The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-03-30
For the Free Trader.
Slavery in the District of fCo!umb,a.

For the Free Trader
Slavery in the District of Co!umb,a.
The opinions of men are different, relative to the
power OF congress over slavery in the District OF
oo'uhoia' Some suppose that congress, not only
has the power, but are bound to remove Iii. evil
ron the scat Of government ofthese United States
ihey suppose that the principles Of our govern.
'nent forbid the scenes ofoppression and injustice,
necessarily connected with slavery in this dis.
trict, and therefore that congress caupo. vitress
the "l'Fages upon human rights committed in the
district without violating their most sacred du.
ties. Others suppose that there is existing, nee
essarily such compromise in the case as to for
hid tie abolition of slavery in the district without
'he consent Of the inhabitants, and the editor or
The Tree Trader appears to be Of thi, number
But the evidence however, is not 81 easily obtain.
ell as he, n: first, seemed to imagine After look
iaS Mt the subject for awhile he seems to hit I'M.
on this expclient Mr. Van Buren, and Mr.
Wright both expressed the same opinion, at n Ger.
tan time, Gnl they must know, and as the two
state from whom the dis.ric; was obtained were
'Iave states, there must have beer condition un
derstdod, II nothing mora, which would secure
slavery in the district power, or certainly, during
htpeI'pre Of th. inhabitants and what more ev.
dercc can any one desire on the subjects. an.
s"er, i!any evidence at all, is desired, more must
DC had, for there is none here These t--o men to
whom reference is had, were political aspirans,
and these remarks We're made for an effect, an es
pccillly on the south And, if mistake not, Mr.
Van BIren has since that time, acKnowled ,ed
that the power wa, in Congress to abolish slavery
IN the district, and that when he made those re-
marks, to which reference is had he had n yi,w
to the expe!ency Of the thing and not to the pow.
er Of congress over the subject and had Mr. wrigh,
lived to the present time we should have heard
the same from linn
And Nr Clay and Sir Benton. both slave hcll.
c's say that congress has the power over slavery
in the d-trc., but they think it not cxpcden, TO
exercise il Did they not know Of this implied
compromised They certainly did, if there was
ono Then why did they no. give this as a good
reason why congress hll no powe, over the
subject They certainly could not DO ,hs. consist.
emily, which they had agreed not to do An ac.
5nowIcasement Of the power entirely does away
with the compromise. Let Us look at the consti.
tuition. Thi- says that congress has the pswer If
eX lusirc legislation IN all cases, whatsoever over
what district, not exceeding ten miles square as
may by ce'son of particular states, AMI the nc
cep,aucc Of congress, becon. the sca, Of the goy.
crnmcn: ol the United States This article of the
constitution was distinctly known By the parties
who ccled the district Of Congress
| Why did they not in this place and n, ciis time
make the reserve conLendrd FORT The frct was,
that nothing was SAID at this time On the sub.
jcct-that no implied compromise was even
thought Of 1t would be too absurd to suppose
it The fact thatno such compromise can ever he
legally introduced for the purpose Of exp,ir;n,
the constitution o' the United States or any other
/ legal instrument. The words by which they
are expressed, afford the only good evidence Of
their true meaning anl these words mus, be un-
derstood according TO their most approved mean.
ms, In this way you may learn what the frnm.
ers If the instrument, intended, But adopt any
other mode Of Interpretation, and 60 to the mul.
titud2 for their implications on The subject, and
You will always remain in the dark, and never
know Y nat to believe. I, is absurd then, to pre-.
sent ,Hy implied compromise, or any thirg else,
bu, the constitution Of the United States, and the
deeds ofcesSioN Wy tie states, TO know what they
meant anl the power Of Congress over the Dis.
trict No doubt but what the two states that ce.
ded the district to Congress, felt deep interest
on the subject. They knew that the seat of Gov
cnnlcnt, on their borders would be Of great ben.
eft TO them. And slavery or no slavery, they
would do what they could to secure this object
This is the implied compromise, which in my opn.
ion grows spontaneously out OF this subject BE.
sides, such was tho state Of slavery nj til. time,
that most o!our principal men thought that !, must
run down soon, and die natural death.
The shareholders also many Of them, knew that
they had egalcons;itutonal rgh, to their slaves
They therefore willing 70 remain as quiet posi-
he RS, by acta,ing tho subject, their true condi
, tn. should be generally known, and slavery put
dnwna, once hNcr,h. somo time. slavery be.
came uo'r profitable on acco"r. o''hc cotton mar.
kct, aud SHAREHOLDERS began to lay their plan, 10,
Strengthening tlo states and !cngtEepins 'hg
chord, cfhelr peculiar institution and, be'utc The
ewes of the ratonwcrc opened to this subject tlc7
'v-lnI,h '''oT.'Nhca 'heir object nni hro't
H.vhul. ua..un uu'.. .le ',St 2 'l.rt nj new
.vJ sael escape ga,y o.'Aa .r'g. J a.-s5'o ~.
cry mar, mus, be at Ills ,,o., VI We ~ ssas IN