The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-04-10

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Uniaed States are bed BY Congress 10 trua 70
the ~ and benefit Of I'll The States and their ei
tizenss am fire 10 confess. lhxt II Co1gr@
should - that il wss moss sdvsnlsseeos 10 Il
low slIihe eilis<ns 10 occupy the tsuasy In con
mon uilh The property Il doub<le~ ought . d
psoside. But Il Is equally clear thal II. On III,
other hand. Congress should see that all the chi
rens Of The United States could not thus adsan
lageoosly occupy sll the territories In common. !
might divide ihe same 20 ss 10 assign certain pof
iions ispsrsicular elzsses Or penonG
Again:
4All the power that cen be exercised beIonr,
10 Consr. alone. consress hiss power 10 make
sli aeedf dfuiruies end regulations. Bot the want,
Of oil communities are Ia lesal contemplation shs
same. The wants Of the Territories may he, ans
In fact are, just ~ great - those Of The States
II seems 10 me, then. Mr.. Chairman, with due
dcierenec 10 fhose who have given The suljecl
greater consideration than have been able 10 do
that Congress, in legislsiins for the Territories
10 controlled only by the Constitution Of the Uni.
ted States. II IS equally true, however, that The
people Of The several States are likewise controlled
by this Constitution. Whether acting IN con.
sention - through their ordinary legislative 20
veTnmeG1s, they can do nothing contrary 10 Il.
.co<xytss, hen, has orer Me Territory ;usl
such porers as ifs Legislafure rouid hare eflts
IL became STATE. Both are controlled hy The
Constitution Of the United States, the supreme
law Of The land. A this Constitution Is silent
in relation TO slavery, il has been argued on ihc
one hand that Congress can DO nothing 10 ex-
cluds i from lhr Territory. On The other hand
il is asserted, with equal confidence. that Cor Inc
same reason there Is no power 10 establish The in
stiiution. These two opposite views are worth,
antagonists, and shall leave them 10 contend
not tearing that either win ever obtain vicior
over the other"
-
ali, then. Congress possesses general legisIa
live powers over the Territories. ss contend, 1
Is idle to deny that slavery may either be permit
led OF forbidden 10 exist there"
In another part OF my colleague,
speech. he gives utierance 10 opinions
rather contradictory 10 those Just quoted
The inconsistency is glaring; bul il il
] fairer upon such subject to quote il thai
10 withhold IL:
ado not pretend that any section Of The lrniol
can insist fairly that territory should he acquire.
for her benefit. We are doubtless all bound, Ii
good faith, TO adhere 10 The Constitution an
Union, with such boundaries as il had when W
became parties to it. Blu. ! do say, that if th
Government should acquire territory, il takes
under the Constitution, for the benefit Of all; an
decree that any section, or its citizens, shall
excluded fom all such territory, would be Z
grsat violation Of the Constitution q the Gov
ernment could possibly commit. Such 10 snl
ssonfiaky f'is proposed crciusion o1shrery fro.
all HE territories hereafter to Be cegaireLs
i II The author Of this speech means an,
thing. il must be lhIs-,hat after terrilor,
is acquired. /. Congress possesses genera
legislative powers" and slavery ma,
either be permitted or forbidden 10 exis
there: but if Congress shall decree tha
slavery shall be excluded from all III,
Territories hereafter 10 be acquired"
will be as great violation as the Govern
ment could possibly commit!
/ Sir, ! cannot understand how ihes.
views can exist in the same mind al ont
and the same time. II looks as if ons
part of the speech was addressed TO q
Wing Buncombe and another parl 10 q
Democratic Buncombe +; one to The easterf
Buncombe and the other to the western
Runcombe.
II reminds me Of verse | read some.
where in my youth, made by one just be-
ginning TO wiite verses--and his iirsl
should have been his last-who described
fight on The water, and wro.e--
The stranger and his crew then stornsi The boat
And oil At once jumped in and oil at once jumped
| out
And further, upon the constitutions
question, my colleague argued, very pro
perly, that there could be no difficulty
for, speaking Of the Missouri compromise
he said:
aThcre was, however, 8 element made a
length, upon terms which though unequal to th,
South, ,cre not al variance ,oiM The spirit of III
Constitution"
My colleague is regarded now in some
parts Of the South--even in South Caro-
Iina-as very sound upon The slavery
question. have been denounced as un
sound for entertaining precisely the sam.
opinions as my colleague does.
And upon The general justice Of The du
| iy Of the General Government 10 protec
slave property. desire, in passing. 10 say
heard with pleasure The able and states
manlke argument Of The gentleman from
Georgia. (Mr. Toombs.) made here a few
days ago. II gives me more pleasure "a
add my feeble tribute Of commendalion Il
this speech-.hough do not agree in al
the gentleman said-because The gentle
mans opposition 10 his own friends, ant
his course in this House before we wert
organized, met with my decided condem
nation.
Aud while this is in mind. will beg Il
say one word 10 another gentleman from
Georgia, (Mr. Stephens.
Before We were organized, that gentle
man was understood TO call down curse
on all those who would not stand up 70
their section. | made allowance for ih
gentleman's excited feelings, but hear
The remark with pain. had read hi