The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1851-01-03

leA'eH1'op VI sidVeIy lHto- any iToe teHl
tory oflthe United States, by every lega
and constitutional means; and would re
ljoice, ifany mode not doing violence I,
others, could be devised ''to overthrow
and eradicate the evil" ad t3r'a q. g
! ABOLITION OF SLAVERY IN THEeDrsrn1c,
b o sS95a OF COLUMBIA. sa7t Il "a.
That Congress, having4by the Consti
tuition, authority TO legis'ate for th,
District of Columbia, 'in all cases wha,
soever,' may there abolish it, / cnte rtail
no doubt. Congress is, by the Consti,u
tion, the local legislature Of The Distric,
and all caFes within the Legitimate
sphere of legislation are embtacad withir
the terms, in all cases whafsoever,' t.
used lin that instrument. Congress ap
pearslto me 10 possess The same legisla
tive power over slavery, within the ter
miles square, that may be exercised b,
the legislatures of the States over il
within their jurisdictions; and that ithas
been considered in those States proper
subject o! legislation, their history furn
ishcs the most satisfactory evidence.
! have viewed The abolition Of slavery
in lie District, NOT only a measure ofex-
pediency, but of absolute natural right
10 the colored race. The South woulo
doubtless acqnesce in such a measure
for if we expect 10 remain one people
there is an absolute necessity Of adhering
to The decisions Of constitutional major.
tiles within their Legitimate spheres Of
action. s.! NV 'm.g as.-z
CONGRESS HAS NO CONSTITUTIONAL POWER
TO ABB LIsH SLAVERY IN THE states.
But the abolition of slavery in the
Distric: Of Columbia, and in tue slave
States, in my opinion, stands upon diff
erenL ground as to the power Of Congress
overit. ,.-....,..- ,.......,
The Executive of Vermont. in his
late Message to the General Assembly,
iniimates that Congress may abolish
slavery in the States where itnow exists.
How far the opinion prevails lam not
informed, bat believe the exercise of any
such authority by Congress, would be
followed bya dissolution Of the Union.-
The South would then be driven 10 il
to preserve their peculiar institution un-
der their own local authority. .
The entire South, and l believe the
entire North, would look upon snch ac-
ton rs an unweuanted usurpation by
Congress for which there is no authority
expressed, granted or fairly to bs implied
from Tho constitution Of the United
States. i, v t."
coNsTITUTI oNAL1Tv or THE FUGITIVE
SLAVE Bxw. s%- ..r
The excitement TO which before re-
lerred; appears TO have entirely grown
out of the passage, approval, and partial
execution IN few instances Of what is
called the Fugitive Slave Law by Con-
gress.
Conventions have denounced il as un.
constitutional, the Clergy have declared
it in opposition 10 the higher law of God
and therefore void. The slave and the
citizen have been advised and invited TO
arm and oppose the execution of this
law TO the shedding of human blood,
and all this is done in the poacelble and
orderly State of Ohio, and think it ia
the result Of mistaken judgment, if not,
and the law is actually void, they are
right, and | could justify the noble Im-
pulse which prompts interference be-
tween freedom and serv tlde in opposi.
ton to law whether white or black.
But Let us for moment search after
truth, ,&if we find it acknowledge its force.
Let the ground we occupy,at least bo we'll
considered, before VIC hasten to results
c lculatcd TO weaken public 90 lidence in
the supremacy Of rlaws, and the Wis
dom and stability OF our Institutions.
There is, 1 think, no doubt that the
Superior Court of the U. S. will sustain
every provision of this law as consIitu-
ii NIL when the occasion shall aIise.
One Of its Northern members has already
done SO in the case Of Garnett. .,
The decision of this tribunal are abso-
lutely conclusive, on all others, on qucs-
lions growing out of the Constitution OF
The u. s. 1t is the national tribunal and
its opinion final. There is no appeal!
Ii am right in this, whatsoever commits
ony over tact Of violence against the exc
cution Of this law is guilty of a misde,
meanor, ard if death ensue may be guilty
of murder. al , .'s.3s7:av.
HBut / cannot drop the subject here.
With natural aversion TO the institution
of slavery, aud the evils believe it
entails on any people, should be false
10 myself and false to truth, if | did moi
express the opinion that the law is consis-
tent with constitutional obligations be-
tween the States. r... .,..r..
The Constitution provides, in the last
clause of the 81 section of 18th art, that:
'sNo person held 10 service or labor in
one State, underline laws hereofescaping
into another, shall in consequence of any
law or regulation therein be discharged
from such survice or labor, but shall be
delivered up on claim oflhe party to when
susb survice OF labor may be due.
II is matter of public history that this
,,os ;nsorted in the Constitution OF