Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-02-14

territory now free, and to abolish slavery
and the slave trade wherever either exists
under The jurisdiction Of Congress-"
Now, sir, is not this plain! Can any,
thing be more plainl 1t asserts the power
only in territories subject to the jurisdiction
of Congress. | regret, sir, that there has
been this mistake. | regret that this error
has gone abroad. Ihaye seen some notices
oflhIs resolution in the newspapers in which
The same mistake occurs The honorable
Senator from Arkansas has been represent
ed as saying that the resolution contains
this position, that Congress is restricted
only.
Now. sir, by substituting the present
tense for the past, the resolutions are made
to receive construction which those who
drew them up and those who adopted them
never imagined would be applied to them
/ Upon this error, Mr. President, upon this
misrepresentation, have been hung speeches
iiied with oPprobrious epithets in this hall,
and various comments elsewhere, which
can only characterize as the result on the
part OF those who uttered them, of their
own hasiy misrepresentation. If gentlemen
had ascertained with more accuracy the
purport of the resolutions, they might, aud
think probably would, have spared US the
comments in which they have INDUCED
! The honorable Senator from Arkansas has
I been exhibiting to US the resolution as con-
tanning the assertion of power which the
resolution does not claim: ard, contrasting
1t with the professions. of gentlemen Of the
North, he exclaimed, commend me to
such cuncillatIon"- cancellation IN profess
Sons, accompanied by an assertion on the
part 81 the free states Of power To inter-
ieTe with this institution in the slave states
81 tie union. Sir, # / were to commend
Tie honorable Senator 10 anything, 1 would
commend him 10 the use OF his spectaces
whca he reads the resoIlion again, aud
think that he viii iind that lie offensive con-
struciion which he puts upon the resolution
may very properly be termed a hasty MS
apprehension of his own. Sir, disclaim
Il, As | have done heretofore | disclaim
tbs inputaIion upon the resolution. | 90
further; there Is not Z man among my con-
sl.taency OF ordinary intelligence who does
not understand and feel that this institution
IA the States Is beyond the reach Of tie &C
ton of this body; II Is universally SO con
s.dered-unNeTSally
Now, sir, the Senator from Arkansas says
he won't argue with US. No, he will not
and for the very best of all reasons, we will
not argue with him. We concede the point
We assert no such claim. We have no ar
gGmeut to support claim which we do not
think proper to make.
Sir, what else is there in these resolu-
tons Why, sir, the residue of these res
ulutons purely assert the power of Com
gress to prohibit slavery in these territories;
and this, sir, take it, is not TO be regard
ill-iounded, bat, SIR, it Is merely the asser-
ton of power that has been exercised ev-
er since the organization of this Govern
meHt, power exercised in every instance
where the exigency Of the case called for
lis exercise. Is it offensive, Mr. President,
to assert power which has thus been ex-
ercised by this Government from the be-
ginning! Sir, we may be wrong in tins
position; the progress of the times, the SUI
perIor light of the present day, and might
say, perhaps, the superior knowledge of the
present day, NAV have dispelled the illusion
that Congress has the right to legislate for
the territories, and We may now be enabled,
by abandoning the practice of the Govern
nient, abandoning the construction of the
Constitution adopted by all the Depart
ments of the Government, 10 place our
selves on a more comfortable footing by set
ting these territories adrlt; for, sir, if the
arguments we have recently heard upon
tins subject of the power Of Congress to le-
gislate Tor these territories be correct, If
the logic is sound and the conclusions right,
there Is but one word in the English Ian
guage which will describe the position of
these territories, and that is the word ga
DRIFT"
AIr. President, have done with these
resolutions, but there are other matters
winch demand of me passing no.ice. |
have heard much, sir, upon this floor, of
the entertainments of the North. Sir, |
desire to know what those encroachments
are! Are they sucl as would justify any
portion of tins Union in dissoving It's con-
neXlon with 1t, and setting at defiance the
Government of this Unionl What are
those encroachmeuts When did they
commence! How have they been followed
up! Sir, the first tire that TINS question
ever arose, the first time it was ever pro-
posed to regulare this subject bv Dot s c.
rross. was with reference TO the northwest
territories, previous to the passage OF the
ordinance of 1887. Sir, in enumeration of
of these entertainments Of the North,
we have been reminded of the exclusion Of
slavery from the Northwestern territory,
and the peoPling of that territory with
population WHO would put an iuteTdIct up
on slavery.
Now, s.r, be it an ENFORCEMENT or be
1t not, who was the first man to propose the
exclusion of slavery from that territory ,
The same individual, Mr. President, whose
sentiments on tins subject have had occa-
sion to refer to. Thomas jefferson was the
man who first proposed this measure, IN
i7c4 In 1881 the ordinance was adopted,
and it was adopted by the unanimous vote
Of the states, including the states of the
South Now, sir, if this be an encroach-
ment, who is responsible! Ii 1t be an en-
croachment upon the rights of the South,
who is the oiienderl Why, sir, MIR. JEFF
ferson, the original protector, and the rep