Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-03-08
The Nebraska BilI-,acn. Cass Speaks

UeH OaSS ihaue I'LL eloqueHI anu luEClUle speecH
in the Senate on the 29th ult., in support of the
Nebraska Bill We find the following in the
telegraphic Columns Of the New York press
He made long argument in support of his fire.
quently asserted doctrine that all political sover-
eighty in Territories was in the people thereof,
and not in Congress. He denied the doctrine of
Southern Senators, that under the equality Sc
cured by the constitution to al citizens slavehod-
ers had the right to carry slaves to the Territories,
and the local Legislature had no right to exclude
them. Territory had now a two fold meaning,
one as applied to land or public domain, and the
other as to political organization. Over the lat
ter Congress had no power Over the former
Congress was sovereign, and all laws relating to
the former were as absolute in public domain with
in State limits as they are in Territories. IF the
right of Shareholders to take their slaves and set
tie with them on public domain was secured by
the constitution, why could they not go with their
slaves and settle upon public domain of the Uni
ted States in Ohio or other States, as we'll as in
the Territories! If it was right secured by the
constitution of the United States, no State law or
constitution could set it aside. He argued that
the idea that slaves were indispensable to the
comfort Of Southern people removing elsewhere,
could not be maintained for moment. The ter
ritory acquired from Mexico, was now, so far as
Congressional action was concerned, in exactly
the same condition respecting slavery, as it was
when acquired. The prohibition of it in Califor-
mia was not the act of Congress, but by the cxer-
else of the right Of the people there to determine
the question for themselves. Shareholders had
no more right to complain OF inability to take
their property there, than others. Northern men
could not remove their farms nor their corporate
franchises, nor many of their dearest and tender
est attachments with them to the Territories or to
California. Northern and Southern people were
alike compelled to turn their property into money,
and thus remove it. When they got to new
country, Northern and Southern men both were
entitled to do and have all things allowed to 9TH
er citizens in these communities. This was the
equality secured by the constitution. He had
read statistics showing how comparatively few
were shareholders. Slavery was an evil, but he
was for leaving it with the Southern people, and
using no reproaches. The South was too sens-
tive, aHd sometimes required of Northern men too
much. He had voted against the provisions in
the Fugitive Slave act for the abuse of habeas
corpus and for trial by jury of the slave in the
place where captured; but he had urged the simple
provision that on the return of the slave to the
South he should have jury trial if he asked it.
This the Soath unanimously refused, and there
fore it was he had refused to vote for the bill
The South had no toleration for Northern man
who did not 60 for all they demanded. He would
vote for this bill. He believed the Missouri pre-
hbton unconstitutional; but, as it was to be re-
pealed, he would prefer to declare it unconsttu-
tional, and therefore repeal it. Unless this mat
ter was declared decided upon constitutional
grounds, it would never be settled in the public
mind. His doctrine of Congressional non-inter-
vention had once been denied by Calhoun and the
whole South. He had lived to see it adopted as
the only safe shield to the constitution. Though
he would not offer any amendments to the bill,
if others offered them to carry out the principle
of popular sovereignty, by giving the people Of
the Territories the right to select their own Off
GERS, he would vote for them. He met the objec-
ton that if Congress had no power over the Ter
ritories, how could it delegate it to the Territorial
Legislature by asserting that Congress could del
egate many powers it could not exercise! 1t
could authorize the people of Territories to call
convention and frame State constitution while
it could not exercise that power. He elaborated
all these points at considerable length.