Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-08-29


n that he himself has voted for bill tba,
denies to the people of the territory o,
o Kansas the making of their own laws
If knowing all this, how he could have
= assurance to come into Maine and pro-
II claim such doctrines, is more than we
d can comprehend.
y II the argument Of Senator BENJAMIN nj
o is anything it is this that the Union
e was formed for the protection of negro
S slavery, at the South. He talks abou.
y the rights Of the South, and saws that
e the giving up of the common territory
of the country to the North is good
: cause for dissolving the Union.
To say nothing of the infamous char
acter OF such statement, more pal
pable perversion of historic truth was.
as far as we konw, never before attempt
ed. The Uuion was formed ito estab
lish justice, insure domestic tranquility.
provide fer the common defence, pro-
mote the general welfare, and secure the
blessings of liberty to ourselves and our
prosperity not to trteld human boud-
age. II for moment any man had in.
sisted on any such provisions as those
Senator Benjamin contends for as the
basis of the Union, it never would have
been formed at all.
The constitution remains un altered.
1t was not changed by the purchase of
Louisiana, the annexation of Texas. or
the conquest Of Mexico. The right to
exclude slavery from our common terri
tory was a principle recognized by the
constitution, which remains in all its
original force. Slavery is creature of
local law only, against the law of nature
and against the law of nations. It 10
against the law Of reason and the law of
God. 1t is against the principles of our
Declaration of Independence. and the
spirit of the Constitution of the United
States.
Yet Mr.. benjamin contends that if
the North exclude slavery from the COM
mon territory, .'the Unaon canaaot stand"
In the name of all that is honest and pat
riotic, let us ask why not? If the South
chooses to rebel, scccde, nulhfy or retire
from the Union for this cause, second
Andrew Jackson could easily be found,
to test their gallantry. II hold aud the
South hold,' said Senator Benjamin OH
the 9th of July 1856. in the Senate,
THAT if the South that is Slavery
''is to be excluded from the common ter
ritory, the Union cannot stand.''-
Such language is not only reasonable,
but lnhuman and atrocious. Show us
the clause in the Constitution that
makes the common territory a slave ken
mel ! Show us the passage in that great
Charter of Freedom that authorizes
Congress to provide chains and letters
for the manacling of human limbs 1t
is cruel libel to pretend that there is
any warrant of authority for any such
doctrine in the Constitution of the Uni
ted States.
Territory acquired subsequent to the
constitution, came into the Uniou under
it. In accordance with its provisions, it
is to be disposed of in the same manner
as the Common Territory was disposed
Of prior to the purchase or acquisition,
The rule was fixed, established, practicei
upon, and the claim of the shareholders
subsequently set up, to carry slaves in
to the territory was plain, palpable and
positive infraction of the spirit of the
constitution.
This claim of the Shareholders, the
free voters of the country resist Mr..
Benjamin says you thereby endanger the
Union. How, and in what way ''You
drive us into disunion, You refuse to let
us share the common property, and COM
pei us to retire or submit to unjust
terms"
We deny it all. We deny the right
of Congress to acquire territory for the
purpose of making slave States. We
deny the right of the Southern States
to carry their accurscd system one inch
beyond their borders. With it as il
State institution we have nothing to do.
There let it purify and decay. Let the
peculiar institution be confined to its
original limits, and let the sturdy arms
of free labor teach Southern shareholders
the advantages Of patience and resiyna-
ton.
In the afternoon of Thursday, Mr.. c.
Levi Woodbury. said the South .'wanted
Kansas" but made no claims on Nebras-
ka or Minnesota. In the evening Mr..
Benjamin assumed for the sake of ar
gument) that Kansas was theirs, and he
attempted to show how much more free
territory the North still have, than they.
''Shall we have justice - asked Mr..
Benjamin, and few voices said YES.
while a thrill of horror went through the
audience, at the sight of a few men
around the speaker. who signified their
approval of his claim to make Kansas a
slave State.