Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1856-01-04

that every citizen has an inalienabIe risbt
/ to move into any of the territories with his
property of whatever kind or description.
tie constltutienand compromises. notwith-
| Standing, can hardly refuse ii. 1t was on
tie annexatiss Of the Mexican territories
that Mr., Calhoun asserted this principle, to
unsettle the fixed policy Of the nation, be-
ginning With the era of the Declaration Of
Independence; and he applied it alike TO
tie compromise of 1920 and 1850. Mr..
Douglas thus sums up the position taken,
and the result
s'Under this section, as in the ease Of the
Mexican law in New Mexico and
Utah, it is a disputed point wheth-
er slavery is prohibited in the country by
valid enactment. The decision of this
question involves the constitutional power
of the domestic institutions Of the various
territories of the Union. In The opinion Of
those eminent statesmen who hold that
congress IS invested with no rightftI aa-
thority to legislate upon the subject Of sia-
very in the territories, the eighth section of
the act preparatory to the admission Of
Missouri Is null and void, while the pre-
vailiag sentiment in large portion Of the
Union sustains the doctrine that the Con
stitu:ion of the United States secures TO
every citizen an inalienablc right 10 move
into any cf the territories with Bis proper
t. Of whatever kind and description, and
TO hold and enjoy the same under The sane
lion of law. Your committee DO not feel
themselves called upon to enter into TIE
discussion Of those controveftcd questions.
They involve tue same grave issues Which
produced tho agitation, the sectional strife,
and the fearful struggle Of 1852
Prom this ii appears that the eonpro-
misses Of 1920. and 1850 involved the ques-
ton Of the validity d the law of Mexico
excluding slavery frose the newly-cedcd
Mexieau territory and the saw Of orr ewaa.
Congress excluding it from that north Of
the line of 36 80. Mr.. Douglas Commit
tee Report recommended, that as
"Congress deemed it wise and prudcn; to
refrain from deciding the Gaatter IN contro-
versy, then, either BY affirming or repeating
the Mexican laws, or by an act declaratory
of the true iEtent of the Constitution, and
the extent of the protection afforded by it
to slave property in the territories, so your
committee are not prepared now TO reco,;l
iaend a departure from the course pursSed
on that memorable occasion, either by af-
firlning or repeating the eighth section of
the Missouri act, or BY an act declaraiary
OF the meaning of the constitution in re-
spect to the legal points in dispute"
These passages arc quoted to show that
the issues made by Mr. Calhoun, as to tho
constitutionality of tae two compromises of
1920 and 1850 we're expressly left open for
judicial decision, by the committee, who
nevertheless swept away, by clause SUBJ
sequently added 10 their bill, not only the
Missouri Compromise of 1920, but also the
Compromise of 1850, which left untouched
tie Mexican law prohibiting slavery in the
ceded territories, and which Webster, Clay,
Benton, and all the leading lights of the
Senate, with the exception of Mr.. CaIhounl
pronounced valid, and AN cffectual restrie-
ton.
This repeal was the adoption of Mr.. Cal
hoan's nullifying doctrine IN ertenyo The
power of Congress to make laws excluding
slavery forever from its territories, as such,
was denied, and all the territories we're
opened to slavery, on the ground Of the in
alienable right of every citizen to move in
to any Of the territories with his property.
of whatever kind or description; and the
law of squatter sovereignty was superadded
and substituted foT the sovereignty of the
United States over the public domain
Thus fell, at the dictation Of sIr. Atehison,
supported by the coalition effected between
Wings and Democrats of the S9nth, under
the pressure and through the intrigues of
the nulliiers, Mr.. Jefferson's noble princi-
pie, endeared to tho country both for its
moral grandeur and polite wisdom. Il is
the first thought uttered in the Declaration
Of Independence, and 10 the dcuunciation
of the King of Great Britain for the crime
of bringing slavery to our shores, it adds, |
as the deepest aggaayation, that she has
prostituted his negative for suppressing ev-
cry legislative attempt to prohibit or to re-
strain this exccrable commerce."
The first legislative attempt to restrain
the progress of the mischief which the
King of Great Britain visited upon this
country, was Mr.. Jefferson's resolution ex-
cluding slavery from the territory Of the |
United States in l78i-the next was that |
introduced by Rufus King, in l7S5-the |
third that Of Nathan Dane, in l7S7--ali