New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-09-14

49, !. conclusive answer 70 she WBiueh' W
tss Hon. Senator from kensnoEy bus ls IL lal.'ou
she nlied understs ndpg that IL should not oe
o1arr;,ed TO abolish Slavery Nelther could sne
STATE Of Maryland make, nor could the Unised
asstes Weld, such reservation
An egciusiue power 10 that power which is pos,
sessed and may be exercised independently OF al
other sovereignties on earth. Congress toen nav
10 exclpsve now err has absolute sovereignty. un.
lesa cases be excepted in which it shall not Dc eX-
eyoised Bus such exec ptiona are excluded oy tue
broad expression "in all cases whatsoever
Those who framed the Constitution were tally
aware Of the extent OF 'he power which IL CONFER
red. MIR Maditon thus describes II IN 1ne 7'N
number Of the FtdeTokst'
nyhe indispensable necessity Of complete authority "ttps
,e. o, Goye1pme carries its owe e'idenee WIN u ~
apower e1erced by every Legsstnre Q, 'n7 nersi an
night say. of me worldly virtue OF TO gehoiA '''
premscy"
Yes Sir, il is complete not al imperfect power.
u ia mower over the District equal TO any autnor.
;tv which can be exercised by any Legislature OF
"snv state in ibis Uniou, or by any Legislature
of any State or nation 81 IN the coorEd Il IS
nower described in the philosophy of Government
"a "suDpnina impeviun ,umsnuDs mod0,' power,
within the region of lie exercise, complete. aoso-
lute. universal Now every Legislature IN this
Union every sovereign authority in the World mas
the power 10 abolish Slavery. More than hall OF
the States in this Union have abolished or pro-
bibited it, France England and Mexico have aoo
isbed and prohibited it. Congress can DO In tae
Diatfict Of Columbia what they have done within
their respective domiDons
Iawell upoo this poiot only q moment longer.
Slavery within the District Of Columbia exlsss only
by the action of Congress. Instead OF pursuing
the argument further to prove that Congress has
the mower to make free man, / demsn proof that
Copgress possesses the power TO make slave. or
hold man in bondage. All the other points Wncn
have been raised apply not to tho merl.e oil the
propc sition for Emancipation but only 70 the Iorm
and N amer OF carrying il into effect. 5ocn Vere
The objection raised by my honorable and esteemed
frie nd from Connecticut Mr. B aldwin) and my no
Iean honorable and steemed friend from Massachu-
sesls. fMr Winthrop 1t will be seen at once that
these objections copcede that the principle OF the
measure is right Nevertheless, without holding
those gentlemen to this concession. bat leaving
them TO Judge and act for themselves, shail be con-
tent to ply to them far only as to vindcate the
plan OF Emancipation embodied in the amend
ment What then Ia the form, and what the mar-
ner proposed? The amendment declares that
Slavery shall forever cease in the District Oh Coum
bia and that all persons held In bondage therein
when the act shall go into effect, shall be tree As
directs the Secretary OF the Interior 70 pay me
damages which any persons holding slaves within
Sbe Digtrict shall incur by reason OF it's passage,
and il appropriates 100000 fund Tor that pur-
pose The amendment further provides for an cleo
ton in which the qualified and competent citizens
of the Diatrict shall express their appreciation OF
[eapprobaton OF the act L. Iney uisdPPfoFo H.
it shall be void and of no effect
| submit. Sir In the first place, that the plan is
4sde0uote 1t will secure the abolition OF Slavery
yitbip the District if it obtains the consent oil shoae
who are most particularly concerned In the ques'
ton. have not learned from either OF my honor
able friends that he lie in favor oil emanclpetlng sne
alayes without the consent OF the people In the DIS
trict, and we have all heard other honorable Sen.
stors insist upon that consent as Indispensable /
do not insist upon it for myself | have only sur.
rendered &c much to their objections but II ma
or.y of the Senate should waive the objection,
il would give me pleasure to modify the plan &C
oordiDgy. :.
Second The plan is an equal one. While it
confers upon the aave the inestimabe boon OF
freedom, it awards TO him who, by authority OF
Congress, has hitherto held him in bondage, just
remuneration ard indemnity for his loss 1t Ia then
adequate and equal
Tbgydlv the plan ia not violent nor caprcious,
but deliberate and prudent; for 1t makes this sol
emn trans action to depend upon a canvass to be
continued not ess than three months nor more than
ak months, among the people of the District
Fougthly, the plan is broad enough em III
formed by, believe, creditabe evidence, that the
number Of slaves within the District ascertaned
nv the Census, male snd female, old and young,
great and small is about 600, and that their value
In estimated by those who regard them as subjects
oftraiRo CD certainly do not, at $500 for each per
son. or in the aggregate $4,000
The amendment spproprlates two honofed shou,
sand dollars II the sum ia too great, nothing VIII
be- lost II it be too small the deficiency eau be
now or afterward supplied.
But nv honorable friend from Massachusetts
fMr. Winthrop Objects that the amendment con-
saips no provision for the support OF tue slaves or
of any of them after their emancipation sr IL /,
could admit that tha OBJ ecsion had weight, IL YOU'D
be asufcieps answe tnRt In the Judgment OF osher
Senators such provision would only tend TO de-
feat the object in view II those honorable SenH'
tors think err in this let them submit such pro
vision and If it do not embarrasa the bill! 1t aha
receive nay vote.
grounded. The slave 10 held in bondage not for
bia own support and for his benefit bat Tor the
support and benefit OF his master. IL Is the slave
then that supports and contributes to the support
of the master and not the master that supports the
slave. II is not in humanity that IL shou0 Dc OH
eryise Relieve the slave then from the support
+, of his master, and his whole energies will be oil
rocted to making provision for himself and hia OWE
family The instincts OF the common nature whlct
he sbares with us will do the rest. But you may
reply that these persons are degraded 30 az t. Of
unable to take care OF themselves. un the con
srsry, it ia in thia District that the nssltutcn as
sumes its most cheerful, least repulsive aspect
Here in the center Of the [ mon, in the Uapltai
this free Empire the African race has been held
in bondage from generation TO generation thtougt
a period of near two hundred years. w eau trust
We all believe that the ultimate result of the traus
fer of this foreign population to our own shores Ia
to be the bringing Of them into condition to support
themselves and TO exercise the privileges oil sell
government 1t iR aad commentary upon tot
operation of our institutions so say that two hun
dred years have not been enough to bring these
six hundred persons, under such favorable auspices
to the capability of providing for their own daily
wants.
The next objection 70 the measure which shal
notice IL, THAI it ia an indisoreet one. This
think was the language Of my honorable friend from
Mass MIR Winthrop. The objection implies as
sent to the Justice and wisdom Of the measure IT
asaf, and taheR issue only upon the time occasion
=. OF. circumstances, under which 1t is proposed
.s.syneedes moreover that it would be proper at &
~ MiIaranf time ON anme other OCCASION or in some