New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-05-24

certain purposes and 10 certain extent, there should
be united Government and that that Government
should have the power of executing lis own laws All
the rest was left 70 the several States And we now
come. gentlemen, 20 the very point OF the case At
that time Slavery existed IN the Southern States en-
tailed upon them 10 the time Of The supremacy Of
British laws over rs. There 10 was Il was obnox-
Gus to the Middle States, and dlslkel and honestly
and seriously dlslked, the records Of the country
VIII show, By the Southern States themselves. Now
how were they to deal with Il Were the Northern
/ ana Middle states 20 exclude from the Government
those states Of the South which had produced
washington, q Lawrence and other Distinguished
/ patriots Of that part Of the country Were they 10
/ be excluded from the new Government because they
/ tolerated the institution OF slavery our fathers
/ and my fathers lid not think They did not
that It would be OF the best advantage 20 the slaves
Of the Southern states 10 cut of the South from all
/ connection with the North. Their views Of humanity
led TO no such result and OF course when the Con
StUuon was framed and established, and adopted by
/ YOU here IN New-York, and by your ancestors IN
New-EnCland, II contained ali express provision OF
security 10 persons who lived De- the Southern States
10 fugluyes who owed them service that is TO say,
the fugitive from service Or labor should be restored
! 20 las master or owner. Well, that had been the
history Of the country from It's first settlement II
was matter Of common practice 10 return tugltiyes
/ before the constitution was formed ugluFe
slaves from Virginia 20 Massachusetts were re-
stored By The people Of Massachusetts. At that day
there great system OF apprenticeship al the
North and many apprentices ~ the North. taking adj
vantage OF circumstances. and OF vessels sailing 10
the South, thereby escaped This led 10 clear eG-
press and well defined provision m the Constitution
OF inc COUNTY on lt euiItci 4NDN' f4DN ll't "a.
these things arc common thdt incy nave Oee s',t"
thousand times but, in these days Of perpetual dis
content and msrcpre sentaton 10 state things thou
sand times IS not enough for there are more than
thousand persons whose cOnSclenceS, one would
think. led them TO make 1t duty to deny. mlsrepre
sent, falSIiy and up truths Now, here Is the
Constitution, icllOw-cltlZcns, and have taken the
pains 10 raIScbc therefrOm these words, so that he
who runs may read " No person held TO service or
labor in one state under the laws thereof, escaping
INTO another. shall IN consequence Of any law or reg
ulation therein. De discharged from such service or
labor. but shall be delivered mp on claim OF the
party 10 whom such service or labor may be due"
Is there any mistake about thsl Is there any forty
shilling attorney here No. VIII not disgrace my
profession bv slipposing such 70 thing There not
in or out Of an attorneys Office the County of Ere
or elsewhere. one who could RAISE doubt or par
tCle Of doubt. about the meaning OF TINS provision
of the Constitution He may act aS witnesses do,
sometimes on the stand. lie may Wuggle and twist
and say he can't tell. have seen many such eXh
billions IN my time, on the part OF witnesses, 10 iaSiy
and betray and deny the faith. But there is no man
who can read these words of the Constitution OF the
United States and say they not clear and lmper
alive No person." the Constitution says, held
10 service or labor In one state. under the laws
thereof escaping into another. shall IN consequence
OF any Laws or regulation therein. be discharged
rom any such service or labor but shall be delv-
cred up ON the claim of the party TO whom such ser
wee or labor may be due" Why You are told By
forty conventions in MaSSaC huSeS, IN OHIO, in New
York m syracuse. and elsewhere. that If a cOlored
man came here ne came a freeman. That Is, a
mn ScgUifdr. II he came as fugitive from labor, the
Constitution says he Is not a freeman, and that he
shall be delivered mp 10 ms owners VINO are entitled
10 ms service. Now, gentlemen that Is the tonsu-
tuition of the United States Gentlemen, do We. or
DO We not. mean 10 execute that part OF the Constr
tuition as well rs the rest of suppose there are
before me here members OF Congress. / suppose
there are here members of the State Legislature or
executive officers, under the State Government. |
suppose there are judicial Magistrates OF Newly ork
executive officers. Assessors Supervisors, Justices OF
The Peace. and COnstablcS, before me Allow me
30 say. gentlemen that there is not. that there can
not be any one of these officers m tins dssembage.
or 81 soy 10 OF
ms obligation, bound himself by solemn OATH be-
fore ms God, to support the Constitution. They have
taken their oathS on the Holy Eyangehss OF Almighty
God or by uphiied hand, as the case may BE- or Dy
solemn aSSCyCraOn. as Is the practice IN some cases
But one and AL Of them, there Is not man Who
holds nor is there any man who can hold any office
I'm the gift of the United States or IN tins state or IN
any other State. who does not become bound. by the
solemn obligation of an oath before God, that he viii
support the CONSUMPTION ION. OF me 1nea staS VII
men. our political duties are as much matters OF con-
science as any other dutes-our sacred domestic
ties, our most endeanng several relations are no
more the subject for CONSCIENTIOUS cohsoerduoh
and conscientious discharge, than me uuuCs we
enter into underline Constitution of the United states
The bonds of political brotherhood are the bonds
which hold us together from Maine TO Gcorgla-
Now. gentlemen, that Is The main story OF me ,9-
sution of The United States ON the question OF Sa-
very Gentlemen, / contend, and have always con-
tended that atorthe adoption OF The constitution any
measure of the Government calculated 10 pflhs SaNc
territory into the United states, was beyond lhe pow
or Of the Cons tuition and against us provision lhal
rs my opinion, and 1t always has been ny opinion
II was very consistent kor thought To De so, LOT 'ho
same purpose nm JeierSon'S Tune, to attach Louis
lama 10 the United States treaty with rance was
made for that purpose. But JcfersOns opinion al
that moment was That an alteration OF Inc O1l>u'u-
ton was necessary to enable 10 bee done. IN con-
Sderng what VIII not now repeat thdl OPINION was
abandoned and Louisiana was admitted ny d"'
without any provision OF alteration M the COnSltu
ton Al that time was too young % holl any once
or take any share m the political affairs OF me coli
trv Louisiana was admitted as slave state ana
became entitled 10 her representation m Congress on
the principle OF mixed basis floflua vas "i'ci-
wards admitted. Then, TOO, was ont OF congress-
| had been IN II once hut had nothing To 90 WIN
the FLORIDA treaty or the admission of FLORIDA. Wy
opinion remains unchanged, thar IL was MOI III INC
original scope or design Of the Constitution 20 al
INIT new states out of the foreign territory, ana
that for one, never would consent, ana no mat
Ter what may be SAID al The syracuse Con'en-
uon. OF any other aSScmbaec OF insane persons
never would consent that there should De one 1901
of slave TERRITORY beyond what the ola tflceh states
had at the time of the formation of the Union.
Never. never The man can't Sho" ms lace 20 me
and say lac can prove that ever departed from lhtt
doctrine He would kneak away, and ShnA away, or
! Inc merccnaV lleep that ne mgn, say VIM
mcrconay alo>iatC from liberty Daniel Webster mas
tccome Laughter and cheers lie knows nlW-
sell 10 pc "a hypOcnle and flasher but, gentlemen
was M public life when the proposition 10 annex
Texas 10 the United States was brought forward
You know the revolution IN Texas, Mhch u.Ni1eu
that country from Mexico, was IN Ne year 1879 oi
49, 1 saw hCu-anl don't know that n required
any particular foreS ght-t;lai 1t would oe the very
next thing to bring Texas. which was designed To ne
q >laychotng STATE INTO TINS mon lid A'1 Wat
so,,,lf lam occasion 10 proclaim my utter aversion
TO ANY such measure. and determined To resist II
with an my strength 10 The last. Now, gentlemen
| is not for your cdl6cauon, am sure. that l now
revive what / have before spoken IN the presence
/ of Tins assembly. l Was m Tins city m the year
| 1887. and long before / len NcW-Nolk on tHal
/ ,x.l,r>lon M the course OF which / went 20
| the south and returned here. my friends IN
Ncw-Nork Were kmd enough 90 offer me pub
he dinner a testimony OF their public regard
tor me went Out of my WV on that OCCASION for
/ the purpose of showing what | niiciptct N ine
attempt 20 annex Texas IS slave territory and sad
II should Dee opposed by me 20 the last extremity
I Ana IN N.Alo'S Garden. n March. 1887. made
.lrr.h Ntn. inere vs. The nrcss I'd arounl M,