The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-08-03

Has Congress the constitutional power to exclude
slavery from the Territories OF the Unit ed saies while
they remain Territories?
9 If such power does exist you in favor its be
ing now exercised by Congress to exclude slavery from
them.
To these questions John Law, Esq. and
Governor Whitcomb responded as follows:
INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. IL, ls4s.
DEAR SIR:-Your note duly received. i have in
reply TO say that received similar nete some days
since from Judge Beard Of the Senate which replied
at length and to which would refer YOU
feel no reluctance, however, In answering both your
questions in the affirmative. Were in the Congress Of
the u States should redly give my vote aud
interest in of every proposition for excluding
very from any Territory acquired hereafter to be
quired by the United States. should deem pros
pecve action ofCongress the subject both illegal and
constitutional"
Hon. X. II. Rousseau, Yours truly,
House of Representatives. JOHN LAW.
INDiAx1PoLis Dec. 9th. 1s4s
GESTLEMESYour letter of this da. in relation to the
subject of the extension of slavery into our newly
qured territories New Mexico and California has been
received. have time to give but brief reply-one.
however. which trust will be sufficiently intellgible for
As stated in my recent message the legislature,
these territories have TO us free by their laws
from the Institution Of human slavery II is inconto
vertbe that slavery there or elsewhere cannot exist
without the sanction ofposItiye laws. farther believe
that Congress can eonstitntionay pass such organic
laws WILL in their operation, prevent the passage OF
any s. CHI law by the government OF TIE territory.
IL follows then, that Congress can in my Judgment
these territories.
In relation to your second question will add that
still viewing slavery did nearly twenty IN
report made in the legislature OF our State draw
back upon the prosperity OF any country, would, u
member use my influence and vote for The passage oil
kind referred to-that is to say. law hch
will operate efecually prevent the introduction OF
slavery into these territories.
JAS. wHITCOMB. .
Mr. Whitcomb was elected receiving every
/ n i'll
which were withheld OH account of personal
considerations.
In January. 1919, the Democratic State
Convention assembled at indianapolis. The
following resolution, reported by the Com
mittee on resolutions was unanimously adop-
ted:
ResOfred Thatthe Territories ofNew Mexico and Cal
forna in fact and in law free territory and that IT
is the duty Of Congress to prevent the Introduction OF
slavery within their limits
Here the Constitutional right to legislate
for the Territories is asserted, and the duty
of Congress to do so strongly urged.
Look at the position occupied by w. j.
Brown, the present editor of the STATE Senh
mel, OIL the slavery question. He was mem
Der of Congress and wanted to be Speaker.
To secure the votes of those he now calls
AboltioniSts, he entered into the following
written contract with their leader
| w,sui-orox CRY Dec. 10 1919.
nEAR SIR In answer to yours fhis date will state
that, should be elected speaker of the House o Rep
TEES on TIE DIS RIOT OF COLUMBIA. ON TER
RIroRIES, AND on THE JUDICIARY, IN SUCH a
SELF a ND FRIENDS IAN A REPRESENTATIVE
FROM A FREE STATE. AND RAVE ALWAYS BEEN
OPPOSED TO THE EXTENSION OF SLAVERY.
Ann BEIIEVE THAT TIE FEDERAL GOVERN.
MENT SHOULD Bn BELIEVED FROM THE RE.
| SPoNSlBLITY or SLAVERY. WHERE THEY
! HAVE THE CONSTITUTIONAL POWER TO ABoL-
HI Hon. a.. DAVID wrrnOr. "'' '0' " " j. iBRowS.
Mr. Brown published a card in the Wash
ington Union, on the 18th OF December,
IS49, in which he used the following ian
guage:
~ have always taken tho open ground that Congress
should Interfere with the institution of slavery IN the
District of Columbia without se # the nhaJi-
tants &c Congress possesses the power TO abolish sa-
very in the District and the people consent, one
| should Objte.."
..one .hag our Sou,hsrn Democratic friends should
remember-that in the North the sentiment against the
eXtenon Of saverN is almost univ ersa; and II we
required become the advocates OF its extension our
places will be- filled with Wings -
IL was cali ed Calhoun southern ocated the
doctrines Nicholson letter, ntk the creep
tion ofhis views as 20 the constitutional power of Con
ress TO legisiate iorthe Territories RAJ Roper IGGrs
ReUer doubted Congress possessed"
In letter addressed to the State Sentinel
after his bargain with the Abolitionists, he
used the following language:
"But the time is come when the North will no longer
bow the neck tn the sLsvorsAcy of the South. l AN
DONE. She cannot be satisfied with moderate and
conservative support you must become the defender
Of her institutions II you doubt llter, you de
nounced as traitor, aud with a iordig arrogance You
are told that they will DISSOLVE THE UNIoN!"
On the next day after the appearance of
his card in the Union, Mr. Brown wrote to
member of the Indiana Senate as follows:
w.snxerox CRY. Dec. -. ls49-DE.n +t%'s--we
are literally overrun by southern ehivary For one
can't stand it any longer. PASS THE NlLMOT PRO-
vi>o, AND WE WILL. STICK 1T TO OLD ZACK.-
The Free soilers will vote for no southern man tor
Speaker aud the Southern fanatics refuse 10 vote for
any who get the Free soil vote. To-day has been
spent discussing the proprety of dssovng the Union.
THE debate has been and angry, and God knows
''' " "'N '"''' : '''' '''' ". ]. BROWN.
A man who thus stands upon the record on
the slavery question must possess the impu-
dence of the Devil himself to keep up the
eternal howl of Abolition A bolition /! now
INDUCED in by this same Mr.. Brown.
In 1854, the same men, still protesting to
be Democrats, met in Convention at lnd-
annapolis, and endorsed the Kansas Nebraska
enactment.
Thus approving the repeal ola law restrict
ing slavery, the very thing which, in ls4s-9
they said was not only constitutional right
but the duty OF Congress to DO, and they ex-
pect honest men, who have opinions of their
own, to follow them. They do not stop
there; but all who do not &C with them are
denounced as traitors and A bolitionists!
CooL..The Louisville Courier of last FRI