Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-09-16
REMARKS or MIR. ADAMS.

inclusive .a:
| REMARKS or MIR. ADAMS
The HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, on the 9th
of June 1886, being in Committee of the Whole
on the bill for the admission of Arkansas into the
Union, at about o'clock in the morning Mr..
| ADAMS moved an amendment to the eighth section
of the bill, to understand the import and bearing
of which it may be necessary to quote the section
into which he proposed its insertion In the fol-
lowing citation the words proposed by him for in
sertion are those enclosed in brackets: .
"Sec s. And be further enacted, That the State of
Arkansas is admitted into the Union upon the express
condition that the people Of the said State shall never in
terfere with the primary disposal of the public lands
within the said State shall they levy tax on Of
lands of the United States within the said and
nothing in this act shall be construed assent by
Congress ITO the article the constitution of the said State
relation slavery and the emancipation Of slaues, or to
oil any of the propositions contained in the ordinance
of the said convention Of the people of Arkansas to
deprive the said State of Arkansas of the same grants
subject to the restrictions which made to the
State Of Missouri by virtue Of act entitled act to
authorize the people of the Missouri Territory to form
constitution and State Government and for the adms
sion Of such State into the Union equal footing
with the original States and prohibit slavery in
tain Territories, approved the 9th day Of March, 1922
When the amendment had been read by the
Clerk, Mr. ADAMS rose and addressed the Commit
tee. The following are extracts from his remarks
Mr.. Chairman On Monday last had the honor Of
presenting to this House twenty-five memorials and
monstrances most of them numerouy signed by citizens
of the States of Ohio, of Pennsylvania and Of Massa
chusetts." .-3 ..r., III
"The memorials and remonstrances, differing some
what from another in their language and phraseology
all complained Of article in the newly formed Const
tuition of Arkansas; and all the remonstrances
against the admission of Arkansas into the Union
slave State. =".
"The obnoxious article of the Constitution Of Arkan-
is the first section of the second division Of the ninth
article, and is in the words following:
! ~. g Emancipation Of Slaves.
| "Sec l. The General Assembly shall have no power to
pass laws for the emancipation Of without the
sent the They shall have power to prevent
emgrants to this State from bringing with them such
sons as are deemed slaves the laws Of Of the
United States They shall have power to pass laws to
permit the of slaves to emancpate them saving
the rights creditors and preventing them from becom
ing public charge They shall have power to prevent
slaves from being brought to this State as merchandise
and also obge the owners of slaves to treat them with
humanity" "~' ...
"Mr. Chairman, cannot consistently with my Of
my obligations citizen of the United States and bound
by oath to support their Constitution, Icanno the
admission of arkansas into the Union SLAVE State;
cannot propose agree to make condition Of her adm
sion that convention of her people shall erpunge this article
from her constitution. She is entitled to admission
STATE as Louisiana, and Mississippi, and Alaba
ma and Missouri have been admitted by virtue of that
article in the treaty for the acquisition Of Louisiana
which to the inhabitants of the ceded Territories
all the rights privileges, and immunites of the original
citizens Of the United States and spulates for their ad
mission conformaby to that principle, into the Union
Louisiana purchased country wherein slavery
was the established law Of the land As Congress haze
power of peace to abolish SLAVERY in the original
States of the Union they equally destitute Of the
power in those parts Of the territory edsd by France to
the United States by the name Of Louisiana, where
slavery existed at the time of the acquisition. Slavery
is in this Union the subject Of internal legislation in the
States and in peace is cognizabe by Congress only
acy tolerated and protected where it exists by the
Constitution of the United States, and it mngles in
their intercourse with other nations Arkansas, there
FORE comes, and has the right come into the Union Nth
her and her Stare aws 1t is written in the bond,
aud, however may lament that it written,
must faithfully perform its obligations.
90" could not therefore, propose support the specific
measure desired by the memoriasts, which was to i'm
pose restriction upon the people of the State of Arkan-
sas by requiring Of Them condition Of their admis-
sion into the Union that they should epunge from their
constitution the article concerning slavery did not
think it within the legitimate powers Of Congress- under
the present existing circumstances TO impose upon the
State Of Arkansas restriction whater, Nth relation "a
slavery, in the formation Of her constitution Upon the
principle had been opposed to the proposal Of
stricon upon the State Of Missouri the time Of the
first Missouri question for there Missouri ques
tons, differing much from each other, and which
debated at two successive sessions Of Congress The
second that finally adjusted by the compromise
the first that in which the restriction was proposed
and my opinion had the time been freely expressed
against it.
But then disapproved, disapprove, Of sla
very as q civil institution. As citizen and as a man
therefore, dsapprove Of that article in the constitution
Arkansas the object Of which is perpetuate slavery
In voting for the acceptance Of that constitution and for
the admission Of the State into the Union do not hold
myself bound to approve Of all its internal regulations
but doctrines have been recently preached and are now
counenanced by the transfer of the lawful Of
Michigan to the State Of Ohio which make it. In my
Judgment proper and perhaps necessary that Congress
the representatives Of that federation compounded partly
Of slavehodng and partly Of entirely free States should
discaim all appreciation Of to that article in
the constitution Of Arkansas PROPOSE NO
UPON nRR. 10 her a, one of the saye
holding States Of thus Union but unwilling that Con.
gress in accepting her constitution should even lie un
der the mputaton Of asserting to article in the con.