Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-12-21

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Francis =. Blair's Letter.
An able letter of Francis p. Blair who was
editor of the Globe in the days of Gen. Jack
sons Presidency, is attracting much atten-
ton lie was one of the ablest democratic
writer's of that day, and though now, as he
says, disengaged from political employment,
his voice will be listened to by many with at
tention. The letter is written to the Cor
responding Committee OF the Republican
Association at Washington. He urges the
duty of union to resist the policy OF the sla-
very extensionists. Differences on ques-
tions of policy" he says, " on constitutional
construction, on modes Of administration may
well be merged to unite men who believe that
nothing but concert of action on the part Of
those who would arrest the spread Of Slavery,
can resist the power of the combination now
embodied to make it embrace the continent
from ocean to OCEAN
Mr. Blair sketches with force the steps
taken in the early days of the government to
stop the spread OF slavery
" The repeating clause Of the Kansas bill
Is predcated on the nullity of the clause in
the Constitution which gives Congress the
power " to make regulations respecting the
territories of the United States" Yet moth
ing is clearer in the history of our govern
ment, than that this phrase giving power to
Congress g to make regulations respecting
the territories" was meant to give it the
power to exclude slavery from them
Mr.. Jefferson g resolutions of 1884, declar
ing" that there shall be neither slavery nor
Involuntary seruitude IN any Of the States"
laid off in the Western territory, was subse-
| quently renewed in the Congress of 1885,
which added, " that th,s regulation shall be
an article of compact, and it was so voted
unanimously by the delegations of eight
States out Of twelve
all the States by the Congress of 1887, which
sat cotemporaneously with the Convention
forming the Constitution, and that Constitu-
ton gave Congress the power to "make regu-
latons respecting the territories" and more
over, affirmed the validity of - the engage
ments entered into before the adoption of the
Constitution, by the Confederation-oneo Of
which engagements was that made by the
regulation excluding slavery from the terri
tories. Thus the Congress of the Confedera-
ton and the Constitution united in giving q
double sanction 10 tine exclusion.
The first exerted the power of enactng
Mr.. Jefferson's interdict of slavery in the
territories then held by the United States, to
which it has previously given an impressive
sanction by adding, I" his regulation shall
be an article of compact" &c. and the con-
vention guaranteed this " engagement" en-
tered into under the Confederation, by de-
claring it " valid" and employed the SAME
terms, " regulation Of the territories" tc
transmit the power here exerted to futur,
Congresses. In the face of this history, anc
, the letter Of the Constitution granting the
power to make whatever regulations il
deemed tit respecting the territories of tn,
United States, the authors of the Kansas AM
Nebraska bill deny the constitutionality o
all the regulations which exclude SLAYER,
/ from the territories, and set at naught all tn
precedents that confirm them, which hav
f followed in uninterrupted succession, from
the foundation Of the government.
! This repeal was the adoption of Mr.
. Calhoun's multiplying doctrine in erten,o. Th
, power Of Congress to make laws excluding
slavery forever from its territories, as such
/ was denied, and all the territories were op
ened to slavery, on the ground of the " in
e alienabe right - ofevery citizen " to NOV
c into any of the territories with his property
L
law of squatter sovereignty was superadded
and substituted for the sovereignty of tn
United States over the public domain. Thu
d fell, at the dictation of Mr.. Atchison. sur
. ported by the coalition effected betwee
|, Wings and Democrats of the South, unde
G the pressure and through the intrigues Of tn
Y Nullfcrs, Mr.. Jefferson's noble principle
: endeared to the country both for it's mora
|, grandeur and polite wisdom. 1t is the fir,
y thought uttered in the Declaration Of lndt
S pendence, and to the denunciation of th
= King of Great Britain for the crime of bring
= ing slavery to our shores, it adds, az tn
}. deepest aggravation, that " he has prostitl
d ted his negative for suppressing every legi
z lative attempt to prohibit or to restrain th
Ie execrable commerce"
=, The first Legislative attempt to restrai
h the progress of the mischief which the Kir
i, Of Great Britain visited upon this countr
20 was Mr.. Jeherson's resolution excludr
,r slavery from the territory of the United Stat
IN in l7Si-the next was introduced by Ruff
ID King, in l7S5-the third that of NathanDan
rs in l7SI-all receiving the vote of two-thir'
ID of the States of the Confederacy, and the la
ID the unanimous vote.
- The fourth movement was that of the Coz
h vention, in the Constitution itself, providir
st against the importation of Slaves after IS0
II Noiiulby Vi bllc eukae
i'll ments entered by the Congress of the COME
in eracy on the Government of the United Stat
ed to exclude it from the Territory, and securiI
r. to the new government the power of makil
as similar provisions for future acquisitions
it territory The fifth regulation to restra
- the progress of slavery was that of the Coz
er promise of ls2O-the sixth that of 1850.
at Our innovating Democrats, who put und
Id foot the representative principle, who yiolt
as the known will of their constituents "
ay scorn their instructions to redress the wro
. they have committed; who reply to the 5
re frages that condemn their conduct that Il
Is, are not democratic sufrages who, in
to plenitude of their infallibiity, read out Of t
he Democratic party, Maine, New Hampshi
he Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Oh
ie- Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin q
,as Iowa, because they will not submit to the '
ms of these their representatives, who have
ef- up test which must ever exclude Massacl
for setts, Vermont and Rhode Island from
s ranks; who have bartered away rights secul
nd to them by all compacts-will soon learn t
he Democracy does not reside in the organirat
we Of intriguers, but in the mass of the people
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