American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-12-27
Lesser from Fransi. r. Blair.

AVC ~
.5n City. D. G,
SGkxrLksEx:-Having relinquishel po-
liiieal employment. and. to avoid
tering again It's anxieiieS. addicted myself
I, ,naqlry life. | am constrained 10 dc.
cline your invitation to join the R..publi-
can Association Of Washington City. al.
,hqagf tempted by the hoaor OF becoming
its presiding ofiosr. Yeti feel il myJiu-.
" to sly, that in the main l concur in the
aims Of the Association. To exclu le Slave
nv from the Territories of the United
States, aud to rebuke tho violation of the
Compromises which were male to stand
rs covenants between the Slave and Free
States to effect that exclusion. are. in my
opinion. the most important movements
which have engaged the public mind since
the Revolution.
The extension Of Slavery over tho now
Territories would prove fatal to heir pros.
psri,y; but the greatest calamity to be ap-
pretended from il is The destruction of the
Coafederaey, on which the wclfar. OF the
whole country reposes. Every conquest
Of this element OF discard. which has so Of!
ten thrcatenedt the dissolution o the Union.
increases the dan see. Every surrender
Of ths Free Safes invites Invasion.
The Cause whirh your Organization is
in.enIel to promote m'y we'll draw 10 is
support men Of all parties. fences on
questions Of policy, on cons con
s'rlaiiol, ofmoles oFalmia on. may
we'll be merged to unite me Who believe
TIA: nothing but concert Of action on The
part Of those who would arrest the spread
Of Slavery. can resist tho power OF the
combination now embodied to mako Il en-
hrleo the continent from ocean to ocean.
The repeating clause of the Kansas bill
IS rsedicaIed on tho nudity OF the claus.
r. the Constitution whioll gives Congress
thepower 40 make regulations respect
ing the Territories" % tho United Sales.
Yet nothing is clearer in the history Of gu,
Government than that this phrase. giving
power to Congress ITO make regulations
respecting the Territories" was meant to
givs it the power to exclude Slavery from
them.
Mr.. JelIerson's resolutions Of 17Gt, de-.
claring THAT there shall he neither ~sldrery
nor i~npoiustdry Serrjiuds in any fMl
STATES" laid OF in tho Western Territory,
was subsequently rcnewedin the Congress
Of 1875, which added 'kda. idjs regulation
shall be an article Of compact" and it was
so voted unanimously by the delegations
of eight States out Of twelve.
1t WAS by the unanimous vote Of all tho
GtaVau ku tln G,,.r sc tJ0I ,wi.,t rn1
cotemporaneously with tho Convention
forming the Constitution, and that Con
siitutinn gave Congress The power "to
make regulations respecting tho Terrific
riH'," and moreover affirm the validity Of
'lho engagements entered into before The
adoption of the Constitution" by tie con
federation-one Of which engagements was
that made by The regulation excluding
Slavery from the Territories. Thus the
Confederation and tho Constitution united
Ia giving a double sanction TO tho cxclu-
sion.
The FIST cxertod the power ofenac;ing
Mr.. Jeiierson's intcrdict Of Slavery in the
Territories then heii by the Uniled States.
to which il has previously given an M
pressivc sanction by adding. This regu'
laIion shaI! be an article ef compact" DC.
and the Convention guaranteed this zen,
gagcment." entered into under the Con.
federation. By declaring it valid" and
employed the Same terms. "rc1aldti0m Of
He TerritOries." to transmit tho power here
exeriei to future Congresses. In the face
ofthis history and the letter Of the Consti-
tuiion granting tho power TO mako whatev-
fr regulations it deemed lit respecting the
Territories Of the United States, the au-
lhors of the Kansas and Nebraska bill de-
ny the constitulionali,y of tho regulations
which excluded Slavery from the Terrific
rics, and set at naught all the precedenis
that confirm them. which have followed in
uninterrupted succession, from The founja.
lion of the Government.
That other clause in the Constitution,
empowering Congress to pass laws 10 pre-
vent the emigration or importation" of
slaves after 1903, shows the fixed purpose
OF tho founders of our Union to limit the
Increase OF this evil. The consequence
was nm inhibition. which prevents n South
Carolina planter, who has slaves in Cuba,
from bringing them 10 his homo planta.
ton; and to remove this obstruction to the
increase Of Slavery within the Union, and
open Africa TO supply tho demand made
by the neg act, the Northern nulligors arc
already called on by their Southern allies
10 lend their aid; aud certainly those who
embrace Mr.. CAlhoun's doctrine. as stated
by Mr.. Douglas, that every citizen has
an inalienabie right to move into any Of the
Territories with his property, Of whatever
kind or description" the Constitution and
compromises notwithstanding. can hardly
refuse IL. II was on the annexation Of the
Mexican territories that Mr.. Calhoun rs
serted this principle, 10 unseulo the Fixed
policy Of the nation. beginning with the
era az the Declaration Of Independence
anil I've applies il nike TO tho compromises
Of 1890 and 1850. Mr.. Douglas thus sum.
up The position taken aud The result:
"Undcr this section. as in he case ofh,
Nsx,can lee in Ncw Mzico and Uiah, iii
. disPaioa point whether Slavery is pro
hibited in the Nebrask country by valic
enactment. Tho decision Of this question
involvesth constitutional power Of Con.
gress to pass laws prescribing and regu,
laling tho domestic institutions OF the va
nous Territories Of tho Union. In The o
piniop OF thoso eminent statesmen VIII,
hold that Congress Is invested with M
rightful authority 10 legislate upon the sub
..,t ~ Ci,vary In iho Tnrr;tor;aa ,l,n o:zl,i