Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-03-14

any kind, Of any organized Territory or State,
shall be; where the power to declare what
the organic and municipal laws of a Territory
shall be, one hundred, or even thirty-four years
before its organization, and that such laws
shall be perpetual, and FOREVER" binding
upon the people of such Territory, and upon
the people of the States to be formed from such
Territory2 Neither Of the senators from Mas
sachusetts, or from Ohio, or the senator from
New York, has attempted to enlightcn the
Senate or the country upon those points.
VIII it be said here, or elsewhere, this power
is conferred by the provision Of the Constitu-
ton, which declares that
"The Congress shall have the power 10 dispose
OF and make all needfu rules and regulations re-
speeding The territory and .other property of the
United States?"
NO, sir; such power cannot be lodged here.
The power delegated extends to the disposal
and regulating, by needful rules, the property
of the United States, whether it be territory or
otherwise. To that the power is strictly lin
tied; there it stops. 1t confers no authority
| upon Congress to interfere with the property Of
the citizens after the property of the United
States has passed to them; not the least
Then this power is not only not given here,
where 1T seems it would have been given if in
tended to be conferred, but the Legitimate infer
ence is, that the trainers Of the Constitution in
tended to limit the power of Congress TO the
public property only. Sir, Congress is but the
creature of the Constitution. Itderives therein
not only its powers but its existence. 1t has no
powers; it can legally exercise none but what
are given in the Constitution. 1t is body of
strictly delegated, and not of autocratical func-
tons. This doctrine, which finds advocates
here, that the federal government is sovereign
in all matters whatsoever over the domestic
relations OF our distant organized Territories,
is the precise doctrine contended for by Great
Britain, and which the "Fathers" resisted.
Now, sir, If Congress has the authority to
make sacred and irrepealable compacts between
the States, or the people Of the States, or be-
tween different sections of the country, where
upon any ground of legitimate construction is
it to be found2 Will the Senators who talk
so much about such compacts tell me? Have
we any more constitutional power to declare
that domestic slavery shall not forever exist
north of 36o 30/, and that it may exist south of
of that line, than we have to ordain that it may
exist both north and south ofthe line forever?
No. sir; no. If we possess such power, then,
sir, We have also the power to ordain, by an
irrepealable compact, that polygamy shall for
ever be tolerated north of such line, or south Of
the line, or on both sides of it forever; or that
what is called the Maine liquor law shall for
ever be in force throughout all the territory Of
the United States, and the States to be formed
from such territory.
But the great name Of Jefferson has been in
voked into this debate by the Senators from
Ohio and Massachusetts, Messrs. CHASE and
SUMNER. And for what purpose? Why, sir,
to show his adherence, morally, of the institu.
ton of slavery, and its bad effects upon the
eommunity-upou the social system. Now,
while | agree with that illustrious man in all
this, submit that it is not the matter in contro-
versy here to-day. And now, sir, I will invoke
him into this debate upon the very matter in
controversy? What did he say as to the Mis-
souri, compromise? That is the point.
Let this iustrious witness speak for him
SELF In his letter of April l3, 1920, to Will
liam Short, speaking of this natter he said:
although had laid down as law 10 myself
never 10 write, talk, or even think Of politics, TO
know nothing of public affairs, and therefore had
ceased 10, read newspapers, yet the Missouri |
question aroused and flledme with alarm. The old |
schism of federal and republican threatened no
thing. because it existed IN every State and uni |
ted them together by the fraternism Of party But
the coincidence Of a marked principle, moral and |
political, with geographical line, once conceived,
feared would never more be obterated from the |
mind; that it would be recurring on every occa-
sion, and renewing irratons, until it would kin |
die such mutual and moral hatred as 10 render |
separation preferable to eternal dscord. have |
been among the most sanguine in believing that
our Unioh would be OF long duration. | now
doubt il much. and see the event at great dis |
lance, and the direct consequence of this qnes-
tion not by the line which has been so confident |
" counted on-the laws of Nature control this
but by the Potomac, Ohio, and Missouri, or more
probably the Mississippi, upwards to northern
boundary"
| call attention to the following, and CON-
Ill. ~
saehusetts, Mr.. SUMNER.
"My only comfort and confidence is, that shall
not live TO see this; and envy not the present |
generation the glory of throwing away the fruits
of their fathers sacrifices OF life and fortune, and Of
rendering desperate the experiment which was to
decide ultimately whether man is capable Of self |
government. This treason against human hope |
will signaize their epoch in future history as the
counterpart of the medal Of their predecessors"
/ will read one or two more extracts from
Mr.. Jefferson's letters. In a letter to John
Holmes, dated April %, 1920, he said
g. had for long time ceased to read newspa-
pers, or pay any attention TO public affairs, conf
dent they were in good hands, and content to be |
passenger in our barque TO the shore from which |
am moi distant But this momentous question:
like a frs.beH ia tile might, anakened and filed |
ariM terror. | considered it at once as the |
knell ofthe Union. 1t is hushed, indeed, for the |
moment. But this is reprieve only, not final
sentence"
How true prophet he was, Mr.. President
How soon after he departed this life was this
agitation commenced, and it has been con-
tinued from that day until this and by whom,
sir, this agitation? Why, by that class of poll
ticans who new talk so much about "plighted
faith" and the sanctity of this compromise
but who, four years ago, denounced it in this
chamber as piece oflegislation of such unsur-
passed wickedness, that every northern man
who voted for it was stricken down by the indig.
nation Of the. people.
"A geographical line coincding with a marked |
principle, moral and political, once conceived and |
held up TO the angry passions of men, will never be
obliterated."
What he thought never would be done is now
about to be done. He proceeds:
And every new irritation will mark it deeper
and deeper. can say, with conscious truth that !
there is not man on earth who would sacrifice |
more than would 10 relieve us from this heavy |
reproach in any practicable way. The cession Of |
hat md of /,