Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1850-04-03

very FIRST sentence The student OF law reads
is, Law is defined to BE- r1le Of action,
whether animate or inUiimate." Whe.t-
or applied 10 persons or things, it is still q
rule whether TO objects ofsuperior or in.a-
rior magnitude and importance, ]. remains
the same. Burke says, Flaw is benld-
cence acting by rule" A statute or Ia"
is a rule Of civil conduct. The creates:
photographer Of The age defines rnle TO
be government sway empire coniro!
supreme command Or authority" And. to
rule, "to have power o. command: TO ex-
ercise supreme authority" This being
the ordinary and accepted definition Of the
terms, let US see in what sense it has been
employed by the sagss who framed cur
Constitution, in regard to other powers
which are 40, disputed. Il authorizes Con.
gress " 10 establish Uniform rule Of ia
turali.ation." Is thai 10 operate upon
things and not upon persons Is i. an ia-
ferior and subordinate power !-tha, pow
er which recognises the right Of expatria-
tion, and provides for The transfer Of per-
sonaI obligaiioasi allegiance to country.
the mos, binding and solemn which man
can assume upon earth. Oi similar ma
ture is the authority to "make rules cor
corning Captures on land or water" And
also, go make rules for the governmeu,
of the land and naval forces" | repeat,
therefore, he, careful review Of the
meaning aad ordinary acceptation Of The
terms " rules and reguiati ons," as well a.
their acknowledged signiGcation in o;te,
parts oi the same instrument, show beyond
the possibility Of a doubt, and even beyond
the hope Of cayil. that in this connection
they were intended in the language Of the
Supreme Court Of the United States, in 6
Peters q. S. Rep, A ("rues and regula-
tons respecting the territory Of the United
States } they necessarily confer complete
jurisdiction. !, was necessary TO confer it
without limitation 10 enable the new Gov
ernment TO redeem, .hs pledge given to the
old, in relation to the formation and power
Of the new States" And. again, in IA Pc
.ers' U. S. Reports. SGT, "this power (of
governing the Ierritories) is vested in Con-
gress ,cIhom Limitation, and has been
considered the foundation upon which the
territorial governments rest" nigh, cite
many more decisions Of The Federal ard
State courts TO the same effect bu, I will
mention bu: cue more, and that is, the ST.
preme court Of louisiana "a slave S.atej
decided, as late as 1880, that Congress
had the right to exclude slavery from ,he
Northwest Territory and that colorei
person born there. subsequent TO the ord-
nance OF 1857, was free, and set him a.
liberty. 8 Martins Reps, 699. The eIe-
meniary writers on our Constitution fully
concur in these judicial decisions. See
Kent. l vel. Com, page ass. and Ravle.
page 227.
|. will Dc remembered too, iha. the c-di-.
nance ex Guiding slavery from the North.
ives, territory was passed on the 18th Ju-
iy 1857. by Congress and. q, the sans
time, the Convention. which formed the
Constitution, was in session, and remained
sitting ill l7th September, mo re than tso
months after.
Now, ask, il. is no, abundanlly clear.
with this recent act before them of the ex-
ercise of this extensive power by Congress.
if they did not intend to confer it, would
they nci have introduced some restrictive
or prohibilory clause, which would have
limited and controlled the subsequent. ac-
ton Of Congress With the knowledge
Of this ordinance before theoa, and the al.
sence Of any disapProba,ion, it is bot q
fair and legi,Inate argument to assume.
that they intended to grant and confirm
this power TO that body. And the fact that
Congress mas, from the adoption OF the
Constitution down to the present time, coD.
tinued to exercise this right in its length
and breadth. places its existence beyond
all controversy.
The gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Toombs) says: "Un,il the year 1920 your.
territorial legislation was marked by ths
same general spiri. OF fairness and justice.
Notwithstanding the cons;an, assertions TO
the contrary by gentlemen from the North.
up TO that period no act was ever passed by
Congress maintaining or asserting the Pri:
mary constitutional power to prevent any
citizen Of the United States owning slaves
from removing with them 10 our tesri,orie,
and there receiving legal protection for this
property"
maintain. sir. ,ha, Congress. On the 7lh
of August. 1859, die. in effect. re-aifirm
the ordinance Of 1887 and have no dou5!
from the preamble. TIA, they felt well ss-
sured OF ,hsis power 10 do so. When they