Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-05-13

both parties disayowed their declared resolves and
tered with vgor, almost unsxamped before, into th'
very discussions they were pledged to discourage.
As to the particular question Of the day. the repeal
the Missouri compromise, free to say that disap
prove Of the In the first place. think it
causeless renewal Of agitation that lead to nc
good In the second place, dissent altogether from the
new doctrine of nonntervention on which it proceeds
Applied to the about be erected may
polite enough of that express no opinion II it be So
the object can be obtained without the repeal of the legs
lation Of 1920 but in my judgment that repeal involves
deeper principle. 1t accedes to the doctrine of Gen.
Cass that Congress possesses power under the Const
tuition to egslate for the Territories that its duty is to
organize forms of Territorial government only and when
that effected it is functus ofcio," and all that
mains belongs to the first settlers This may oil be very
we'll for certain degrees of latitude; it my be good
fetch for politician involved between the horns OF
dilemma its author supposed to hive been OF the
time Of its discovery but it has no sanction IN any true
construction Of the Constitution The conclusion is
wholly arbitrary and upsets the longeIiang and we'll
settled practice of the Government and is opposed to the
judgments of the courts. If the Federal authority can
acquire territory the power to egsate for results %
of course. The duty may be discharged as Mr. Cass
proposes but it is absurd to suppose in the absence Of
any special provision Of the Constitution, ha Congress
is limited to that mode. In the Territories Congress
occupies the place Of local Legislature, and IS such it
exercise any power in repect to them IN Us nature
that the introduction exclusion Of the system slavery
is not legitimate subject Of lcgislatioi It seems
strange that Southern politicians should foil into the
Slavery, we know exists only BY vrtueof posi-
tive law and the laws of community in which tits found
have fsrce proprio ygore beyond the lmltso which
the community extends; that an emlgrant from II
carries not his domestic regulations to his new home
Without the exercise Of legislation therefore thesysem
of slavery can obtain foothold no whert. Waat au-
thory for example, could master exert ever his SLAYER
Would he have the power of life and limb? Is th slave
to be of the realty part Of personally? HoWis title
him to be conveyed? How is he to pass descend ut
his masters death These things it is PLAN are to be
regulated by law and in the absence of suc regulations
property in the subject could never be enjoyed.
The admission exclusion of slavery imp territory
must therefore be determined either by Congress- as here
tofore admitted by the first settlers Mr. Cass pro-
poses. IN many may be indifferent as 20 the
choice, but readily conceive OF case IN Whlcn
we would not experience the same indifference we can
conceive of case in which sound policy and the just
rights of the saveholdng States would require the ac
tive aid of legislation in that behalf These states are
represented in Congress, they are Represented IN tne
chief Executive office; through their representatives
they could make known their wants, enforce rem py
argument and support them by votes and the bnstu-
ton would impose its obligations. In Mr. Casls little
they would have no voice, but De prced 10
submit to the dctaon strangers alien to their
We ought to protest against this doctrine, andas ct
Of saveoldng States interested in the success and
preservation of peculiar institution, never cosen to
establish principle that will permit the Fedora autho
rites to from the solemn engagements that pc Con
sttuton lays them under We have surrenderedto the
General Government the great attributes OF oG soVe
regnty and if the great interests Of the
demand the exertion of that power in his behlf we
should exact the fuflment Of the duty at
and ct every cost and make its refusal the
of all obedent to It's authority.
The Missouri compromise has, long since, world out
its results it effected partition Of the LOUISIANA terri
tory between opposing interests part was the
institutions of the sayeholdng States and part those
of the free States. 1t intended as permanent set
clement between the two and circumstances hap con-
spired to make it such 1t is not in the poFer OF
Congress to disturb the settlement TO suit ptltoa
ezigency the law may be repealed declared tobe SUI
perseded the just power of the Federal Legisatus may
De ignored and the doctrine of noninterTenon proam-
ed the rule for the future; but below the line 36'
a slavery will continue to exist and above few bnds
will ever be found.
The legislation Of 1920 is valuable not for theterri-
tora partition that it effected but for the CONCESSION
involved Of the duty of Congress to respect the interests
of both sections Had the doctrine OF non Intervention
prevailed that time it is possible that the entire err
tory might have remained open to the and
without stopping to balance the justice OF such esut
to the North it may be conceded that would not nave
proved unacceptable to the South But then, how hany
Of Northern friends would have been found adhrng
to that doctrine? If the country now beted pund
by slave States rendering it certain that any territory
hereafter acquired would impressed with the ns
tutions of slavery would not every member from the free
States protest loudly against the policy? But our cpnd
an is the instead Of slave communities on our
borders surrounded oil sides States to whose
laws slavery ia unknown and it is certain that in what
ever direction We may extend limits without the aid
OF special legislation space will be provided for the
expansion Of that population Under existing circum-
stances, therefore, the principle Of nonintervention
squares exactly with the interests of the North and is
essentially reeso principle 1t is esteemed by high
authority for told that the present Chief Magis
rae has unreservedy declared touching the Territorial
bills which embody this feature that all Mexico should
be annexed Southern border not foot of that
broad land would be accessible to the slaveowner.
1t is difficult to understand therefore, what gool our
representatives promise from the repeal of the
compromise; certainly it work prscIca goou'
and as establishing principle for the ture' Is op-
posed to our interests.
If representatives would abandon the false positions
and untenabe doctrines into which they have been De-
trayed, and to wrangle the topic OF slavery;
they would explain true position and present the
plain alternative their associates it Is probable that
much valuable time might be saved to the business Of e
gisation and the public mind arrive at uster views OF
Congressional responsibility respecting subject that pas
son prejudice and other bad influences have for so long
time contrived to obscure In such policy we might
fain hope for better times. Both sides would
come to better understanding of each others rights part
from the asperes engendered by collision, and live to-
gether comfortably that spirit of peace and fe
owship in which alone hope to reaiize the
full benefit Of the great inheritance transmitted BY our
fathers.
was sincerely in favor of the legislation Of $50 In
reference the to be organized for our
listing Territories, understood II an abandonment
Of the offensive and irritating resolution Of the Winot
proyiso and in reference the act for the surrender Of
u ytiyes from labor as concession of the constitutional
duty Of the Federal authority to exert it's power in
behalf of the just interests Of the peculiar institutions
Of the Southern States INDUCED the expectation
that under any system of legislation any portion OF our