The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-02-23
THE ISSUE.

The washington Se'ittnet quotes the follow
ing paragraph from the Address of the indie
pendent Democratic members of Congress, as
defining the precise ground of opposition to the
Nebraska Bill in its present form:
eve believe no permanent adjustment Of
that question possible, except by return to
that original policy of the fathers of the Re-
public, by which Slavery was restricted within
State limits, and Freedom toithout exception or
limitation, ards TO be secured TO eUery person out
side of State limits and under the exclusive j,s-
risdictiol of the General Government
This paragraph may be considered, first, as
asserting faet-that it was the original poll
cy Of the fathers of the Republic, that Slavery
should be restricted wilhin State limits, and
Freedom be secured to every person outside Of
State limits, and under The erslusiUe jurisdiction
of the General Government"
The Sentinel denies this, and attempts to dis
prove it by several considerations. We con-
gratulate that journal upon its attempt to
argue the real issue between the Pro Slavery
and Anti Slavery men. True, its logic is not
compact, and its argument is verbose and de-
clamatory; but as it means to be arguments
tive, it deserves some attention.
In disproof Of the assertion in the Address, it
refers to the provisions of the Constitution in
relation to the foreign slave trade, and to fugi-
tives from service or labor, and the existence of
Slavery among the Indian tribes
"Does the assertion of the Address,u it asks.
find countenan ce and support in the fact that
the fathers of the Republic made tho most
careful provision to secure Slavery 'outside
State limits by giving their sanction, counte-
nance, and the national protection to those an
cestors of the present Free Soil party to make
Slavery outside State limits and to bring
them in these State limits as slaves? The
national flag carrying with it the exclusive
jurisdiction of the General Government
waved Its folds with sure protection over the
decks of those vessels in which were those
fathers from whose loins sprang the present
Free Soil party, in their work of charity, in
buying, capturing, and transporting slaves
from without State limits acting, according
to the denunciations of their Free Soil chill,
dren, the pimps and panders' to the more
judicious STAKEHOLDER at homo. The national
flag, emblazoned with the exclusive jurisdic-
tion of the General Government secured
Slavery, without exception or limitation to
every negro outside Of State limits who
should fall into the hands of these ancestral
pimps and panders' to the home purchasers of
slaves. This was the policy Of the fathers of
the Republie,' as it was the practice OF the
fathers of the Free Soil party
Aside from the flummery of this paragraph,
the point of the argument is this-that the
foreign slave trade was sanctioned, counte-
nanced, and protected, by the Federal Govern
ment from the organization of the Constitu-
ton down to the year lsOs-thertfore it was
not the policy of the fathers of the Republic
TO secure Freedom to every person outside of
State limits, and under the exclusive ,jurisdic-
ton of the Federal Government A simple
statement of facts will show the fallacy of this.
Under the Congress of the Confederation,
the States had the power to regulate their
trade with foreign nations. They levied i'm.
posts or duties, just as they pleased, provided
they did not interfere with any stipulation Of
treaties, entered into by Congress with any
King, Prince, or State, in pursuance of any
treaties already proposed by Congress to the
Courts of France and Spain I" and the United
States were prohibited from any act or treaty
whereby the Legislative power of the respect
i've States shall be restrained from imposing
such imposts or duties ON foreigners as theil
own people are subjected TO- or from prohibit
ing the expectation or Importation of any spe.
cies of goods or merchandise Whatsoever u
They might tolerate or forbid the trade in
slaves; allow or prohibit the migration or i'm