Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1856-07-23


wesake pleasure IN ~ ssnHng 70 oaf feel
"a tle follpning adairah,e letter fNm th'7
distinguished Keniaca an judy Beatty =
known as aprofopnd jurisi. clear heH''ed ana
rclahle statesman. aud as citizen Of iffe.
preaehabie integrity. aad viihai slaveheid'
~. Tie "a. lbc warm aud ,ieadiaSi friend 81
Henry Clay whose political sentiments "eFe
Identical viii his own. The viepf 81 Zach
'nen in eri-i. ike the prezen', are e"titied
20 rrea, weight with rejecting men Of all par
ties. aud Ne cosnmend his latter TO the cons'i'
Grafton Of those. Who have No other Argument
han ihc senseloss charge Of Abolisionism
and "sscfioaalism, against all wh" do mol
advocate slavery extension. and % those old
liners. Who vili6ed aud aba.ssl Mr.. Clay 50
long a. he lived AMI nov slauder his menery
by mi-qooiing and garbling his speeches 70
spii their own vile plsposfs:
wAsn.SeroS,. Mason coovrr h
JAY II, I-So.
Oar Sir. You desire . s-ov the views Of
NJ. Clay on slavery e-icasion; and suppose
from ms niiness with him. that can proba-
by forn.~t ihem. Ny aeq iaintauee WIKI Mr..
CD. commenced IN Lexington in the spring
Of 1900. aud Tie varmest friendship between
as. continued till bis death.
You will see by my letter to Hon. L. NJ
Cox. il ! arm able TO procure 1t, hat Mr. Clay
labofed zealously and successfully to bring
about Tie Compromise Of 1870. By the terms
II hat Bill. slavery was forever prohibited in
al tie National Territories, 50 far a those
territories las North Of &c degs 30 min. This
settled the principle that Congress possessed
Constitutional power 10 prohibit slavey In oil
the public Territories; for II! possessed pow
er to exclude slavery from All Territory lying
north OF sc degs 80 min. it follows. that it
had power to exclude il altogether. But Dir.
Clay was Of opinion tina, on grounds Of expc.
dicncy and jastscc 20 the slaveholdiug States,
Il was proper mott push the exclusion beyond
the terms Of the Missouri Compromise. /
have reason to believe firmly, that Mr. Clay 5
opinions on this subject. remained unchanged
as they were ayaSed and carried out in the
Missouri Compromise.
When that Compromise was adopted, no
reasonable doubt existed as to the Constitu-
tutional power OF Congress to exclude slavery
from the National Territories Mr. Randolph
who We know was very eccentric in his oQin-
ions suggested doubt on this subject l,
was this. perhaps. which induced Mr. Munioe
to take the legal opinions OF his Cabinet on this
point. after the passage of the Bill His cab
met was composed Of three Southern citizens
Of grea, ability. and one from the North-John
c. Calhoun. Crawford. Writ and John Quincy
Adams These were all very eminen, law
yers, aud tn y unanimously eopcurrcd in opin-
ion. as did Mr. Munroe also, that the Compro
mise was Constitutional. This opinion. 50
empha:ically expressed, together with the
practice o. the government from Its very foun.
dA:ion (the Ordinance Of lTs7 having been
ratified and confirmed, at the frat session OF
Congress- left not 4 shadow of doubt, that
Congress possessed the Constitutional power
to prohibit slavery in the Territories
But since the idea of "Squatter Sovreign
y has sprung up. is advocates have deemed
1t necessary To dony tho c,,sstituuiu...,; l',~,s
ries. But this denial (even If there were
grounds for IT, would do them no good. as the
proposition is selfevident. that If Congress
has no power 10 legislate on the subject Of
slavery, neither can they give authority to
Territorial Legislature to legislate on that sub.
jet. How then is SLAVERY to be introduced.
constitutionally. into any Of the National Ter
ritories The plan has been devised. very
skilfuliy, by the advocates Of slavery exten.
sion. II is this, that the Constitution p,r s..
carries slavery into all the public Territories.
and as necessary consequence. all men MAJ
convey their slaves there; aud Congress is
bound TO protect them in the eniavmen, Of
iheir slave property. Thus. the Constitution.
bounded upon free principles. and iniepcd to
establish them throughout tie Union. except
% FAR a. State sovereignty was forbid 10 be
ntcrfered with, Is made 10 create sIaroyy. not
Npressly, bat by silelt Implication. The
Ibsurdity Of the. doctrine is the more surpri-
Tag as Il comes from he party. who claim to
&c strict constrlctionisls Of the Constitution
The Constitution is silent on the subject,
nd there j. no; only nothing in it. FROM which
UGH power eao be implied. bat very much
prove the contrary presumption.
You ask 10Y opinion about Sfuaifey Sor.
'ignfy can give it in few words. by ~.
'rring to the erprisnee Of ITS benefits. for a
car or two m Kansas A more horrible sys.
IN Of government IS not exhibited bv the ,
istory q the world, than that practically
resented by the Squa,teT sovereignty Of Kan
Is Territory. legislative body, elected by ,
armed nod from the State Of Missouri. * !
c'-svg absolute poaeer. aud SO using that pow.
a. 20 perpetuaic i;self. by numbering. pros. !
atiug aud baaishing those who Will not i
'ie'ly submit to its excfcisc. A government, {
iaoaf Consultation. without control. and IN. .
'encsd only by is 'yrauuical passions aud i
.eked ambition. 20 peTpotuaie Us horid rule !
fers'biy putting down all opposition. To !.
Is chi. destroying the printing presses. and :.
bidding even the poor consolation Of On. {,
avofing 20 better their fuiure condition. br
posing the wicked aols Of their fvrauaicil Il
ssiers
sueh IS squatter sovreignfy. as practically +,
rried out. have not time 70 eonpsre !. Il
n he system Of Territorial Government. y
'ich has prerailed hitherto 50 happilr in o.
country "A government like TIA. 81 a m y
y ovef his child. til be arrives Al o,a,ar, :.
=. v hen he Commences the world f,ted n, .,
iseful experiences 70 do we'll for hirnsei.
territories, when they shall have he ne ..
'sary experience FOR exerefxino FIJI ..,--.s,.- ~