North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-06-04

And therefore, beginningas far back almost as the
close OF the War, measures were taken Tor the lorna
ton of the united government government in the
strict sense of the term-a government that coule
pass laws binding the citizens of all the Staes
and which could enforce those laws by its execuuVe
powers, having them interpreted by judicial power
belonging to the govern ment. a.
Well, gentlemen. this led to the formation OF uie
constitution of the United States, and the
was framed on the idea of a limited government P
posed to leave, and did leave, the dinerent inosu
lions of the several States TO themselves ~ ulu o
propose consolidation II dld not PrS Wv VIZ Or
| laws of Virginia should be laws OF New oIA' "
that the laws of New Yerk should be the laws OF
Massachusetts. 1t proposed only tha' iol Iei1ain
nurnoses and to a certain extent tnere shouia oe
pn;ted government and that that government should
have the mower of executing its own laws. All the
| rest was left to the several States AND we now
come gentlemen to the very point OF the case. Al
that time slavery existed In the southern SIales' eur
! tailed upon them in the time OF the supremacy OIL
British laws over US. There it was. 1t was oonox-
ions to the middle States, and disked and honesuy
and seriously disked, the records OF the county
will show, by the southern States themselves. now
how were they to deal with it Were the northerh
and the middle States to exclude from the govern
ment those States of the South which had produc cd
Washington, Lawrence, and other distinguished
patriots of that part of the country were they u
be excluded from the government because they
tolerated the institution of slavery! Your fathers
and my fathers did not think so. They did not see
that it would be of the best advantage to the slaNe
of the southern States 10 off the South from all
! connection with the North. Their views led to no
such result; and of course, when the constitution
was framed and established, and adopted by you,
here in New York, and by your ancestors In New
Engand it contained express provision OF securi-
persons who lived in the southern States LOT oe
liverny up fugitIves who owed them service; that
is TO say, the fugitive from service or labor should be
restored to his master owner. Well, that hau
been the history Of the country from lis hrst sete
ment. 1t was matter of common practice 10 return
Al mod
tive slaves from Virginia Massachusetts were re-
stored by the people of Massachusetts. AT that day
there great system OF apprenticeship at lhe
North and many apprentices at the North, taking
advantage of circumstances and OF vessels sallng 10
the South thereby escaped. This led to clear, ex-
press and well-defned provision IN the constitution
of the country the subject.
Now, know that all these things are common
that they have been stated a thousand times but
in these days of perpetual discomfort and misrepre-
sentation, to state things thousand times Is not
enough; for there are more than thousand persons
whose consciences, would think, lead them 10 make
i; duty TO deny, msrepresent tasltJ. ana cover up
truths Now, here is the CONSTITUTIONS eliow-clzenS,
and have taken the pains to iranscribe theretrom
! these words, so that he who runs may read . o
person held service labor in one State under the
flaws thereof escaping into another sha In conse-
quence of any law regulation therein, be dIschar-
ed from such service labor, but shall be delivered
up claim of the party to whom such service or la
! Dor may be DUE" Is there any mistake about this
! Is there any forty-shilling attorney here No. l
will disgrace my profession by supposing such a
thing. There is not in of attorneys Office
in the county of Erie, elsewhere, one who could
raise doubt, particle OF doubt, about the mean
ing of this provision of the constitution. He may
act as witnesses do sometimes the stand. He may
wriggle and twist and say he can't tell. have
many CHI exhibitions in my time, on the part OF wit
nesses, 10 fasify, and beray, and deny the truth.
But there is man who can read these words OF the
constitution of the United Siates and say they
nfOloo apH Nh The m.
tuition says. s. held to service labor in State,
under the laws thereof escaping into another, shall,
in consequence Of any law or regulation therein, be
discharged from such service or labor, but shall be
delivered up claim of the party to whom such
service labor may be due' Why, you are told
by forty conventions in Massachusetts, in Ohio, in
New York. in Syracuse, and elsewhere, shat If col
ored man came here, he came as free man that is
a seQuifur. If he came as fugitive from labor,
the constitution says he is not free man, and that
he shall be delivered up to his owners, who are en-
titled to his service. Now, gentlemen, that is the
constitution of the United States. Gentlemen, do
we or do we not, mean to execute that part Of the
constitution well the rest of nI l supposs
there before me here members of Congress.
suppose there are before here members of the
State Legislature, executive officers und er the State
government. suppose there are judicial magistrates
Of New York, executive officers assessors, supervi-
sors justices of the peace. and constates before
Allow me 10 say, gentlemen, that there is not
that there cannot beany one OF these officers IN this
assemblage elsewhere, who has not. according tC
the form of his obligation, bound himself, by SOL
enn oath before his Cod to support the constitution
They have taken their oaths on the Holy Evangelist:
of Almighty God, or by uplifted hand, the case
may be- or by solemn asseveratlon, as is the prac
tice in cases. But and all of them-there
is not who holds, nor is there any who
can hold any Office in the gift of the United States
or in this State, in any other State, who does no
become bound by the solemn obligation of an oatf
before God, that he will support the constitution o
the nited States. Well, is he TO amper with that
Is, he to falter! Gentlemen our political duties
as much matters of conscience any other duties
our sacred domestic ties, most endearing
relations, more the subject for conscientiou;
consideration and conscientious discharge, than the
duties enter into under the constitution Of the
United States. The bonds of political brotherhood
are the bonds which hold together from Maine t
Georgia.
| Now, gentlemen this is the main story of the con
stitution of the uni ed States the question Of slave
ry. Gentlemen, contend, and have always conten
ded, that after the adoption of the constitution any
measure of the government calculated to bring slave
territory into the United States beyo the pow
er of the constitution and against its provisions This
is my opinion, and it always has been my opinion
1t very consistent, thought to be so, tor The
same purpose, in Jeersons time, to attach Louisiana
TO the United States. A treaty with France was
made for that purpose. But Jefferson's opinion a
that moment that alteration of the constltu
ton necessary TO enable it to be done. In con
sidering what will now repeat, that opinion was
abandoned, and Louisiana was admitted by law
without any provision or alteration in the constitution
At that time was too young to hold any office o.
take any share in the political affairs of the country
Louisiana was admitted as slave State, and became
entitled to her representation in Congress on the prin
ciple of a mixed basis. Florida was afterwards ad
United. Then, too, was out of Congress; haC
been in it but had nothing to do with the Flor
ida treaty or the admission of Florida. My opinion