Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-01-21
The Candidates for the speake,ship-T The
Opinions ON Questions Of Slavery

In the House Of Representatives. the ~
inst. in conformity with resolution of that bod
adopted the day previous. certain interrogatorie
relating chiefly to questions Of slavery. wei
propounded to the candidates for the Speaker
ship, and responded to by them. We give !
much Of their answers a. ne can make space f
enough to enable the reader to understand Il
position Of each. The language of Mr.. Ricl
ardsou. the Democratic nominee, is somewh,
coufused-but We gather from it that in 1850
was prepared to support the Wilmot Proyis
that he still believes in the constitutionaliiy
such measure--that he holds the doctrine
Squatter Sovereignty-thst he thinks Territor
al Legislatures have authority TO lcgislate o
questions Of slavery, and that such legislation
necessary to give protection to the property OF
STAKEHOLDER taken into a Territory. Mr. Full
answers clearly and unequivocaily that he do'
not believe in the power Of Congress to exclue
slavery, from a Territory, and consequent
does not believe in the constn utiopslity Of III
Wilmot Proviso-that he does net believe I
Territorial Legislature has power to e1clnd
slavery and consequently does not assent 10 ii
doctrine of squatter Sovereignty His opinion
come fully up to the Southern standard; the
are national, conservative and constitutions
those Of Mr.. Richardson are highly o9jectiont
bic. But We have no room to-day for comment
We are also compelled for the present to ON |
the answers Of Mr.. Bauks--which accorded wit !
the view. Of the free sellers generally. We al
the reader to note particularly the language l
NJ. ELL. 4. :. L II.
of the two best entitled TO the support Of me |
who have o. heart the true interests of the Soutl
The questions were asked by Mr.. Zolicoifer,
Tennessee. The first was:
from Illinois MIR. Richardson regards the Kan
sas,Nebraska bill as promoive Of the formatio
of free States in the Territories of Kansas an
Nebraska!'--
Mr.. Richardson. In reply to the first qnes
ton of the gentlenan from Tennessee Mr.. 10
licofrer, have to say voted for the bills or
eanizine the Territories of Nebraska and Knnsa
because thought them just to all, and defend
cd siai vote before nv constituents upon thr
ground. | intended then, and Intend now. tina |
the people who 60 thereon who have gone ther,
shall decide the question of slavery for them
selves, and. so far as | could, admit them a
States, with or without slavery. ms the peopl
should decide. In common with northern an,
southern gentlemen. have said that,in my opin
ion. slavery would never 60 there but bas |
never. here or elsewhere. urged that as a reaso !
why voted for that bill. voted for the bill be |
cause it was just, right. and proper, and wonte |
nothing more 10 defend myself. | repeat her |
an argument have made over and over agai |
before my constituents. and il is this IL n ma
iority of the people of Kansas or Nebraska ar !
in favor of slavery, they will have it If major
ity are opposed to it, then they VIII not have il
This is the practical result Of every theory nd
vooated by the friends of the Nebraska and Kan
sas bill. gave my sanction to ibis principle il
supporting the territorial bills of 1880, and hav
supported the same principles since
whenever presented for my action, and shall ,
continue TO do so in all future cases that ma,
'srise. |, is principle lying at the founda,o,
Of all popular governments. that the people o
each separate or distinct community shall deoid
for themselves the nature and character Of ,h
institution, under which they shall live, and b,
this principle am prepared to live and die.
therefore voted for the Nebraska and Kansn
bill neither as q pro slavery nor anti-slavery
measure, but as a measure Of equal right ant
justice to people Of all sections of our common
country. VIII the Clerk now read the next ques
toni
The Clerk read the second question. as col
lows:
Am right in supposing that he advocate
the ronstitutionality of the Wilmot proviso tina
in 1850, he opposed its application to the Terrific
res acquired from Mexico only upon the groun,
local laws in those Territories already abolished
slavery, which ought to be sufficient for all free
soil men 7 and that he committed himself to tn,
position, that If territorial bills lsent upon tn
subject Of slavery. and leaving the Mexican law
to operate) were defeated he would vote for bill
with the Wilmot proviso in theml
Mr.. Richardson. The next question requires
more extended reply. In 1903 we acquired Lou
isiana il was slave territory. In 1920 we divide,
by line of 36 deg. 80 min, that territory: noril
of the line it was to be free. .Io45 we annexe,
Texas; that was slave territory; we divided thai
by extending the line Of 80 deg. 30 min. through
that; north~to be free. In S4o we acquired terri
tory from Mexico that was free. voted repeat
sdly to extend the same line west to the Pacific
ocean. voted for that line with a few repres
entatiyes from tho North, and the whole body o
southern representatives. When | gave thos
vote 8 did not believe then,nor do believe now
that violated the constitution of the Unite
Statee. If you have power under the constitutio
to exclude slavery from half of Territory.
think YOU have power to exclude il from all thong
such an exercise would be unjust and wrong.
have never, therefore. voted to exercise that pow
er, except upon the principle of compromise. i
this connexion, desire TO read from speech q
mine delivered in this hell April 3, 1850, and max
a word or two of comment upon it
There is, l regret to say, willingness upo
the part Of the democrats Of the North to see thi
proyiso passed, that Gen. Taylor may be compe
led to show 10 the world. and the rest Of mar
kind who was cheated in the last presidents
election whether it was his friends North G
South. They krow that fraud was practise
upon the one or the other. They know that in tn
South Gen. Taylor was represented as all ths
any one in favor of slavery extension could desir
that he was bound to southern institutions b
two hundred bonds. At the North it was said tina
he was for combining slavery to its present limits
One or the other was cheated But submit I