The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-08-25

Ieges In this some commercial advantage Of the
mother country has been pursued in the other the good OF
mankind by extending the benefits of civil government
Of equality and Independence Congress gaze no
eAarterstor their colonies b sold lands IN absolute property
The settlers rho from 1e gin Of God actual posses
sion Of The rights of man. and Hgtedhe such 10 Join IN
common equal social compact The soveregns OF Europe
gave lands TO their colonss but reserved by right
to control their property, privileges, and liberties
After such splendid experience in adherng the fun
damenta basis of existence nation il is proposed
to introduce a principe-to admit States wess
slapery prohibited in them II is proposed that Congress
shall exercise power yet exercised by it. of passing
the character of persons who shall compose State,
and declaring the test ii sets up condition of admis
sion shall be subscribed that this body shall declare
its rule of action that there shall be such relation
master and in States The proposition Of the
wing convention therefore, is TO create new Union in
which there will be two orders of States the present
thrty-one States possessing a coequa degree of
eigny-that is complete sovereigntywithin their bor
des except in the where they have lodged in
the general government; and, q such States may
be admitted with lesser degree of sovereignty and TO
which Congress should to retain power TO inter
iere with their internal In word the PROPOSE
ton is displace the existing American system OF indie
pendence and equality for of European system of de
pendence and inequality This is exactly the monentous
issue which the prevalent cry of no ove States
involves.
This matter important that every citizen especially
of the free States should weigh it well before he gives his
influence to party based such rule We propose to
look at few objections that may be urged against it.
l. The action recommended TO Congress is unconstitu-
onal The power conferred on Congress, to additions
to the Union is in the following terms "New States may
be admitted By Congress into Mis Union At time there
much doubt whether tile government clothed with
power acquire territory but this doubt longer exists
This act however not done by Congress alone the
Executive alone, but by the general government a
eregny and the power to do it universally regarded
common attribute of sovereignty. The power of gove-
ing is another matter, and only be exercised in
formty with express constitutional provisions Now,
where is Congress clothed with power to form State
stituon make modify State2 Where's the power
delegated to impose condition State that would
cause it to stand footing different from that of the
old States and thus radically change the e4stg Union Of
co-sqtal States into Union Of superior and interior
States The language Of the constitution is clear
and explicit. "New States may be admitted by Con-
gress into This Union7this Union of Omitted States
this Union of ce-equal soveregnties and there is
power conferred to another Union by creating
new order of States. For Congress to dictate terms
as to matters of local, internal government would be
clearly an assumption of power What the constitu-
ton contemplated undeniably the accretion to the
Union of States similar in character with the original
old States And when the people of Territory, colony
settlers who have purchased lands subdued the wilder
creating constitution debate whether to apply to be ad
mted as State they DEAL in fact with higher power
than Congress with the primorda soveregntes that gave
being and law to Congress They study the CONSTITUTION
They determine they will delegate the powers consent to
the prohibitions and the obligations of that great
instrument Having done this they apply to be admitted
into the Union sovereign State and the only power
conferred on Congress- the Executive is that of say
ing whether the State shall be admitted Let us put this
question in different shape Suppose the power
to new States had been given to the President what would
be said of him if he attempted, of his notion to in-
pose conditions State price of admission into the
Union Would he not be universally denounced usurp
| ing powers? And if Congress append condition to a
like grant the precisely similar Why is it not
as bad Congress usurp powers of its motion
| it would be for the President to do it?
Again: The unconstitutionality of such condition will
appear still clear when the question is asked How
can Congress enforce obedience to such condition? Does
the constitution cothe the with any power to
enforce it2 Suppose after State admitted on the
condition that it prohibited slavery, it should vote to
tablish it as its local awalleging that American
State it was sovereign within its boundary and that
human power had right to interfere with its internal
concernsis it to be supposed for moment that the free
States could goa step in the way of enforcing the cond
ton of Congress without civil WARP Could they without
rending the Union attempt change the internal law of
| any of them? What would be done if Congress
should assume the right abolish slavery any
the old States? Who does that in such case the
noble fabric Of Union would not last day. And yet
this new principle of slave States involves pre-
csely the same issue proposition would to abolish sla
! very in a State
Such case being put to test. There was
party in Congress which held that the Northwestern ord
nance was binding the States which it covered, and
that the State of Illinois restricted this subject
Now it is fact that of the most exciting, bitter and
prolonged contests that convused that State occurred
from the spring of 1928 to August 1924 the question
whether Illinois should be free State slave State
and its people by only about two thousand majority de-
cded in favor of free State Suppose that they had de-
cded the other way, and in favor of slavery could Con-
press after Illinois for six years had been sovereign State
have inerfered with its rights such without such civil
war as would have dissolved the Union This matter
was decided entirely local matter and with which
Congress had no right to NEEDLE.
This a suicidal principle for free States to admit
to wit that of placing their internal at the mercy
of the majority principle in Congress- for if Congress has
the power to legislae slavery om of sovereign State,
it has the power to egsate slavery into sovereign
State. This would be giving up the basis principle of
the existence of these States held petnacousy when
they were colonies as have remarked they
are States This might be pro6tably enlarged upon by
apt historical citations Long before the Congress Of 776
or the Congress of lT54 the people with remarkable
sagacy kept this equality principle in view There
are instructions exant than hundred years old,
where New England delegates to Congresses in
rctcd on no account submit the interests of the colo
MES in such Congress "to major vote; and the we'll
known Congress of 1854 voted the principle of perfect
equality Never did colony attempt to interfere with