The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1850-03-20
SPEECH OF MEs. WEBSTER,
OF MASSACHUSETTS,
On the Territorial QuestI m .
CONTINUED
In SENATE, March 7. 1850.


In SENATE, MARCH Z. 1850.
Then. sir, when this constitution wis franz
ed this was the light in which the Conven-
ton viewed it. The Convention reflected the
Judgment and sentiments of the great men OF
the South. A member of the other House,
whom have not the honor to know. in re-
cent speech has collected extracts from these
public documents. They prove the truth OF
what am saying and the question then was.
how to deal with it. and how to deal with 1t
as al evil? Well. they came to this general
result. They thought that slavery could not
be continued in the county if the Importation
of slaves were made to cease and therefore
they provided that after a certain period the
importation might be prevented by the act OF
the new Government. Twenty years was
proposed by some gentleman, Northern gen
tleman. | think, and many of the Southern
gentlemen opposed il as being too long
Mr.. Madison especially was something warm
against it, He said it would bring too much
of this mischief into the country TO allow the
importation of slaves for such period. BE-
cause we must take along with US, in the
whole of this discussion, when we are consld-
ering the sentiments and opinions in WHICH
this constitutional provision originated, that
the conviction Of ali men was that if the i'm
portatlon Of slaves ceased, the white race
would multiply faster than the black race.
and that slavery would then gradually wear
out and expire. Ii may not be improper here
10 alude to that, had almost said. celebra-
ted opinion of Mr.. Madison. You observe
SIR that the term slave or Iavery is not used
IN the constitution. the consiitu ion does not
require that Fugitive slaves" shall be de-
lvered mp II requires that persons bound
! to service in one State. and escaping to
another. shall be delivered up" Mr.. Madi-
eon opposed the introduction of the term slave
or slavery into the constitution; Tor he said he
did not wish to see il recog' iseI by the con
stiIution Ot'tht United States of America that
there tOnld b. property II men. Now. sir
all this took place at the Convention i'll 1887 !;
but connected wi II this concurrent and con
tenn oraneous-is another important cOnsi l.
eraliOn not sufficiently attended to. The Con-
vcntion for raining This constitution assem-
bleG in Philadelphia in May, and sat until
September. 1887. During all that time the
| Congress Of the United States was in session
at New York. 1t was Il matter of drsi gn, rs
we know. that the Convention should not AS
scmble in the same city where Congress was
holding IFS sessions. Almost all the public
men OF the country, therefore. of distinction
and eminence. were in one or the other of
these two assemblies; and think it happen
ed in some instances that the same gentlemen
were members of both. II mistake not.
such was The ease of MIR. Rufus king then a
member of Congress from Massachusetts and
al the same time Il member Of the COnvpn-
ton To frame he constitution from that State.
Now, IT was IN tie summer Of 1887 the verv
time when the Convention in Philadelphia
was framing this constitutional that the Con
gresS i'll New York was framing tic ordinance
of 1887. TheyppasS' d that ordinance on the
18th July. 1887 at New York the very month.
perhaps The refy day on ich these qurS-
tOns about the importation OF slaves and the
character of slavery were debated il the Con-
venlion at Philadelphia. Aud. so Far as we
can Ow learn. there was perfect concur
renee of opinion b tween these respective
nodes; and it resulted in this ordinance of
1887. excluding slavery us applied to all the
territory over which the Congress of the
United States had jurisdiction aud that was
all the territory norhw, ST oflhe OHIO. Three
years hcin'e Virginia and other States had
made Il c. sslon OF that great territory to the
| United SfhttS. And most magnificent act
II WAS. never ref let upon il without a lis
position to do honor and Justice aud Justice
would be the highest homur-tO Virginia for
that ACT OF ctsSiOn oil her nOrthwt stern terri
tory. will say sir. il is one OF her iairrst
Claims 10 the respect aid gratitude of the
United States, and that perhaps il is only
second to that other claim which attaches 10
her: that in her counseS ard from the intel
ligence and patriotism of her Iradlng states
men, proceeded the first idea put into prac
tice for the formation of general constitution
OF the United States. Now, sir the ordinance
Of 1887 applied thus to the whole territory
over which the Congress Of the Unite1 States
had jurisdiction. 1t was adopted nearly three
years before the Constitution of the United
States went into operation because the Or
dlnance took effect Immediately OH its pas
sage, while the Constitution Of the United
States having Ueen framed, was to be sent
to the States 10 be adopted by their Conven-
l tons; and then IL Government had to be or
ganized under it. This ordinance, then, was
i'll operation and force when the constitution
1 WAS adopted and this Government put in mo-
ton. in April, 1889.
Mr. President, three things are quite clear
as historical truths. One is, that there was
an expectation that on The ceasing Of the I'M
portation of slaves from Africa. slavery would
begin to run out. That was hoped and ex-
pecttd. Another is that as far lis there was
any power in Congress to prevent the spread
OF slavery in the United States that power
was executed in the most absolute manner
and to the fullest extent. An honorable MEM
Der whose health does not allow him to be
here to-day
A SENATOR. He is here. (Referring TO
Mr.. CALHoUN.)
MIR. WEBSTER. ! am very happy 10 hear
that he is-may he long be in health and the
enjoyment OF it TO serve his rountry-said
the other day thar he considered this as the
FIRST IN the serie' Of measures calculated 10 EN-
feeble the South and deprive them of their
just participation in The benefits and privile
! lreS Of thus CSnSe IL. NnrA. nrn-