Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-09-07

beve In the slave States themselves thar the oiaaton
70 whites has bean fully a. great in proportion numbers
ices you will find cases Of susng cases Of separation
be members of the family forced amongst the whites
ot by the will Of another II true but by circumstances
ecessiy equally as memorable in the other instance
With these views, Mr.. President / feel bound to yoa
igainst this bill. know what censures It will make M,
,bnoxious. know what may be said In relation TO m,
curse Sir il may be supposed that in doing this am ut
try nsensbe TO the happiness of the negro race It wou
doing great injustice to my feelings and to my early asso
cations suppose that could be indifferent to their happi
have been raised, sir amongst the blacks. Some
ITEM belong to depend upon NY totterng steps in
Infancy were guided by negro, and can II be supposed
should be insensbe to the force of such associations
and such ties And, if know myself this day. should b.
ready and willing to make sacrifices contribute to the hap
pness of the black where il did involve too far The
welfare of another to which more attached But
believe that the happiness Of each may be made compatible
with that of the other that the progress Of both may
be consistent with each other, and that if these bings
left to the people Of the slave States themselves thew
will take that which will not only conduce to The
welfare Of the white but Of the negro race itself And
strange gentlemen may think and strange as il NAV
appear in opposing this bill am acting as verify believe
only the advocate Of the white race but Of the black
because know, you take from that race the capacity for
emigration BY any system OF legislation you strike the
deadly Of all possible blows its future advance and happ
for you could do nothing which would nct so much
misery on them, or prove to be deeper curse
Mr.. President, if vote for this bill must make as 1t
seems to me- fatal admissions. II be wrong to sell
slave from another State in the District of Columbia il
wrong to do so in Virginia II it be wrong to sell slave
from State to another wrong sell from one man to
another If slaves become inaenabe then slavery becomes
mpraccabe in the present state Of society; and abolition in
some shape must be the result Yes sir if all these things
be wrong would not be difficult show that the institution
Of slavery cannot be right.
Nh. PEARCE. have prepared an amendment TO the
original bill which is remedy the defects in the law as it
now exists shall not now offer IT, however because the
If
before the Senate, and desire to perfect that amendment
The Senate viii ecoect the of the seduction
of negroes from the service Of their masters in the District
of Couba which have occurred within the last few years.
II is veE well known that the aboltonsts the North in
sc raised large funds to be appropriated deay the
expes ohose charged with the abduction Of slaves and to be
applied also in other ways-o the purpose Of procuring ball.
and paying the very inadequate penalty which the law
in force In the District imposes The law force the
Maryland Of 1876, and the only penalty which that law
imposes and the only which be enforced in this Dis
trio against persons who shall violate the rights Of proprietor
ship in the District by aiding slaves to escape from the
vcs Of their MASTER penalty Of $780, Every one must
see how inadequate that penalty It furnishes proper
punishment for offence of such magnitude and importance
The State of Maryland has long modified her law and
msde this peHenary offence, and the amendment which
propose to offer to the original bill prescbes such penalties
asseem to me TO be proper Before offer that however,
propose to offer amendment to the amendment of the Sc
major from Mississippi The second section Of that Senator's
amendment proposes to invest the corporate authorities Of the
with power pass such laws be necessary and
expedent for the purpose which have indicated but does
nd provide proper tribunal for the enforcement Of these
laws. suppose that the criminal for the District
would not, the amendment stands have any such
power Its power to enforce the laws prevailing at the
tine of the organization Of the court and such laws might
be enacted thereafter suppose that means such laws as
might be enacted thereafter by the authority Of the Gov
eminent Of the United States. But the laws which the
Senator from Mississippi proposes not to be laws
aced by the authority of the Government of the United
tn he hv If
tr TO be mere ordinances, in fact PROPOSE therefore,
add to the second section amendment which will invest the
criminal court Of the District Of Columbia with authority to
force such regulations proposed by the second section
OF the amendment of the Senator from Mississippi The
criminal court present have power enforce the or
of the corporations The corporations themselves
would it seems to me- be very improper tribunals for that
purpose. therefore propose add the following to the
second section Of the amendment:
that the Criminal Court Of the District of Columbia
shall have jurisdiction in all of the violation Of such
regulations laws ordinances may be made parsed by
full authority after and enforce the
penalties prescribed by said regulations laws orance
Mr. CLAY The first regular question is on the amend
ment just proposed and the upon the amendment Of
fered by the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. FoorE) But
before say thing upon the subject Of these amendments
wish to make very short reply Of the topics which
the Senator from Virginia (Mr HusTEl) has introduced
have inclination, and if had it would be- in my opin-
ion, altogether useless follow that Senator in the wide
which he has aken particularly where be de upon
the blessings which he supposes be impaired to the African
by that African slave trade, which, believe has
with the almost unanimous detesation of mankind. The
Senator talks about " sentimental legislation" Well, sir,
my opinion is that all just legislation should be the result
both Of the head and Of the heart combination Of those
two great portions Of human being should always prompt
that sort Of legislation adapted to the and benefit Of
kind do not to into these questions large The
bill which is your table is of series of
ported by the Committee Of Thirteen all of which, with the
exception Of this BILL have received in form other the
sanction Of the Senate and have been transmitted the
other House. This the last Of the series. The Senator
from Virginia thinks that he in it the foundation Of the
abolition Of slavery within the District Directly otherwise
the object of the committee, and so, believe, will be
the tendency Of the law, it shall be enacted Two
Of slavery within this District having for its object the
abolition Of slavery here, the other the abolition Of the foreign
slave trade, have denominated it, think correctly, with
in the District These topics Of agitation have been
urged al the North especially with great and
with great Justice, regards the latter Now, the commit
tict with respect which, shall presently show, there
cannot exist in my humble opinion, moments doubt with
regard the power unless gentlemen carry themselves into
the regions of metaphysics and distractions think there
be particle Of doubt Of it. II this slave trade is
abolished il will satisfy, to great extent Northern feeling,
and add with pleasure, Southern feeling too for have
shared in the horror at this slave trade in this District and
viewed il with as much detesaton any Of those at the
North who complain Of it. .#s
The honorable Senator has advered to an argument which
urged in the of Groves and Slaughter. The argu
men urged in that that by the constitution Of the
United Sates the regulation Of trade between the States
and consequently the regulation Of the trade in slaves be-
tween the States vested in the Congress of the United
States, and that State undertake to prohibit within its
own limits the introduction OF slaves-they being article
Of commerce-rom other States That was the argument;
and suggested itself to the counsel which belonged TO
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