Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-21
INTERESTING DEBATE.


INTERESTING DEBATE.
The highly interesting proceedings in the
Senate, of which we gavc hasty account on
the day of their occurrence will be found in
our columns tomorrow.
Mr.. Sumner, as will be seen, had the rare
good fortune Of achieving two victories in q
single day. First, in the digniHed disdain with
which be treated ribald assault; and, second
ly, in the constitutional colloquy with Mr. Ben
jamin. The latter gentleman admitted that
the laws Of the Southern States which impris
ons colored citizens Of tho North, are uncon-
stitutional! This is an important admission,
coming from q Southern Senator, and does him
great honor But when he was pressed by Mr..
Summer to Say whether he would vote for law
to enforce the constitutional guarantee in this
particular, he hesitated, and in fact declined to
answer He thereby forfeited any right to de-
mand reply to his interrogatory addressed to
the Senator from Massachusetts,.
The apsness Of Mr.. Summers retort will be
better appreciated when it is understood that
the clause for the rendition Of fugitives from
labor, and that which guarantees equality of
privileges to citzsns of the several States, are
in the same section of the Constitution. They
stand precisely upon the same footing, and must
stand or fall together Mr.. Summer concurs
in opinion with Mr. Webster and other eminent
jurista that these clauses are merely compacts
among the States, unacoompanied with any
power conferred on Congress to legislate in the
premises.
The admission of Mr.. Benjamin, accompa-
MED by his refusal to say that he would vote
for law to enforce the provision Of the Con-
stitution in question, places him before the
country precisely in the attitude which Mr..
Sumner occupies, as to the powers and duties
of the Federal Government. The latter gen.
tleman would leave the fugitive from labor
clause to the States; the former, while admit
ting that existing Southern legislation is un-
constitutional, would still leave the matter to
the States.
II viii be remarked, that Southern Senators,
psrceiying that what they regard as fatal ad-
MISSIONS were made by Mr.. Benjamin, and
ant logic Of Mr.. Sumner, made objections to
the regularity Of the proceedings and cut of
further discussion. g.
WORDS OF CHEERING FROM ABRoADi-At a
meeting Of the !" Leeds England Anti Slavery
Association held May 30, 1854, at which
John Wilson, the Mayor Of Leeds, presided,
assisted by Joseph Lupton, resolutions were
moved by Wilson Armistead, seconded by Rev,
VIM. Guest, in which it was said that they
deeply and most sorrowfally lament and feel
imperatively called upon to utter their solemn
protest, in the name Of humanity, against the
attempt now making in the United States to
legalize Slavery throughout. an immense area
Of the territory, where 1t has not yet existed I;
and that, whilst the ubiquitous system Of Sla-
very has hitherto found some Of its most jealous
advocates amongst the protesting ministers Of
the Gospel in the United States they heartily
sympathizs with the protests against the ex-
tension Of slave territory, which have been for
wardsd TO the American Congress by thou
sands Of the ministers Of relig on, as well as by
vast numbers Of laymen, who had hitherto
taken no part in efforts for the abolition Of
chsstel Slavery; and they express an earnest
hope that these minister's viii hencefor ward
openly avow themselves 10 favor Of the free.
dom Of their unjustly enslavcd fellow creatures
This is the voice or pure Christianity and
philanthropy throughout all the civilized world
where Slavery IL not
FOURTH OF JULY IN WYOMING, NEW YORK
The people Of Wyoming appear to have hon
ored the anniversary. Rev. H. Ryan Smith
was their orator, and he forcibly laid down the
political axiom that all should be represented
in the enactment Of laws which all must obey,
II was resolved, that the Fourth Of July ID
cousecrstsd to Freedom, and that they would
respect that conservation by celebrating tai
day in the truc spirit Of TO- that their conf.
denoe In Moab Webster remains unabated, and
they accept as they have ever DONE his defni
lions Of Liberty and Democracy "Cipa hberf,
is an exemption from the arbitrary will Of 9th
ers which exemption is secured by established
lava which Restrain svfvy man from injurinI
or controlling another - Democracy, agov
eminent By the people; = that any celebration
Of ow Independence which ignores the doc
trins Of unipersal human rights, is hypocritical
psrAdious and base that the Missouri Com
pronise, BY which Slavery was forever excIu
dsd from territory ten times ~ large ~ the
Slsas ~ New York, was the plightsd faith O