The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-02-26
t IA Y UNION.

desire and future time exp e 10 discuss these
questions but do not wish that they shall be dragged
into debate the entire exclusion OF the public business
II does seem remarkable Mr. President that the very
senator who has most yehementy denounced agitation
and agalors should himself have brought before the
SENATE dufng this session almost every question reauig
10 slavery which has received any degree OF cohsaeia'
uon.
A memorial relative to the African slave trade was
brought nio the Senate by the honorable senator IRON
Kentucky and on his mohou referred TO committee ne
making a speech which led TO discussion. me mater
now before us has received introduction here from The
same distinguished source and believe there has been
but occasion upon which The slavery question has
been debated in this chamber al this session. upon whch
The honorable senator from Kentucky did not him sell IN.
oduce the proposition which gave rise 70 that discussion
And yet we were promised peace and quiet ana harmony
the result OF the slavery measures OF last session.
never did believe | do not now believe, and, unn IN
ture developments shall satisfy OF error, never snail
believe that the measures TO which the sanction OF ms
body then given will be productive OF quiet and harno
n.y. We have been told here to-day that those measures IN
which the South concured were passed by soulheth
votes while those measures which received The appoba
ton of the North passed by northern votes NOW,
is quiet and harmony to be expected when the parties
who to form the Compromise are neither OF them sat
sfed with its terms' When each party rejects that por
ton of the Compromise which ia dstatefu 10 Its parlcu
lar section, how it be considered settlement Sir
il is not settlement II has no attribute OF settlement
This ugtvesave ACT TO which the attention OF the
Senate called will Of itself produce more agitation
than any other which ever adopted by Congress.
Here my place opposed the passage OF that meas
opposed because believed with the senator from
chusetis, now no longer member OF this body,
Mr. WEBSTER, that the obligations in regard TO fugves
IRON service which the constitution imposes were de-
volved upon the States believe, with the senator from
Virginia Mr. MAsoNl that tits "a federal Obligation
ana agree with the senator from South Carolina Mr.
BUTLER that it is "a compact between the.Staes It's
compact be executed by the States as the other com
pacts article 10 be executed good aith,
and each State is to be the Judge OF the OF its
stuonal obligations, and of the particular legislation
which is necessary to fulfil them. Now, what was the
har
bered that al that time The transaction occurred out OF
which originated the Pfgg controversy AT that time
New Jersey had her laws providing for the restoration OF
ugltives from aboPennsy vana had her laws agreed
upon between the lex sIaure OF that State and comms-
soners sent from Maryland for the purpose OF procuring
the action OF Pennsylvania upon the subject Ohio had
her laws founded upon the application OF commissioners
from Kentucky, and sanctioned by their appreciation am
bound, passing say that they received my APP
provaI, but they did receive the appreciation OF major
y OF the representatives OF the people, and they were
concured sufficient and satisfactory by the commits
sioners from Kentucky Indiana had her laws, Illinois
had hers, and Iowa hat her laws And so, Mr. President
from the almost TO the base OF the Rocky noun
ains there stretched unbroksn chain OF State legsla
ton, making ample provisions in relation to this subject
This being slate OF things, the Supreme Court IN the
OF Prog against PeDnsy vana, decided that the States
had constitutional power to egslae upon the subject
That decision swept the whole OF this legislation IRON
the statute books 1t broke all from the Atlantic as
said lore, the base OF the Rocky mountains abolish
ed the whole OF it, Thea, of course, il became impossible
reclaim fusves because the decision OF the Supreme
Court had made II impossible. | believed then, and l
believe now, that that decision has practically ex-
plunged the fugitive servant clause from the constu
ton.
| Mr. BUTLER | hope the honorable senator from
Ohio will permit me to make one remark to put myself
! MIR CHASE Certainly
! Mr. BUTLER The senator from Ohio has presented
nv proposito not exactly would make II l never
commended tina, under any contract federal obga
ton was exclusively the jurisdiction OF the STATES TO
carry out this law. That was not my proposition My
proposition always has been conformity with the Judg
men OF Chief Justice Taney that while the States could
pass laws aid OF any federal law and law OF Congress.
they prohibited from passing any law to interfere
with the constitutional obligation. That is my propo-
sitionno that il sexclusvey devolved upon the States,
as might be inferred from the construction which the
from Ohio put upon my language but that the
States prohibited from passing any law interfering
with thisarce OF the constitution, butt they might pass
laws 10 aid in the execution OF IT, and II was their duty
TO do So That is my proposiuon
| Mr.. CHASE. agree with the honorable senator from
South Carolina them 10 this extent, that the provision OF
the constitution relating TO ugves from service IS an
article of compact between the States This proposition
b:ing established conceded, IT will be extremely diff
cult, think, for any legal mind, by any train OF logical
argument TO derive from that compact between States
any power Of the federal government IL that power
exists say TO the senator from South Carolina that ii
may be invoked in regard 10 those cooed citizens OF
Massachusetts who confined in the Jaiis OF Charles
ton under the police regulations OF the city or State with
precisely the proprley that II can be invoked with
regard TO fugitives from service believe each State is
the Judge the character oil the compact and the
tent OF the obligation created by It, That IS my opinion,
and upon that opinion base my action
In my Judgment, the action OF the Supreme Court in
ved and indeed created much of the difficulty in which
this sublec, involved. do not propose 10 60 into
any full discussion Of this matter now. II is in my
udgmeni, not the proper time, and II is too broad ques
ton be discussed upon the spur OF the moment and in
debate like this. | will, however add word in e.
gard TO the practical effects OF the law OF the last
sion.
II has been said by the senator from Kentucky [Mr
CLAYl that that law has received as full an execution as
could be reasonably expected He has nstanced the
IN Indiana where white persons surrendered az
slaves He SAID that these persons were "a white TO all
appearance himself the senator then occupying the
chair. That understand 10 be the fact But do not
understand another portion OF The statement OF TIE hoaors
BILE senator be strictly correct. do not understand
that there was any African blood in their veins There
might have been some Indian blood, bat do not under
stand that there any African blood. Now, what
the facts there and when was the first mob :
SO far the public accounts have reached they state
that those persons originally seized in New Albany
in the State OF Indiana and taken over to kentucky by
Kentucky near Hawesvle, these persons were rescued
from the claimant by orce-a mob, II you please-and
brought back To New Albany, where Investigate OF
some kind or other was had do not know what IL
The result 1t Is true that they were surrendered
and taken to Louisville where they ransomed
by the humanity OF the citizens OF New Albany, assisted
have no doubt, by the generosity OF the citizens OF
Louisville.
The senator then referred to my State, and in
stanced two in Cincinnati. In regard TO the first
of these Cases know little beyond what the senator has
already stated lie has said that one interesting female
arrested taken before tried, aud then
sure dered TO the claimant the statement, which
purporsd TO be copied IRON OF the Cincinnati papers,
in which II said that this interesting female had
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