Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-08-08
THURSDAY. AUGUST s. 1850.

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provision ir the constitutiou. BY an amend
ment, which will restore 70 the South, il
substance, the power she possessed of pro
tecting herself before the equilibrium be
tween the sections was destroyed BY the &C.
ton Of this Government" =,
Is it true, Mr.. President, that the preser.
walton of the Union depends upon the per.
Torrance OF all these conditions On the ma n
Of the North? If il does, / despair of il
its days are numbered, and the hdhrofdark.
ness will soon be upon Us. We claim No
exclusive right to :he territories belonging
to the Union. They are open alike 10 the
North aud the South. But the local instr
tutions Of neither section Of the country
can be carried into them.s The banker OF
the North, who issues HE bills by virtue Of
a law Of the State in which:he resides, can
not carry his bank chai3f6 C alifoFh,S, or
New Mexico. and issd1 - bills there. Nor
can the planter of the south, who holds his
negroes in bondage by virtue Of the local
law Of his state, carry them into the terri
tory # the United States, and hold them in
bondage there. The people in both SEC
lions Of the country are on perfect eqaal-
ity as TO their rights in territory belonging
to the Union. That slavery is sfafui un-
known to the common law, and contrary to
the law Of nature, and exists only by posi-
tive Legislative enactment, is question no
longer open to discussions. II has been set
tied over and over again by the highest Judi
ciaI tribunals in both the slave and the free
states. go
The people Of the North, as far as
know, stand ready faithfully TO fulfil all the
stipulations of the constitution relative to
fugitive slaves. But, sir, difference of
opinion exists between the two sections of
the country as to the measure Of duty on
the part Of the free states. We sand upon
the decision Of the Supreme Court of the
United States, in the case Prigg against
Penns,lvania. and maintain that our true
measure Of duty is there laid down, and we
conform TO it. Congress having regulated
the mode Of reclamation by the act Of 1893,
the states have no constitutional power to
legislate on the subject. The whole matter
is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the
General Government. The states, there
fore, have nothing to do but to remain pas
sive. They NAV, however, il they choose,
prohibit their officers from acting under the
law of 1898. And now, sir, if we in all
things conform to the decision Of the Su-
preme Court Of the United States, touching
the reclamation Of fugitive slaves, have the
southern states any lust cause of complain,
against US? apprehend not. But uncon-
laws. il is said. have been passed
in the free states, not only impeding, but
rendering it almost impossible for the mas
ter to reclaim his fugitive slave. Well, sir,
il is quite possible that some ofihe northern
states. provoked aud irri,ated BY the impris-
onmen, and sale into slavery Of their free
colo.ed citizens in the ports of the south,
for no no crime but their color, have passed
laws designed to protect their own citlzens,
which have turned out to be unconstitution-
a.. But. sir, the moment the decision Of
the Supreme Court of the United States in
the case of Prigg vs.. PENNSYLVANIA became
known to the country. all state laws in any
way conflicting with it were promptly re-
pealed. The great mass Of the people in
the free states, in my humble judgment,
stand ready to fulfill all their constitutional
obligations to the south in regard TO the sur
render Of fugitive slaves. They regard the
as the supreme law ofthe land,
and no con scientious scruples will deter
them from faithfully carrying out all its pro-
visions. Sir. if there were an article in
that sacred instrsmeut that could not sus-
tain aud carry out, without doing violence
to INV conscience. / would retire from pub
lie life. and pray God to forgive me for hav-
inr sworn. at YOUR desk. to support it.
In regard to the agitation Of tie slave
question. l have but a word to say. That
will. no doubt. cease when the agrressions
Of the slave power upon the rights Of the
North cease, and not before. But will
say here, that the subject Of slavery, as il
exists ia the states of the Union, we do not
agitate. tits subject with which we have
nothing 10 do. We are in no way respon-
sibIe for it, and we say nothing about it
But the propriety Of sustaining slavery in
the District of Columbia, the expediency
Of introducing it into the free, territories of
the United states. are questions in which
we have an interest, and we shall continue
10 discuss them, until they are settled by the
tribunals OF the country; and,
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