The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-06

treme pro- slavery patty which goes for the largest
bondage. He would sever all diplomatic relations
between this country and Austria, because she has
robbed the Hungarians of part of their liberties.
while he is drawing closer the political ties which
bind him to the South, which has despoiled three
millions of Africans of all their liberties, and is now
intent on propagating other millions for
despoliations. He claims, as the great bequest of
the barons of Runnymede, that the inhabitants of
the territories under all circumstances of infancy,
or poverty, or weakness, shall have the sole and
exclusive right of governing themselves; when the
practical result Of this doctrine, nicely timed,
would be, that part of those inhabitants would
be crowned with power like many King Johns,
10 lord il over their vassas. Under the name of
liberty he enters path that Terminates in bondage.
Southern gentlemen had all admitted the power of
Congress to legslate for the territories though they
denied the special inference. deducible from the
general power, that they could egislate 10 prohibit
slavery in them But seeing that the right to legis-
late the subject of slavery flows irresstibly from
the right to legisatc all other subjects, because
no rule OF interpretation, which comedies the power
TO make laws respecting political franchises, courts
crimes, officers, and the militia, can stop short at
the subject of slavery;-seeing all this, General
Cass denies both inference and premises, and places
the General Government in the relation of foreign
power to the territories which it owns and of which
it possesses the acknowledged sovereignty. He
reminds of the man who denied the existence of
future punishment, and, when pressed with argu-
ments drawn from the deserts of men, and from the
justice of God, he suddenly arrested his antagonist
by denying the existence Of God
When some immensely long speech, made in the
British House of Commons, was spoken of before
Sheridan being luminous, he expressed both a
negative and an affirmative opinion respecting 1t,
in single word, by replying that it was DO lumin-
General CAss, in speech that fills more than
nineteen columns in the Washington Union, has
reviewed the decisions of all the judges of the Su-
preme Court who have expressed any opinion
on the subject of Congressional power over terrific
rial legislation; he has commented upon the views
of all the jurists who have written upon it, and of
most of the speakers in both Houses of Congress
who have discussed it, he has surveyed the course
of administration Of all the Presidents we have ever
had and has come to the clear conclusion that all
of them,-judges, jurists, legislators, and Presi-
dents have systematically violated the Constitution
Of the United States, commended its violation,
on every practicable occasion for the last sixty
years!
Omitting the hundred ways in which the absurd
ity Of this conclusion be exposed let me subject
it to practical test We have acquired territory
from Mexico. General CAss voted to ratify the
treaty of cession. Measures have been instituted
for the formation of three separate governments in
this Tcrritory-those of California, Deseret, and
New Mexico. The boundaries marked out by Cali
ornia and Deseret overlay each other to the amount
elusive right of self government, General CAss
declares and Congress none, then they must settle
this question of boundary themselves. They may
declare war against each other, make alliances
with foreign powers, equip armies, build fleets;
while Congress can do. nothing within their limits
but-sell land.
But what renders the argument of General CAss
still extraordinary is the fact, that, according
to his doctrine he has spent the greater part OF
his political life in violating the Constitution, while
constantly repeating his oaths to support It, AS
marshal of Ohio, as governor OF Michigan, as In
dian agent, he has appointed officers and magis-
trates, and executed laws, when, according to his
own showing, he a mere interloper and usurper;
he has met territorial legislatures which had nc
more right to assemble than mob; he has doubt,
less imprisoned, if not executed, many alleged
offenders who had as good legal right to execute
or TO imprison him; and he has received salaries
| for more than twenty years, to which the Khan Of
| Tartary was as much entitled as he. Now, II he
will refund the salaries he has
4 ceived make reparaton for the penalties or for
| FIXTURES he has wrongfully extorted; show some
signs of contrtion for the men whom he has unlaw-
fully imprisoned hung, it will remove the suspi-
cons of many minds, in regard TO the sincerity, il
| not the soundness, of his argument.
mention these facts from no personal feelings In
| regard 10 the Senator from Michigan; but only to
| show 10 what desperate extremities men driven
1 in order to defend the right Of spreading slavery
from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean; and because
this is the last reading of the Constitution which
| has been invented for the purpose.
Since the last session Of Congress, the condition
OF part of this territory has greatly changed The
unexamped velocity with which living stream Of
men has poured into IL within the last twelve months
has reversed its condition and decided its destiny
In other countries indipduais seek their fortunes
| by changing their residence. Underth vehement
action Of our enterprise, cities migrate. The new
residents of California have framed constitution
| have applied for admission into this Union, ano
their application is pending before US. OF their
| own accord, they have excluded slavery from
| their borders by their fundamental law. Until
| the discovery OF gold in that country, and until
| all incredulity in regard to that remarkable
| fact had been overcome, IL vas confidently an
ticipatcd at the South, and intensely feared
at the North, that the whole region would be
| oyerrun with shareholders and with slaves Az
far back as is42 Mr.. Wise, of Virginia, the ad.
j ministrntion leader in the House OF Representa-
tves, boldly declared that slavery should pour a.
self abroad ,cithoa restraint and find no limit b'
| The Southern Ocean" The war with Mexico waf
waged for the two-fold purpose Of robbing that
public Of lie territory, and then OF robbing that
territory Of its freedom. Congressional orators
and the Southern press avowcd that the object o
| acquiring territory 10 extend the "dvinc in
stitutionD could quote pages in proof Of this as
| sertion. The North had no hope, the South had nc
fear, il the territories left without control
that they would first be filled with Shareholders and
would then incorporate slavery into their organic
law. While these hopes and apprehensions existed
the South insisted that the Territories should be le
| untrammelled. Distinguished men in this House
| Mr.. Calhoun and other Senators, the Government
| organ which was supposed TO express the views o.
| the President and his Cabinet, all proclaimed that
the Territories should be left free TO institute such
government as they might choose But since
sIn February, IS47, Mr.. Calhoun offered serie,
Of resolutions in the Senate Of the United States
i among which was the following:
"Rts0lred, That II - fundamental principlc IN
| our political creed, that people, in forming
constitution, have the unconditional right 10 form
and adopt the government which they may thint
best calculated to secure their liberty, prosperity
and happiness; and, in conformity thereto, nc
| other condition is imposed by the Federal Const
tuition on State, in order to be admitted into thii
| Union, except that its constitution shall be re-
publican; : and that the imposition Of any other by
Congress would not only be in violation OF tho
Constitution, but in direct conflict with the prin
ciplc on which political system rests"
In sustaining these resolutions, he said
"Sir, hold il 10 be a fundamental principle o
our political system that the people have right
TO establish what government they may think
proper for themselves; that every State ABOUT "a
become a member of this Union has right "a
FORM ITS own GOVERNMENT As 1T PLEAsrs; and
that, in order to be admitted, there is but one
qualification, and that is that the government
shall be republican. There is no express provi.
sion 10 that effect, but il results from that inpor
tant section which guarantees to every State in
this Union a republican form Of government"
Mr.. Senator Downs, Of Louisiana, offered the fol-
lowing resolution
Resolved, That il Is competent and expedient
and not inconsistent with the practice Of the Gov
ernment in some cases, to admit California, or
such portion Of IL as Congress may deem proper
Immediately into the Union, ON an equal footing
~ q. hiatt he