The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-17

the third section OF the hTst amendment would be per
fectly Intellectual and nasmuch the striking GU, Of hs
words will meet the argument which has been offered
shall move TO strike them out
has been argued against this clause further that IN.
great that II may be that pareat nav
compel his child run away &c. and, then. thai M
party ought not 10 TO be punished equally with the man
who here for money IN order TO steal the negro
away for purposes OF gain; but one would be almost
excusable while the other would be inexcusable bro
pose TO meet that objection, by striking out OF the four
teenth line o the thd secion the words nor less than
court-the local and federal eourto decide what shonN
be the punishment II would then read "shall be i'm
prisoned the penenary not more than ten years. 50
that the grade OF offence and the degree OF punishment
within the ten years would be left entirely to the federal
Judge. This, apprehend. would meet the other objec
lion urged by the senator from Ohio,
But il may be said by others here that punishment
at all ought attach TO such class OF Offences and The
pun shment is too large for any OF the supposed Of
tenders under the amendments adopted by the Senate il
committee Mr.. President, under the constitution, he
Congress of the United States have exclusive Legislation
over the District of Columbia Il is TO Congress tina, the
people Of the District are to look for that Legislative
their legislature, and for which all the States look "a
their respective legislatures The people have 10 ook
only to Congress for any Legislative protection which
Union where the offences embraced in this third section
OF the bill not punished with equal severity with the
punishment prescribed by this third section In Your
own State si Virginia [Mr HUNTER being y the chall
longer PERIOD believe than ten years 10 Kentucky
they are punishable by long confinement in the penten
tary In Maryland they are punishable by confinement
in the pententiary, and in South Carolina they are
hanged In North Carolina take i for granted thai
they are hanged. too because, in North Carolina, Their
statute hangs the man who steals horse and appe
bend The stealing OF negro would be offence Of equal
dignity with stealing horse There is no slave State in
the Union whose citizens are not protected by statutes
imposing penalties Tor the offences embraced in this
amendment equal in severity to the penalties which are
here inflicted
Now. then. let me ask, WHY'S il unreasonable that
these penalties should be inflicted Can i be that
because Congress may think right to pass law 10 pro-
tect the right Of property in slaves in the District Of CO.
lumba, hese citizens having only the right to look to
them for the legislative protecton0 that would be deemed
which they deemed ADVISABLE Wherever slavery exists
and wherever il is recognised as property il protected
property BY laws equally stringent with those which
are proposed in this amendment. Why should we NOT
adopt it2 do not believe that there are, any part Of
this Unon any people of this Union. who would object
to the penalties imposed here II they understood the
question.
If persons who speak for them or who write for them
instead of attempting blind the Judgment OF The people
for whom they speak or for whom they WRITE were to
argue the question they themselves understand it, there
is no one in this broad spread Union who would be
against the penalties Of this bilno one, unless he be
blinded by fanaticism and hope there fewer Of them
who would object to the penalties Of this bill when they
are understood by him When he is told that this is
property by the constitution OF his country
poDss Is ns own property no%s Is ~
tected as his own property ls protected
The fifth section OF the BILL which embraces an amend
10 which objection has been also urged leaves
il 10 the people OF the Dsrctto the corporate auihor
OF the District and consequently to the people oil he
Dsctto decide in reference to the proprey OF permit
ting few negroes to cone within the District for purposes
Of residence and also regulate the free negroestha
here, by the requiring OF suitable bond for good be-
havior, and by such police regulations adopted in
every slave community in the country Now, ak those
senators who have objected TO this sectonwhen Their
people at home enjoy the privilege OF protecting them.
selves by police regulations BY requiring OF those who
may comehee, or who are incapable OF supporting them
selves, and whose conduct or whose persons might
charges 10 the community security to keep the peace and
that they will not also become membranes 10 the com
muny-when thai power is exercised by every Stale IN
the Union, ask them why we should not permit the peo
pie OF The District OF Columbia to exercise that power for
Aemselves Il has been said that Virginia and Mary land
prohibit free negroes from going there's and therefore YOU
pass this section, the PRACTICAL operation OF il will be- that
they cannot go anywhere; and the consequence will be
that they must remain here, and under the provisions oil
this section become slaves This is not The corpora.
s authorized to remove the negro anywhere by such
ordinances they may pass The corporation. therefore,
be presumed TO know that the laws OF Virginia and
Mary land prohibit their going there. We cannot sup
upon knowledge OF these facts as TO do what they
have the power TO do, and what will be right for them
TO doto give means to these negroes excluded from the
District By which they may 60 TO other portions OF the
country to which, under the laws Of that country they
may 60 They 20 to Pennsy vania but they cannot
60 10 Virginia and Maryland. The corporation, in exer-
CslnS their IiRnuul power legisIau0n, VIII ploNuc
the means by which these negroes can go to some terri
tory to which they may 60 without violating the law OF
that territory.
MIR President IL is not my object by any means 10 pro-
long this debate have suggested the amendments and
now ask that the question may be taken upon striking
out in the third line OF the third secon the words %"
attempt" and in the fourth ine OF the third section the
words ''to entire or nduce" so that the offence pre-
scrbed by The third section would be confined to those
" ho might induce, BY persuasion other asaye 10
away And then TO strike out the fourteenth line
OF that section the words mot less than two so that
would be left 10 the official Judiciary 10 determine as 10
what period under the limit OF years the person 10
crime
Mr. CLAY. A few words | repeat my expression Of
regret that this subject has been prolonged and that
there has been much debate Does the honorable seq
ator from Maryland wish TO have both parts OF the bill
original bill and the amendmentsi take
Tor granted that he does yet tell hm-and the opinion
founded upon votes given 10 this bodyhat II they are
connected together, they will both fail
MIR PRATr do not want the first two sections
passed without the rest
Mr. CLAY. Very well There Others who viii
vote for the first sections alone without the amendments
and against them with the amendments. There are
enough in the Senate beeve-itis OF course mater Of
defeat the bill IL you Join these Two sub
ects together Yet this combination s perseveringy in
listed upon when declare our Willingness 10 ske up
he subjects separately, and provide suitable legislation
lpon them
Why, sir, what the Of the case with regard this
lave trade IN this District There have been thousands
md tens oil thousands Of petitions presented here oftweh
or more years past at least from portions Of the noh
On section OF this Union and some believe from zoe
District OF Columbia itself--asking Congress abolish
his trade. bill has been introduced Tor that purpose,
nd has been under consideration for eight months when
VI at once, without solitary petition from the Dstnc,
senator gets up and propose Two or three amendments