Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-01-31
politital.
CONGRESS.
Gen. Cass on Slavery.

MoNpAY. Ian. 81.
SENATE.
General Cass smoke until the honr of adjourn
ment- without conciudlpg his remarks.
After soue preliminary remarks. he ssvs-
There IS no cjause IN the constitution whic
cives Congress express power 10 pass any Law
respeciIpn slavery in The territories. The au
ithorlty was deduced frcm various sources. whicl
he prouosed 10 examine before he concluded
But every construction which would give To ;
.orelgn legislature jurisdiction over the subiec
of slayery-by ioreiun he meant not elected b,
the people to be effected bv their acrs. nor re-
sponsIb ie 10 them would equally rive it iuris
dI,finn over every urler derarr,nent of hfe. so
Iciil anu poiitical. IN the tefrorles-uver the re-
latinns 81 husband and wife. of parer, and child
/ ol .r6iau and ward as wei a. over the reIs.
latious of master and se,vani. AID embracing
within the sphere of It's oleratIor,s The whole
icnc.e of human ri.shis. psrsoaa! anu political
me, liberty ana properly in al their modes Of
enio.menf. say the power Of Conrress over
slavsIv.' for il we have the power To abolish or
exclude H. We have The power TO Ieinstate it.
II any one doubted this position. let him turn to
the constitution and show tic huitnilou Be-
fore he could believe that such power was
GRANTED SO remote from the object of the poy-
crnmeut which the trainers OF the constitution
sough, to establish. he must abandon many of
The illusions he had cherished respecting the
Wisdom of The statesmen who COMPOSED the con-
yen;jnn of I7s7.
There urc various clauses of the constitution.
and various other sources. foreiqn and domestic.
whence this ripbt of limited iepIslation was
SOUGHT 10 be dednced. Some of these we're ex
press grants of constitutional power. and il they
tairv included the authority TO bind the terri o.
-. n o.,,. Tho, ,b,-o 49,, =. =.
end of this question. and thew might pass the
proylso. and rerulare all their other concerns AZ
measure. But there are other sources whence
tho riolt : supuosed tn br indirectly dsriyed
- necessary Ia The exercise Of sn,ne MAJOR
,o,n,i IN the constitution ar some ;,rner n,vver
f.nd OUT Of the Co.srltullor
Alter AN arpuiuent 10 show the necessity FIR
,.s-,ain,rr to e,t4nt AT ths d..r,.t,y,, 80,
A. claimed. from whence II was d.r,,eJ NJ g.
,.vcrt.d Il, the uoorn,Iion thar C,nyre.s hos
tho rovrr ot l.oisiatiun CLAIMED and ohsr,vet
that If lhls power had been Intended Ia bc ara,t-
ed Ly tie { .nst,tuiiou. potbirr cpuld have tesn
easier than tor the convection 10 have ulaced il
brvoud doubt by 4 plain exl.res>ion oi the nh
,.ct II the mower IL, MAXI. ,,,.r,ltn' rules and
repula,Ious over ine territorv or miner prnpertv
OF The United States 7-lhe cause uost fie0uept-
" relied upon bs the cla.manls If TINS now,
conveyed iuii legislative authority This
properly, and over all persons living on II, thus
masking man the mere Incident OF properly :
certainly never were wurCs more unhappIfv cho-
sen. nor a reputation Tor clearness ana c.itsIn,v
more unlusll, acquired. That the Convention.
when tn,y intendcd 10 convey fulI legislative
powers, knew what terms to empluv was mimi
les from the phraseoo-y OF Ine pfovislon Tor
lie Government OF the. fe,,ral L, strict and ,t
PAGES ceded TOR the erection OF fort p,,,sa-
zines. aTs,uals. deck wards ana other nee,Irnl
buildin.s.p wnere the r,ph,s were g,yen in ex.
prose /. r...., admitting no a.ubt. aud me. v-r,
words were employed which are ues, adapted 10
convey the power intended t. De pranlcd. ana
no otner power When, therefore. a cons,ruc.
oa was pul upon the authority 10 maAe needtul
rules ana regulations Tor properly. winch carries
l. lar bry iona tie import OF Tie words, thuse assu-
ming 1t were bound 20 explain by similar IAN
euoge was not used 10 srant similar u,wer and
by mn,l JUS, rule phrase. So llu,t,d was ,.ade
10 cuuy,, d, power 50 uniinnei. n, man had
atle.,pteu To do lnis, ana IL vas an obstacle IN
fa.ine, vi icil. tll ren.nvcd. Wi. in,,,,,,.r,b.e
TWAS lite Curious 10 .n,l,za ti,.. Il. ff,.,so,