Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-08-08
TERMS:
ONE DOLLAR AND FIFTY CENTS
PER ANNUS, IN ADVANCE.
WHOLE NO. 2O97

law in the territories. Congress has no
constitutional power to establish It there,
therefore the local law of the States au-
thorizing slavery can not be transported
to the territories, and the slave becomes
a freeman when he is carried beyond the
authority of the local law of the State.
The slave in Kansas is not held by the
authority of the law, but by the force of
the master.
The views of the anti-slavery men of
the North are studiously misrepresented
by the pro slavery presses of the North,
and by the slave propaganda of the South.
This question of slavery, overriding as it
does every other question here and in
every section of the country, must be met
by the statesmen of the country, by the
people of the country, and discussed in
tie light of humanity and Christian pa
trlotlsm. Northern men and Southern
men must bring to the discussion of this
transcendent question something beside
hard words and rash acts. We want
calm, dispassionate discussion in the
North and in the South.
| desire here and now to state precise
ly and exactly my views upon the slave
ry question, and L desire to do so because
L know my views have been misrepresen-
ted at home and abroad
am opposed to slavery everywhere.
l believe it to be a crime against man
and sin against God. l am in favor
ofits abolition wherever itexists, BY those
who are legally responsible for its exis-
tence.
1 believe the federal government has
no more right to make a slave than to
make king-no more right to permit
slavery to be established where it has ex.
elusive jurisdiction than it has to permit
an order of nobility to be established.
am in favor of relieving the Federal
Governmentfroma all connection with, and
responsibility for, the existence of slave
ry. To effect this object am in favor
of the abolition of slavery in the district
of Columbia and the prohibition of slave
ry in all the territories.
Mr.. Mallory of New York-Mr Pres
ident, if the gentleman will allow me,
should like to ask him if the power to
abolish slavery does not carry with it the
power to establish slavery by the Feder-
al Government
Mr.. Wilson, think not. Freedom
is the rule-slavery the exception. Sla-
very can only legally exist BY positive
law. There is no power expressed or
implied in the Constitution of the United
States to institute slavery. The Coasti-
tuition was ordained and established g to
promote the general welfare and to secure
the blessings of liberty ;" not to establish
slavery. The Supreme Court of Mass
chusetts, under the authority other Con-
stitution decreed the abolition ofslayery-
the power to abolish it, would moi author
ize the Court 10 re-establish it.
Mr.. Boteler of Virginia VIII the gen
tleman from Massachusetts, read the re-
mainder of the sentence of the Constitu-
ton which says that the blessings of lib
erty are to be secured "to ourselves and
our posterity.' Negroes are not our
selves OF " our pOsteriy l''
Mr.. Wilson--Seven States have abol-
ished slavery since the adoption OF the
Constitution, and these Negroes are por-
ton of" ourselves" and " our posterity."
l accept the Declaration of Natonal indie
pendence end the Constitution of the
United States, as the political charts of
the American citizen-and they impose
upon every American citizen the impera-
tive obligation so to exercise his national
political rights as &c to secure the blessings
of liberty" and to maintain inviolate the
= self-evident truths that all men are
created equal--that they are endowed by
their crsRter with the inalienable right of
liberty"
Standing by Williams slave pen nine
teen years ago, and gazing upon men,
women and children, collected for the
Southern markets, pledged myself to
liberty, and have never, in public orpri-
vate, at home or abroad, spoken or writ
ten one word inconsisten. with thai pledge,
and l never will do so to save any party,
at the command of any body of men on
earth. When 1 united with the Ameri-
can organization in March, 1854, in its
hour of weakness-I told the men with
whom l acted that my anti slavery opin
ions were the matured conviction OF years,
and that would not modify or qualify my
opinions OF suppress my sentiments for
any consideration on earth. From that
hour to this, in public and in private,
have freely uttered my anti-slavery senti-
mentS, and laboled to promote the anti
slavery cause, and tell you now, that l
will continue to do so. You shall not
prescribe an:i-slavery principles, meas.
ureS or men, without receiving from me
the most determined and unrelenting hos
tility 1t is painful thing to differ from
our associates and friends-but when du-
ty--a stern sense of duty demands it, /
shall do so.
Reject this majority platform-adopt
the proposition to restore freedom to Kan
sas and Nebraska, and 20 protect the act
ual settlers from violence and outrage
simplify your rules-make an open or.
sanization-baniSh all bigotty and intol-
eranee from your ranks-place your
movement in harmony with the humane
progressive spirit of age, and you
may win and retain power, and elevate
and improve the political character of the
country. Adopt this majority platform
commit the American movement to the
slave perpetualists and the slave propa-
gandists, and you will go down before
the burning indignation and whitening
scorn Of American freenen.
A Tunnel UNDER NIAGARA RIvER.--
Ii is proposed to dig tunnel for rail-
road track under the Niagara River at
Black Rock, near Buffalo, N Y. Its
length viii be ADO feet, descent Of
grade on each side IS feet per mile. cost
S501,OOo. The riveris % feet deep at