The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-05-11
Forth Free Trader
Slavery i'll the District Of Colnmbin.


The constitution Of the United States does no.
consider any class Of men as property, and Mr.
Gi!'iinss. in h. speech before congress IN March
1850, says that congress with one exception and
that was al oversight FROM The first session uu.
dgrtAe old conic .eraion TO 'h.- day has rejected
tie principle that mau can hold property ia man
Therefore the grrcnms1. has always refused g.
pay for slaves Rrllcl or lost 90 the public aer,i,,
He further says that Nh Madison declared boz Size
convention that ii would Dee wrou- tp admit 10 the
constitution that there could be property in man
To Ills opinion of lir Madison crcry member a..
seu,ed-n0 one co.royer,elit. TO rib, doctrine
Congress Is well Is the supreme co.I. Of the Uni
ted states has at all tune, adhered iI Is. then.
settled point. tia. Tie constitution does not To-
gard men "a property .4a !. they are not proper.
", can they be slaves! No. must be the answer
i'g slavery necessarily reduces men 10 the Conli
ton Of property, Where one exists, the Other
must exist also. H. them the constitution does not
consider men rs property it cannot consider or
treat them ne slaves Whence, then. docs con.
sres' derive ia power for continuing slavery IN the
District Of Columbia Not from the constitution.
fr (. not contained In that instrument Il gives
NJ power TO congress to lesisate ir the existence
t,iaycry IN the District or any where else, but It
clearly forb,d- any such legislation The const..
tulon declares that 20 man shall b. deprived Of
lie, liberty, or property, except 10y due process Of
law Have slaves ia the District or in any OF fine
states, been deprived Of thei, liberty and Of their
right ii property in themselves tv any due rrn.
cess OF law : Noou9 will ever pretend thi, Then
do NOT congress tramp.a GA this ar,c!e Of the con.
s'i.u'ion in continuing slavery in the District Z
1ley certainly continue to deprive men Of their
tight to own themselves, and Of thciriJgr,v, which
Is the same rs taking the private property of one
'fyEI Il
any L, WpCn=aliun And dis very act Of congress
makes me- property contrary to their profession.
and contrary t. The decision Of the supreme court
This, then. must be q, violation OF the contribution
and no prr.cn led comprom. @ can excuse il. They
are unlcr oath to be guided by the constitution in
all their pull lie acts, and nothing external can
warp their minds from the plain meaning Of this
instrument. Here their powers are all defined
and nowhere else. Shoul they depart from this
instrument IN one instance on account Of any pre-.
tensions whatever, they might in another an, tha
liberty and interests Of individuals and even %!
many portions Of the country would be leopard
lied, IL not entirely ruined. Congress has no
powers but what are found in the constitution
and they have no right TO go to any thing foreign
from this instrument TO learn and know their duty
BY this they are bound in all their acts of egisla
ton.
Again--The constitution made all the people o
the United States citizens under the government
to be established by 1t. And who are the people
Tic constitution must determine this point. Tho
written instrument, must determine the parties tc
it. And this says, ave, the people of the United
States, do ordain and establish this constitution
&c, and does this mean all the people 1t Ger
tairly must, unless exceptions are found in the
constitution And are there exceptions To be foun,
here Nonc--eNccpt plnpers, yagabonds, and
criminals, and aliens may bc added. 1t il settled
by the United States courts that the government
of these states proceeds directly from the people
Ii Is ordained and established in the name of the
People not by the United States in their soycr
eign capacity; but emphatically, as the preamble
states BY the People Of these United States See
l Nhcd'on SCI The people of these L. $, then
are parties to the constitution and citizens under i,
OF course neither they their po5tcrity nor any
portion ot them, can legally be cnclaved in Tho
L. ), The object of the constitution is, rs it de
clarcs, To secure the blessings of liberty to our
selves and our posterity. Andis this the supreme
law Of the land, above every thing else that may
be called law /; II Is Where then can YOU fin
room for slavery IL is not TO be found an,
where except where 1t is existing By usurpcr
power, Congress has power to make citizens o
all who are not already such. without any oxcop
tons This power therefore is inconsistent will
slavery. Besides the powers of the haboas cor
pus writ, forbid the cxstensc Of Slavery, 1t vii
libcratc all who are not legally held In custod,
10y some proper authority of governments an,
are slaves thus hCldin bondage by their masters
| trust not one will pretend this The writ nee
cssarily denies the right of property in men, otl,
crwisc IT would it, all cases. bc important. for
is principle in law, that possession, in property
" ptima iacic evidence OF ownership; Of course
any person. having another in his possession