Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-04-24
:.Eterndl hostility to every'form oftyr-
amy over the mind of Man."
Thursday Morning, April "a, 1856
The power of Congress over the Ter
riteries of the United States,

Republican party" We now come to speal
of the power of Congress over the institu.
tion of slavery in the territories. The as.
sertion that Congress has no power in this
matter is, as we have said, modern polite.
al morstrosity, unknown Until 1913, when
it was hatched into being by Gen. CAss in
the notorious Nicholson letter" Previous
to that time there had been but one opinion
on the right of Congress to govern the Ter.
ritories, and this opinion was that under the
Constitution of the United States Congress
had an undispu:ed right to legislate On any
and all questions for the territories. But
in the examination of this question we shall
not presume to set up our own unsupported
opinion, bat shall cite authority which ought
to be highly creditable, and entitled to care
ful attention.
As Congress derives its power from the
Constitution of the United States, it may
be well to examine that document and see
under what one of its provisions Congress
receives any power over the Territories
The constitution provides that congress shal
"make all needful rules and regulations fo1
"the Government of Territories" All need
fm rules. Our own opinion is that aLy man
uninfuenced by political surroundings will
not fail to see at glance that this clause
confers upon Congress the broadest license
over the Territories. But, since political
tests have been set up TO obscure the honest
Judgment of man, and political leaders as.
sumo TO speak for them, we are compelled
to advert to time when it was no disgrace
to be honest, in politics, and quote from men
who had independence enough to speak the
truth, howbeit some Of them will be found
to have sacrificed that truthfulness, in these
latter days to the internal Moloch OF party.
We commence with JHos. JEFFERSON
pretty good Democratic (uot modern Black
Border -Rufian Democracy authority.
On the lst day of March, 1884, the very
day, by the way. on which the North West.
efA Territory was ceded by Virginia, Thos
Jefferson reported plan, written by him.
self, for the government of that Territory
In it occurred the following words
"After the year 1900 of the Christian era,
"there shall be neither slavery nor involun-
"tary servitude in any of the said States
"otherwise than in punishment of crimes
"whereof the party shall have been duly
convicted to have been personally guilty.
This plan was defeated. 1t was again
tried in 1885 by Rufus King. of New York.
but was second time unsuccessful. A plan
containing SUBSTANTIALLY this same pro-
vision was again reported in 1887, and pas
ed on the 9th of July of that year. This
is now known as the Ordinance of 'S7, un-
der which, by the blessing of God, our noble
State has advanced rapidly to her present
proud position in this Confederacy. We
are aware that the foregoing was under the
Old Continental Congress, but we state it
here to show that Thos. Jefferson thought
Congress should have the power to legislate
on the subject of slavery in the territories
and that principle, President Polk said-s:is
older than the Constitution, ITSELF"
Two years after the adoption of the Or
dnance of 'S7, the ist Congress ratified that
Ordinance. In that Congress were l6 men
who had been members of the Constitution
al Convention. They may be presumed to
have understood the Constitution most
thoroughly, and they all voted to ratify it
Quite an interesting feature in this ratifca-
tion is the pertinent fact that some changes
tcere made in the Ordinance to make it con-
form to The Constitution, but the slavery
prohibition clause was suffered to remain,
and unquestioned. This Or
dinance was ratified by all almost unanimous
vote, and without the least discussion.
Let US come down some years, until lSl 49,
90, when the entire union was convulsed
by the agitation of this very question, and
its dissolution seemed imminent. At that
time the State of Missouri was admitted,
and there was also clause in the Missouri
Act prohibiting slavery north of So 80
min. north latitude. This was during the
administration of James Monroe. Mr..
Monroe referred the act to his cabinet, and
they gave written opinions on 1t, sustaining
it unanimously. That cabinet was COM
posed of such men as John Quincy Adams,
John c. Calhoun, VIM. Writ, and VIM. H.
Crawford; men Of the first class for talent
and intelligence, in our country. 1t is al
most needless to add that it was also appro-
we'd 0y MIR. Monroe.
These are important acts of Congress,
and are weighty witnesses on this question,
but we will also cite individuals, to the same
effect.
James Madison said:-
81 hold it to be essential in every point
of view that the general government should
have power to prevent the increase of slav-
cry"
Judge Wilson, member of the Consttu-
tional Convention from Pennsylvania, said:
"The new States that are to be formed
will be under the CONTROL of Congress in
this the slaveryl particular, andsfaves will
never be introduced among them.''
John c. Calhoun, in 1850 pronounced the
idea that the inhabitants, and not Congress
should legislate-"utterly unfounded, uncon-
"stitutional, Without example, and contrary
ito the entire practice Of the government, from
'itS commencement TO The present time