclavos en- los
serminos que dpusieren las eyes Use circulo Ell mismo
da la secreara de reacones Sc pubco en- bando de
1922
In ESeIrsH "Day 15-Decree 9th Government il
uirtue Of fertraordinary po,oers
"Aboltion Of slavery in the repubhc-lo. Slavery IS
al nflu free
who until now have been considered slaves 80. When
the Of the treasury permit it the owners Of
slaves shall be ndemnifed in the prescribed by the
laws. (Crculaed The day from the Department of
Relations, and published in the proclamation ote 10TH y
This the decree of Guerrero the validity of which has
been disputed, and not without reason if nohng further had
been done, 1t was Decree and not laws and decree
upon legislative subject Was executive decree upon
matter Of legislation, and its validity questioned at the
time Two years afterwards Chat is to say, in the year ls3l
the General Congress occupied itself with reviewing all the
of the President Guerrero in virtue Of the extraordinary
powers conferred upon him. and the 18th OF February OF
that year passed law in relation to them This law class
fled the whole of these acts annulled classes confirm
ed Others and reserved for the future revision OF the
General Congress- This latter class appears to have
pretended the decree Of the 18th September 1929 in rea
lion to the abolition Of slavery, and in these words:
&C., Todas las leyes decreos, regamentos, ordenes
provdencas que en- virtud de las cadas cutades
dnaras expdlo ell goberno, del resorte del poder
Legislative suean Ia calfcacion del Congeso Generals
quedando esde ahoa sin vao hasa su revision por las
scamaras."-p 3S.
orders and instructions issued by the Government in virtue
of its extraordinary powers and which of legislative cog
nz,nce viii be subject to the qualification Of the general
Congress- remaining from this time without force until their
srevision by the chambers."
This is cautiously drawn. 1t docs not aunul the de
Of the 18th of September does not confirm it it ad
mits its validity up that ime but suspends until the
General Congress should act upon it. This action took
- ,~Izz thouc
which was then passed. 1t is in the authentic colec
ton of the laws Of Mexico-Arillaga's collaboration
which have already read, and is volume thirteenth OF that
collection page 270 Of this voume under date OF April
5th, 1887, find this act of the General Congress
"DiG 5.-Queda aJohda la escauiiud Ia republca sin
ercepcion aigtsna.
"le. Queda aboda, sin exception agupa, la escavtud
sen toda la republca. 80 Los dueos de escaVos manum
dos po presene ley por decretode de Setembre
de 1929, Recopilacsn de p 2l3,) ndem
nzados del nteres de elos, esmandose este po la caca
scion que haga de cadades personaes cuyo eecto
Sc nombrara perio por Ell comisaro general quen
shaga veces por ell dueo de dscordia
ercero, que nombrar e acade constitutional respec
vo sin que pueda mteponerse aguno de esa de-
Termination La indemnzacion de que haba este arculo
no end ugar epecto de los coonos de Texas que hayan
ftonado pare la evoucion de aque depsrtamiento. Use
tcreuk el mismo a por el niserio del interior Sc
fpnblsco en- bando de ~
In EsGLtsu ssDay 5.-Sizrgy IS abolished IN the Re-
public ,oitho,t any exception.
eel Slavery is abolished without any exception, in the
whole Republic. Q The masters Of slaves manumed by
the present law, by the decree of the l5h of September
t1s29 (Recopilacon Of that month"; p. 2l3 shall be in
Identified for their value d nres de e0s according
ihe estimate which shall be made Of their personal quaies
to which effect there shall be named competent person
Gun pero by the conmssary general whoever occupies
his place. and another by the masters and in of disa
greement third who shall be named by the respective
tstuonal alcade, without any from this determ
nation The ndemnicaton Of which this article speaks
ssha have operation with respect TO those colonists Of
Texas who may have taken part in the revolution Of that
department (Crcdated the same day by the Mnisfer Of
se1 e1ateror, and published in proclamation Of the 7h
This act of the General Congress full confirmation of
the Presidential decree Of September 1922 and that without
reference the ming of the verb qued twice used
and which signifies literally renains" The literal
aton would be, "sapey remains abolished" dc, which
would Imply that it had been abolished before translate
automatically, and equivalent is; bat consider Of
no Importance here the law expressly confirms The abo
ton decree Of Guerrero.
Thus Car have decree disputed abolshing slavery in
Mexico, and law, not dispuabIe, confirming that decree
and here might stops blthe requires go on,
and produce other law, and still higher than that which
have quoted aude the constitution Of the republic of
Mexico OF the year lS43 have copy Of the Mexican
stituon OF that autsEic copyprntea under the
license which the law requires For avoid in the
editions of that fundamental law, it is forbid, by law be
reprinted except by the permssoz Of the Supreme Govern
ent or OF the General Congress This copy il printed in
the city OF Mexico the 18th day of June, ls43the day Of
the signature and promulgaon Of the bears
its authorization upon its title page consider it ahenic,
ssHton, and under the head which the rights d the
nhakans OF the republic, and at the head of the
ton 6 those rights stands this declaration
u Ninguno esclavo Ell errorie de In nacion, a
que Sc introduced consderaa csse de bre, qus-
dande bajo Ia protection do las leyes."