The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-10-10
THE NATIONAL ERA WASHINGTON D. c., OCTOBER 10, 1850

New Jersy admits the general principle for which
contend that slave escaping into free territory
Is free But he says that we should deny 70 the
escaned slave the benefit Of this common-law prn-
ciple-that we should, to use his own expression,
Override It. He claims that we have the con-
sttutonal power 10 do so in virtue OF the general
authority of Congress over the Territories lie
insists that we may if we choose establish slavery
in the Territories as fully as IL is established in
any State or. to the limited extent Of providing
for the seizure and extradticn as slaves fugtives
from service escaped into them
He asks how If do not admit this doctrine, |
can vote for the Proviso? will tell him. de-
nv the right of the General Government to es-
tablish slavery but affirm its right and duty to
prohibit. A legislature may, apprehend, be
restrained from allowing the introduction within
its jurisdiction of persons infected with the plague,
and yet have full power to prohibit 1t.
The honorable Senator says, also, that good
faith requires US TO continue ana protect tne
shareholders right in his slave so Tar as 10 enaoie
him to follow him if he escapes into the Terrific
ries and bring him back am net insensible, l
trust. to such an appeal But when | am asked
to assume an obligation not imposed by the Con-
stitution and to sanction by my vote the reduc-
ton of any person to slavery, must be permitted
to doubt whether good faith requires any such
action from me. | am unwilling to make sup
plement to the Constitution for the sake Of erect
inc bulwark for slavery. | am unwilling to 60
beyond the pOsGiUs rlq@ireme@S OF the Constfeu-
tion for that object DO not believe IL to be right
1t is not, in my judgment, case for the exercise
of discretion.
chamber. admits the general principles upon which
| stand, in respect to slavery; but they deny the
business of my conclusions, and insist that they
ought not, under the Constitution, to be applied
to the Territories | have the misfortune to differ
! from them. think that principle, right in them
selves ought to be applied wherever applicable.
MIR BALDWIN made some further remarks il
vndication of his positions.
Mr. YULEE, declared that he felt little Interest
in the BILL believing that no law which could be pas
sed could have much effect He referred to the Con
venton of fugitive slaves, and their friends in SEES
sion, at that moment, in the State Of New York
and read an extract from their address to thu
slaves in the Southern States.
Mr. DoDGE of Iowa replied to Mr.. YULEE, anC
read as an offset to the address to the slaves thu
act to regulate blacks and mulattoes passed By
| the Legislature of Iowa
! Mr. CHASE then said
desire merely to recall the Senate to the rea
question under consideration The remarks anC
extracts Of the Senator from Florida, Mr.. YULEE,
and the law of Iowa read by Mr. DoDGE, are
equally wide from the simple question which i;
before us which is whether we will strike fron
this bill for the recapture of fugitive slaves, thu
}Sovsios far the sej1pre and suzrea3ey PfsnGh ner
l sons, when they shall have escaped into the Ter
ritories Of the United States.
The question being then taken upon Mr.
CH.sE's amendment, it was rejected as follows:
YEA-Mr Chase,
NAYS Messrs. Atchison, Badger, Baldwin
Barnwell, Bell Berrien, Bradbury, Butler, Cass
Clarke, Cooper Davis Of Massachusetts,, Davi
of Mississippi, Dawson, Dayton Dodge of Wis
consin, Dodge of Iowa, Downs, Greene, Hamlin
Houston, Hunter, Jones, King, Mangum, Mason
! Pearce, Rusk, Sebastian, Shields, Smith, Soul6
Spruance, Sturgeon, Turney, Underwood, Wales
Walker, Whitcomb, Winthrop and Yulee-4l.