Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1850-03-07
SECOND DAY.

with the expectation of hearing him !
making any display, they would be
greatly disappointed; his own health;
the season of the year, as well as the !
season Of his own life, all admonished !
him TO say only so much as was neces.
sary to the explanation and support of
the measure under consideration.
He then proceeded to argue that it is
ine1pedient to abolish slavery in the
District of Columbia whilst that insii.
tuition continues TO exist in Maryland,
without the consent Of the people Of the
District, and withou, jus, compensation
to the owners of slaves within the Dis.
trct.
The people OF this District were in
an anomalous condition. They are
people governed by an arbitrary power.
They are taxed and governed by an
authority in which they have nn voice.
Arbitrary power he defined to be an
authority exercised by power in which
the people over whom it is exercised
have no Representative. Congress
having this arbitrary power, should
never exercise it in a manner harsh or
unkind. The consent Of the people
! should be first obtained. Tie resolution
did not stop here. 1t provides for
another thing. There should be just
compensation given to the owners of
slaves for their property. Congress
should be restrained by every motive Of
public policy and every principle Of
eternal Justice from depriving the peo.
pie of the District of their property
wi'hou, making jus, comPcnsatlon.- -
England and France, when they aboI.
, ished slavery in their possessions, did
o not do so without compcnsa,ing the
owners for their property; md these
countries were not bound by any writ
ten or unwrllen obligation to pay, but
there was that obligation which all ma.
,ions recognise, the obi CATION Of eternal
insiice. The provision in the constitu
ion which says ,ha, all private proper
y ~ taken for The use ofthc governme nj
must be paid for, did not literally au-
:. thorise this appropriation of public
: money. but by liberal Interpretation
Of the clause would make it that all
property taken for the use or at the in.
stance Of the government, would au-
;, thorize the paymen, for the slaves.
He said yesterday that there was
none Of the resolutions which did not
provide for mutual concessions. or
which did not concede 10 the South
without any compensation 10 the North
The North contends, and he thought
correctly, that Congress has the power
y to abolish slavery in the District. The
South denies this power. The North
: comedies, by this resolution, that it is
> inexpcdient, and makes and agrees that
slavery here shall be co.exislcnt will
= slavery in the States, but this conces
) sion was made in consideration of Tho
assertion that it was expedicnt to aboI
u ish the slave trade in the District. Tht
'e right and the power to do this he though
:" upaues,ionabEe. By an amendment t
~ The constitution, il was provided, tha
NJ all powers not granted expressly to con
'e gress were reserved TO the States ant
> to the people. This was applicable Il
% the powers Of congress over the people
- and the several States, Blu, in Tegarc
u to this District, he considered the re
Go verse was the law. Over this Distric
congress had the same powers viii
n The States had over all within ,hei
u own limits and congress had all pow
or ers over this District not expressly pr,
u.s. hibited by the Constitution. Their
Us was no State but what had action c
&c. the subject of the slave trade. Kcr
no lucky had placed in her own consit
On lion the same prohibition against brin
all ing slaves into tha, State to be dealt
nc as property, as was in the old constiI
lie ton. Mississippi had similar provi
ion. Maryland had provision on Il
'er same subject, and perhaps other State
he The adoption of,his resolution he d
so not think would be concession /
ay either class ofS,ates, but would be
$ acceptable 10 one as 10 the other. 3
ate in these days Of continual alarm, eve
the night when he went to bed and on r
ar ing in The morning, he apprehended