Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-03-21

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Carolina, or from any other State, shall
have a right to stand up in his place and
point at New Hampshire, and say 1on
did it." take all the censure which the
Senator means TO administer to the north
ern States. have no doubt that the
cupidity of commerce yielded much' very
much. and that there is great blame. l
have no doubt, further, that the same Gu
piditv which induced northern merchants
to take the course which the Senator from
South Carolina brings TO my mind, is still
left in the country, and it would do the
same thing again, unless restrained by
law.
THE POWER OF CONGRESS OVER SLAVE
RY IN THE TERRITORIES.
Having gone thus far on this train of
remark, [ come now to another point OF
the case; and propose to examine the
question of the power of Congress over
slavery in the Territories and | shall do
it, I think, TO the apprehension Of the
popular and of the legal mind. The
ground which | take is, that Congress
has an undoubtea constitutional power to
prohibit slavery.from going into any of
the Territories of the United States; and
to that point wish the attention Of the
Senate. In the first place l suppose,
when you wish to settle question as to
whether the Congress of the United States
has cerain power or not, the simplest,
readiest, and easiest way of settling that
question is to turn to the Constitution it
self. The Constitution is plain instru-
ment, made by plain men. 1t is uni
versal law governing States and individ-
uals; and being made by plain men, for
the government Of everybody within the
country, States as well as individuals, one
would naturally suppose that it would be
written in language which plain men
might understand. Well, sir, by looking
to the Constitution, what do you find
You find it there written, "the Congress
shall have power"-to do what ?-" to
dispose of ard make all needful rules and
regulations respecting the territory OIL
other property belonging to the United
States"
Some have said that this cannot near
all rules, because there must be certain
limits. Undoubtedly there are limits, bu
what are they? The limits are to b
found in other parts of the Constitution
and if there are any restrictions on tina
grant, the grant is thus far restricted
but if there be no restriction, it is unlim
tied. The language of the Constitution
is exceedingly plain. "The Congress
shall have power to make"-how man,
rules ?-"aI needful rules" How d
Congress make rules? By law. HOY
do they make the rules and regulation
concerning the Navy? By law. Ho'
do they make the rules and regulation
concerning the Army? By law. Ho'
do Congress make any rules or reguls
tons? By law; and in no other way
Then, how many regulations may the
make in regard to territory? All.
the prohibition of slavery is a regulatio
coming within the comprehensive descriI
ton of all regulations" it is what Cor
gress has a right to make: but if it be
regulation outside of "all,'' and not II
Guided in the adjective call, we must 6
somewhere else to find it. What did IL
men who made the Constitution think
What did they understand? What d
: they suppose they had done? Why, 81
it appears, fortunately for the elucidatic
of this history, that in the conventic
: which framed the Constitution there we
twenty men who were also members
= the first Congress under the Federal Co
? stitution. There was John Langdon,
. New Hampshire, a man of some note
his day-a man enjoying the confden
of the Democracy of this country, al
L who was nominated for the Office of vi
President by that party when Jefferst
L was Presidential nomination which |
declined on account of his age. He w
member of both bodies. There we
y also in the Federal Convention and in Il
t First Congress, Nicholas Gilman, of Ne
Il Hampshire; Elbridge Gerry, Rufus Kin
{ and Caleb Strong, of Massachusett
y William S. johnson, Roger Sherman, al
L Ellsworth, Of Connecticut; William Pc
terson, Of New Jersey; Robert Morr
II John Clymer, and Thomas Fitzsimmor
: of Pennsylvania; George Read and Ric
/ ard Basset, of Delaware; Daniel Carol,
I Maryland; James Madison, of Virgini
1t Hugh Williamson, Of North Carolin
: Pierce Butler, of South Carolina a
' William Few and Abraham Baldwin.
Georgia. All these gentlemen whom
Q have named vUare ynarnbarc re the 10