The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-04-28
WASHINGTON. ID. c.
MULTIPLICATION IN M1ssoUR1.-F. P. BLAIR, JR


Blair, Jr., son of the distinguished ex-edtor of
that name, signalized himself by his able and
courageous opposition to the extension Of Sla-
very, fully sustaining Mr. Benton in his war
fare upon the Nullifers. The same position no
has maintained ever since disdaining conceal
ment and bodily avowing Free Soil doctrines.
In the canvass, last summer, in st. Louis, for
seat in the Legislature, his opponent sought to
overwhelm him with odium, by reading from
an Anti-Slavery speech of his delivered in
ls4S but Blair eifectually bafled him, by re-
terating and defending without stint or quail
fcation, every doctrine Of that speech The
epithets Free-SOiler" and "Abolitionistp had
no terrors for him he boldly confronted his
enemies and, with his known views respecting
Slavery, he was triumphantly elected.
One OF his first movements on taking his seat
was to introduce a resolution TO repeal the
Jackson resolutions of lS49, which had COM
mitted the State to the doctrines Of Slavery
Extension and Notification and on the lst Of
February he addressed the House Of Represent
atives in support Of his resolution. Or read
ers will be pleased to see few extracts from
this speech
He first established the constitutonality of
the Wilmot ProvisO.
IN HOUSE, FEBRUARY l, 1853.
The question being on the motion to reject
the resolutions offered by Mr.. Blair to repeal
the jackson resolutions" of lS49--
Mr.. Blair said it was proper that he should
reply to the remarks Of the gentleman from
Howard, on the subject of his (Mr. Blair's po-
stion 1t was not a pleasant matter to be com
pelled to speak of himself and he should there
fore dismiss that part of the subject 10 as few
words az possible. The gentleman has read
from n speech delivered by me in st. Louis in
1913, in which | advocated the cOnstitutionality
aud propriety of applying the Ordinance of
1887, prohibiting slavery, to the new territories
acquired from Mexico. | made that speech,
and will not take back one word of it. This is
not the first time that speech has been quoted
against me- 1t was read against me by my
opponent in St. Louis county, in the canvass
for a seat in this body. ! av0wed the speech
then, and defended its doctrines The result
was, that my Wing multiplying opponent was
defeated by one thousand votes. That gentle
man happens to be here in this city, at this
time, and having no further use for my speech,
which he used to so little advantage, presume
he has handed it over to the gentleman from
Howard who will make no more out of it than
my opponent did. Since the gentleman has
alluded to my advocacy of the doctrine of the
power Of Congress to leg slate upon the subject
of slavery in the Territories, and its expedency,
and since that doctrine was made the pretext
upon which he and his confederates advocated
the Modification resolutions Of lS49 (which |
now propose to repeal) will give the history
of the origin of the Ordinance of l787-the
ordinance by which slavery was first prohibited
in the Territories of the United States and |
which is precisely the same as the "Wilmot
ProvisOn
The Ordinance of 1887 was written by Mr..
jefferson, and is still to be seen in his hand
writing in the State Department at Washing
ton city. 1t was adopted by the Congress Of
the Confederation, with ono dissenting voice
that of Mr. Yates of New York. By it, slavery
was prohibited in the Northwest Territory,
comprising the present States of Ohio Indiana
illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The Ordi- |
nance was re-enacted by the first Congress
which sat under our present Constitutional
Congress composed of many of the men who
framed tho Constitution and who understood
the work of their own hands quite as well as
who have lately endangered the very existence |
of the Union Of the States, by their clamors
against that which was sanctioned by the men
who achieved the independence Of our country |
and framed the Government under which we
live. This act was passed the 18th of August,
1889, A majority of the members Of the Sen |
ate were members Of the Convention which |
framed the Constitution, and the act was ap-
proved by Gen Washington, then President of
the United States, who was President Of the
Gonvention. The act Of the 7th Of May, 1900,
to establish the Territorial Government of In
diana, reaffrmed the Ordinance Of 1887, pro-
hibting slavery which act was approved by
Mr. Adams, The act to establish the Terrific
rial Government of Michigan, approved Janu-
airy lth, 1905, and the act establishing the
Territorial Government of Illinois, passed Feb
ruary Sd, 1909, reaiirmed the Ordinance of
1877, and were approved by Mr. Jefferson, the
President of the United States Acts with the
Same provision prohibiting slavery were up.
proved by Presidents Madison, Monroe Jack
son, Van Buren,, and Polk, the last of whom
signed and approved the act establishing
Territorial Government in Oregon, approved
August l4th l8lS, and establishing Terrific
rial Government in Minnesota approved March
3d. lS49. Both of these acts prohibit slavery
aud the last was approved only few days DO.
fore tho Jackson resolutions passed the Missouri |
Legislature proclaiming that the passage of
any such act by Congress would be resisted by |
this State, and that it was a good cause for
dissolvlng the Union. This then, was the pre- |
text for nullliicatOn and civil war-the pas
sage Of an act approved by every man who has
shed lustrc upon our nation, and which there
is no man OF any name or reputation in tho
trry hn lima L. 4
most solemn form to be constitutional
This doctrine, sanctioned as il has been bv
the practice of the Government for sixty wears.
and not until lately disputed, has also been
sanctioned by the Supreme Court of tho United |
States and the Supreme Court of this State |
Our Supreme Court in the case of Wrinny u.s. |
Whitesides Il Mo. R., 474) The Supreme
Court of the United States say, Il Peters, 542)
that " IN leglslating for Territories, Congress
exercises the combined power of the General
Government and State Government; "
state has full power to legslate upon the sub
Ject OF slavery within its limits, and the Gen
eral Government with still more ample pow
crs, can do the same within the Territories
1t is claimed that there is no direct grant Of
power in the Constitution of tho United States
under which Congress can legislate for the
Territories on this subject In this the gentle
man differs from the Supreme Court of the u
States The power is granted says the Su-
preme Court in the clause which empowers
Congress to make all needful rules and regu-
latons respecting the territory and other prop
erty belonging to the United States"-(2d
clause of the I'd section of Art w of the Con-
sstution)
The sovereignty of the General Government
necessarily includes this power. 1t would be
singular, indeed if the Government could pur-
chase, conquer, or in any way acquire, territory
which 1t had no power to govern, and which
must be LETT without government until erected
into State MIR. Calhoun at one time had
far different yiews ON this snhient for II Ia wall