The North-Carolinian., 1850-02-23
From the Charleston Mercury.
CONGRESS-MR CLAY'S SPEECH.

CONGRESS-Mk CLAYS SPEECH.
Mr. Clay's so-calIcd compromise resolu-
tons came up for consideration on Tues
day last, when he led off the discussion bv
a two days speech, which altogether fills
eighteen columns of the National lntelli-
gencer. Of course we can do nothing with
it but refer briefly to its positions.
Mr. Ciay's resolutions, already publish
ed. formed the topics of his speech. They
embrace these points:
1. The admission of California into the
Union.
2. The establishment of Territorial
Governments in Deseret and New Mexico
5. The determination of the boundaries
of Texas.
Slavery and the slave trade in the
District of Columbia.
5. The recovery of fugitive slaves.
6. The transfer Of slaves from State to
State
We dispose of the two last briefly.
Mr. Clay's remarks upon these topics were
in all respects excellent. and such as might
be expected from wise and patriotic
Southern Senator. In regard to the power
of Congress over slavery in the District of
Columbia. we do not understand the force
of much that he said. The pnwer of Con
gress he aIfir,ns strangely, on the ground
that the Constitution coufers the right of
- exclusive legislation in all cases what
soever" over the District. But then he
admits that the sole object of the power,
was to secure the seat Of Government from
the intrusion of State authority. Moreover
he admits that such use of the power
could never have been contemplated by
those who made the cession of the District,
and that 1t would be an act Of bad ia ith
to Maryland. And he should have adj
mitted also. that it would be declara-
ton OF hostility on the part Of the Federal
Government against the institutions of fif-
teen States of the Cont ederacy. After
these admissions, it is hard to see what
this pretended power can be made to rest
ON. But Mr. Clay insists that the power
to abolish slavery in the District must be
somewhere. 1t is not in the States there
fore itmust be in Congress. Suppose. he
says, Virginia and Mary land were to abolish
slavery will it be pretended that we
must keep it up forever here And this
seems to have puzzled Mr. Clay. There
IS no ground for fear. In the case suppos-
ed it would vanish Of itself, and that cir
cumstance, SO simple and SO certain, is an
effective answer to all arguments in favor
Of the existence of the power, because there
never could be an exisence III which its
exercise would be beneficial or called for.
But suppose slavery abolished in Vir-
ginia and Maryland, what sort of Federal
Government would Mr. Clay call that.
where Senator from Kentucky, going to
Washington, to discharge the duties of
high office. and taking with him his SER
want, should be told that the laws of Con-
yress, at the seat of his own Government,
stripped him OF his possession Of wha, the
Constitution OF the United States recog-
nises as lawful property in the State which
sent him there? Would the Senator from
Kentucky, thus plundered by his own
Government, while dischargiHs public
duties underit, be satisfied by tho assurance
that It was all right. because Congress has
the power Of :. exclusive legislation over
the District? Would he not rather say.
II they have this power. then nobody but
Congress is responsible for robbing me.