The Port Gibson reveille. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 185?-1857, 1854-05-24


den Of managing their own affairs. aud pay
ing their own expenses.
They have a government set over them.
their relations with that governments prescri-
bed. the number Of representa- atives appor-
toned the qualifications Of voters prescribed.
In fact all the well-known features Of popu-
lar sovereignty are denied by this bill
The government thus established cannot he
changed by them; but may be changed by
this Government at pleasure. Surely. the
bill although il gives power over the subject
Of slavery is burlesque upon the notion
that sovereignty or selfgovernment resides as
a right, in the people Of Territory. They
are subordinate political corporations the
creatures of the Federal Government. They
have the inherent capacity to become sover-
eign communities bnt they are as far from it
in the territorial state as the child is from the
man. Now, as a matter Of consistency with
the spirit Of our institutions the Government
i should, through some mode, consult their
wishes as to their domestic concerns leave
I them. as far as consistent with the general in-
terest and the rights Of Others 10 regulate
them. This do not pretend to dispute but
as regards their right, or the justice and pro-
( priety of giving them the power to exclude
my property. as a citizen Of one of the States
os this Union, or to make my right to retain
and enjoy such property there in any waJ de-
pendent on their will. do deny it. | deny
this power in the Federal Government.
deny il to the Territories do not consider
there is any gain to me in transferring the
exercise Of this rover from here to Nebraska.
I If driven 10 choose between these alternatives.
would prefer to let the power remain here.
where my State has a voice in this House and
in the Senate.
have shown. think, that whatever may
be said about il. the bill gives the power over
slavery to the Territorial Legislature. Twill
advert to the other branch of the subject. |
suppose | need say nothing as to the point
whether or not the territory is restored to its
original condition as a sldUelolding terrific
ry. That is clearly not so, and no man here
thinks 50. IL was a saveholding territory
once. but that condition was changed by the
Missouri act Of 1920 aud it is the avowed in
tention Of this bill that that condition shall
not be restored.
The Badger proviso contains positive
declaration that that condition shall not be
restored. will now proceed TO consider
that proviso. and state, at the outset. that its
effect IS to take from the repeal Of the Mis-
souri, act everything but the name Of repeal.
Il annuls the act, but declares that the evil
which it did shall live after it; that its conse-
quences shall continue; and this too, in the
name Of non-interveDtion. This effect Of the
mr. Il
clause which il is asserted II was designed to
explain, leaves the slave States with no law
recognizing their rights. and commits them,
regardless Of the Constitution. to the whims
or caprice Of the first Territorial Legislature
which may assemble. II is true. we are told
we may invoke the Constitution against this
law and against the people of the Territories,
and there is a prOvident arrangement about
appeals to the Supreme Court; but this pro-
vision. Of itself. is suggestive Of those doubts
and difficulties from which property shrinss.
Where is the master who will willingly seek
the attractive pleasure OF being dragged be-
fore Federal court by his slave? under
take to say that the opinion prevails exien-
sively, that slavery cannot exist except by
the sanction OF loeal law. The opinion pre-
walls extensively North aud South. / throw
out this suggestion simply to show that your
boosted tabuLa rdSa is Of very doubtful op-
Grafton in a practical point Of view. When
90 home to my constituents. expect to be
asked. Well. sir. have you repealed the
Missouri compromise Why. yes, sir, | may
say after fashion we have: It is pur down
so in the BILL But to come straight TO the
point, have you secured the right TO carry
slaves to Nebraska? Well, now, to tell you
the truth, | cannot say that know whether
we have or not That is left to the courts to
decide. WE'LL then. what have you posi-
tively got by the bill that you know Of, after
this tremendous furry We got sir. tab
tsia rasa. Laughter aud applause Our
great constitutional guarantees are reduced to
the promising condition Of prospective law
suit Of very doubtful issue, which is much
more Of race than gaSa.
This inviting prospect IS the result of the
combined influence Of repeal, non.interven-
tion, and squatter sovereignty. There is an
argument that sounds very WE'LL and il is that
the Constitution carries slavery into the Ter
ritories, aud protects it there. Between you
and me, Mr.. Chairman, the Constitution
don't carry slave anywhere. except it be
runaway, and it does take him back from
free State TO bis master in a slave State.
There is law for that But. sir. in a Terrific
ry from the face of which all Law has been
swept, in what way does the Constitution pro-
tect slavery? There muS be local rcgula.
ton. to enable you TO invoke the Constitution.
Is the Constitution to keep marshal there /
to prevent the slave who may be carried I
there from setting up for himselfl If Ne \
braska is to remain free Of local law relative
to slavery, like an island fresh risen from the /
sea. and two men. black man and white (
man. find themselves there. will the Constitu-
ton decide which is the master and which is
the slave! confess should feel that there
would be some ground to apprehend that the
black man might turn the tables upon mic.
No, sir the Territorial Legislature must act
must FIJI out the skeleton OF the constitution.
To extricate themselves from the cousequen-
ces Of this most unlucky aud most rnischier-
Gus proviso--some gentlemen argue that there
was no local law in Nebraska at the date Of
the Missouri act II so. what need is there