The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-05-09

boundaries which have described was annexed
to West Florida. and thus il stood ut the Revolu-
ton and the treaty Of peace. Therefore the
United States claim il as common property, and,
in l79S passed the act now under review, for Its
Government. In that act she neither claimed nor
exerted any power to prohibit slavery IN IT,
And the question came directly before Congress
the Ordinance Of 1857 in terms was applied 10
this territory, expressly excepting ana exciu-
ding the last article Of the Ordnance. whlch Is
the article excluding slavery from the NORTH
west Territory. This is precedent directly in
point, and is against the exercise Of the power
now claimed. In 1902, Georgia coded her west
ern lands, she protected slavery in her grant,
and the Government complied with her stipula'
tons.
In 1908. the United States acquired Louisiana
from France by purchase. There IL no special
reference To slavery in the treaty 1t was protect
ed only under the general term OF property L MS
acquisition was soon after the treaty divided INTO
two Territories-the Orleans and the LOUISIANA
Territories-over both of which Governments
were established. The law Of slavery obtained
In the whole country at the time we acquired It,
Congress prohibited the foreign and domestic
slave trade in these Territories, but gave the pro-
tecion of its laws to slave-owners emigrating
thither with their slaves. Upon the admission OF
Louisiana into the Union, new Government was
established by Congress over the rest OF the
country, under the name OF the Missouri Terri
tory. This ect also attempted no exclusion )
shareholders emigrated to the country with their
slaves. and were protected by their Government.
In 1919, Florida was acquired by purchase; its
laws recognised and protected slavery at the time
of the acquisition The United States extended
the same recognition and protection.
a. al h Al
legislation of Congress from the beginning of the
Government until 1920, and it sustains my prop
osition, that within that period there was no
precedent where Congress had exercised, or at
tempted to exercise, any primary constitutional
power to prevent shareholders from emigrating
with their slave property to any portion of the
public lands /; and that it had extended the pro-
lection of its laws ond its such persons,
in all cases except in the Northwest Territory,
where it was fettered and restrained by an or
ganic law established before the formation of our
present Constitution. In 1920, this power of
Congress over the subject of slavery in the Ter
ritores was, for the first time, distinctly and
broadly asserted Ii was sternly resisted by the
South the struggle convulsed the Republic, it
resulted in what is called compromise, by which
Missouri was finally admitted into the Union
without any restriction against slavery in her
Constituton-and slavery was prohibited in all
that part Of the territory acquired from France,
not within the State of Missouri, lying above $50
30 north latitude. The South made this con-
oe.sion 10 union SCI harmony 4 sssr,eiy 20
mains to be seen whether this shall be an excep-
ton to the general rule that concessions to unjust
demands are fruitful Of nothing but future ag-
gressions We are now daily threatened with
every form of determination if we do not tamely
acquiesce in whatever legislation the majority
may choose to impose upon US in relation to this
subject The gentleman from Massachusetts,
Mr.. MANN threatens us with three millions of
hostages The means substituted in the persons of
our slaves, to enforce Free Soil insolence. The
gentleman from Illinois Mr.. BlssELL threatens
US twice, thrice, yea, four times nine regiments
ready to immediate themselves in this cause, under
pretext Of supporting the Union. These are
brave words, even for militia colonel; Illinois
can march down the regiments-she has sufficient
numbers how many fthem she will march back
again will depend upon ourselves. Gentlemen
may spare their threats; he who counts the
danger of defending his own honor is already de-
graded; the people who count the cost of main
tanning their political rights are ready for sa-
very. The sentiment of every true man at the
South will be- We took the Union and the
Constitution together--we will have both or We
will have neither. This cry of the Union is the
masked battery from behind which the Constitu
ton and the rights of the South are to be as
sailed. Let the South mark the man who is fol-
the Union at every hazard and to the last extrem.
ity; when the day of her peril comes, he will be
the imitator of that historical character to whom
the gentleman from Pennsylvania MIR. Nolan
AHAN referred, C. the base yudean who, for thirty
pieces of silver, threw away pearl richer than
all his triben
The South. sir. acouiesced in this compromise
Texas being the next acquisition after its adop-
ton, it was applied to that country. Our claims
to Oregon being settled, and all that country ly-
ing above the compromise line, the North applied
the prohibition of slavery to the whole of that
country, and the South acquiesced in it. Mr.
Polk placed his approval of the bill upon thai
express ground The North after applying the
compromise line to Texas, now seeks to get rid Of
it by restricting the just territorial rights and
limits of Texas. In this we think we have JUS
cause of complaint; but the gentleman from Ohio
Mr.. CAMrBELL manufactures out of this trans
action two Of the main counts in his indictment
against the South. That gentleman congratu
lates himself upon the fact that Ohio has school
houses and schoolmasters at home. From thu
singularly inaccurate account which he gave o.
that very recent and marked event in our public
history | could not resist the conclusion thai
Ohio needed her schoolmasters. That gentleman
charges the annexation of Texas upon the South
and through that policy, he says, Northern labo,
was stricken down by the overthrow of the Tariff
Of 1912, by the votes of the Senators from Texas
Mr.. CAMPBELL here stated that he said it wat
Southern policy.
Mr.. TooMBs continued Neither allegation is
supported by the facts. When Mr.. Tyler at
tempted to annex Texas by treaty, it was strongly
urged upon the South, on sectional grounds, by
distinguished gentlemen connected with his Gov
ernment On its presentation to the Senate il
was defeated by large majority, embracing both
Northern and Southern men IL was then taker
up by the Democratic party as party measure
it was declared bv them to be a great American
question. Mr.. Van Buren, was overthrow q,
Baltimore for opposing it; MIR. Polk was nomi
mated for the Presidency mlinly for his support
of it. Upon every Democratic flag throughout
the Republic-North, South. East, and West
were inscribed, Z" Polk, Dallas, Texas and Oregon u
The Democratic party triumphed; the Wing
party of the South combated it with fidelity
equal to that of the North both divisions of the
party were overthrow in their respective Sec
tions, and majority of the people at the North
rs well as the South sanctioned the annexation oil
Texas. After this decisive public verdict ia its
favor several Wings from the South voted for il
it had become q mere question of time and terms
of annexation Their constituents were deeply
interested in the terms. | then approved and
now approve their course. The Tariff of 1912
fell by the same means hostility to it was in.
scribed upon those same banners it became a
cardinal principle of Democratic faith; it was
promulgated by the same party convention, in
which the whole North was not only represented
but in which it had an overwhelming majority
If the act Of 1916 is undermining Northern indus
try, it is no fault Of ours. | and every othe,
Southern Wing, except my friend from Alabama
Mr.. HmLARp, voted against it. | have neve,
yet given sectional vote in these halls. | never
will. Whenever the state Of public opinion in
my own section shall deter me, or the injustice o.
the other shall incapacitate me from supporting
the true interests of the whole nation and the
just demands of every part Of the Republic,
Il IL