Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-11-24
[PROPRIETORS.

- i
-==zsss sssz; .-sr.ssss :-ssr.ss
they passed u bill to establish territorial
government for Oregon. ccnfais,rg pro.
rision ercludixs slavery unaccompanicd
by compromise, or by making any conces-
sion or equivalent whatever to the South.
ras - passsd, prefesseiy TO a'set tAs sniimi,ei
cos.rol Of Co~svsw ossrsA sstjecf II vss ne fret
biz Of tie hind svsr ySssed and marks an inpcrtaas
ssagei. As progSsss # aggressons and srsroaeA
ments reference savery the territorial ssssct
of he subject. has given scw as9 pe~e.tsi lee.
puise to tie a5olitionists. Instead of resting
satisfied with SO great step in their pro.
gress, they ale now urging with greater
zeal than ever towards the accomplish
ment of the object they have in view. Oi
the truth Of this we have ample evidence
in wha, has occurred already in the House
of Representatives, where the popular
feelings are soonest and most intensely
felt"
In "a speech made by him at Lexington,
Missouri. the 7th day Of July. ls49. Sen
ator Benton used the following languages !
The clause in the Oregon act was the
st,onge,t erpre,s,on Of Congrem upon tie
subject Mat had ercr been made !. und this
Mr.. Calhoun told them. in order to iuAume
them up to the attacking point. He told
them it was the first bill of the Kind that
ever passed. because it contained no com
promise, no concession, no equivalent 10
the South. He told them it was passed to
assert the unlimited power Of Congress O.
yer the subject Of slavery in the territories;
AND IN THAT HE WAS RIGHT
for he, M. b., tired Of seeing the people Of Oregon
,chouf laW government and deiernined TO reiicv<
the~ from that depiorabie condition. and at any has-
ard 70 hinseC had vowed hc amendment N he Sen
ate rhieh pasaihe bsH mih tie aatisinuery Prcvist
in it, IT WAS A NAKED, ABSO,
Lutte, UNCONDITIONAL EXER
CISE OF THE UNLIMITED pow
Err OF CONGRESS OVER THE
WHOLE SUBJECT; AND AS SUCH
HAD PASSED BOTH HOUSES or
CONGRESS-"
The reader will bear in mind that til,
grea, issue between the North and Soull
was as to the constitutional power Of Con
gress to pass the Proviso in any form, O
legislate at all on the subject of Slavery ii
the territories. By the passage of the Ore
gon Bill, this power was conceded to Con
grcss, and lis exercise III that case wa
claimed by Mr.. Van Buren, as final dispo
sition of the matter, and a''precedent for al
time to come. In his letter accepting the
nomination of the Free Soil Party. datec
"Lindcnwald, August 22, 1885," he des
canted at length upon the subject, and took
care to hold up the enactment Of the Pro
viso in the Oregon bill as final settlement
OF the question as TO the power of Con
gress, and complete justification Of tn.
separate organization ofthc Free Soil Par
ty for the purpose Of carrying this meas
ure. But we shall cite the very words 0
the letter.
After stating, ia regard to "tho chief top
ic OF the resolutions" adopted by tn.
Buffalo Convention, viz the question o
Slavery, that the policy proclaimed b,
them, and US he contended, Established
by the founders ofthc Republic" was, il
the first place, "Adequate,e efficient and Ger
tain security against the extension of slave
ry into Territories where it did not practi
cally exist" Mr.. Van Buren, said "rh
question of constitutionaiity. the gravest O
all questions that can be made against
public measure. has just passed through
the ordeal ofpubIic discusson,and the doc
trine in question (viz: that Congress has no
the constitutional power to prohibit slave
ry in the Terrtories) has been 30 thorough
iyrrjected and condemned by the voice o.
the nation that il no longer necessary "a
spend ,cords in rcfating IT,"
"To bring the matter nearer to our owr
times, within a few days, upon tho very
heel Of the recent discussions on this point
a bill containing this restricfton-has pass
ed bath branches ofMe National Legisla
ture, and receiced tie constitutional appro
rdi oftie present Erecutice--an approva
which it was his sworn duty to withhold
if he had not been satisfied that all the pro
visions of the bill were in conformity Il
the Constitution. Tie present Pycsident
| (lHr. PoH,) also a stakeholder. elccte.
from slaveholding State, with n larg,
portion ofhis Cabinet in the same situa
ton, has givcn Me highest sanction to TN
doctrine rc contend tor that is knoyn Il
oar Institutions and although he felt him
self called upon to make an extra message
setting forth his reasons for believing tha
the restriction ought not to be applied te
our Mexican Territories, he does not take
the slightest notice of the constitutional oh
lection on which so many Southern State.
had based their opposition to the general
measures. THIS BRANCH OF THE
SUBJECT HAS BEEN THUS, AND
WE HOPE FOREVER DISPOSED
OF"
The Giro ular OF 1928.
A LITERAL COPY OF SO MUCH
OF COL. JOHNSON'S FAMOUS
CIRCULAR OF 1925 AS POSSES.
ES ANY GENERAL INTEREST
ATTHE PRESENT TINE. FROM
THE ORIGINAL PAMPHLET
PRINTED AT CLARKSBURG
HARRISON COUNTY, VA.