The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-05-31

/ Henry clay en- tho Power OF
Congress 10 Prohibit slavery.
The Times has asserted that Henry Clay
denied the power of Congress to prohibit
Slavery, and promised to furnish its author
ity for that declaration, when they could lay
their hands on his great Compromise speech
made in 1850. We viii save the editors the
trouble Of hunting for opinions Mr.. Clay
never expressed, and furnish to their hand
his declarations urea that subject in that
same speech in 1850, and claim their publi-
cation in the Times as an act Of fairness to-
wards us, Of justice to Henry Clay, and Of
candor towards the public.
THE CONSTITUTION DOES NOT CARRY SLAVERY
TO THE TERRITORIES.
Mr.. Calhoun held, and the Southern and
dominant wing Of the Democracy now hold,
that the Constitution Of the United States
carries Slavery to the Territories. Mr.. Clay
expresses himself as follows on that posi-
ton:
"Now, really, must say, that the idea
that go Instant, upon the contamination OF
the Treaty, the Constitution of the United
States spread itself over the acquired territory
and carried along with it the institution Of
Slavery, is SO irreconcilabie scith any COM
prehension or any reason which possess,
that hardly know how to meet it."
POWER OF CONGRESS TO PROHIBIT sLAvERY.
Then in regard to the power of Congress
over the subject Of Slavery in the Territories,
he argued that it exists, and is derived both
from the Treaty making power, as well as
from that clause of the Constitution which
gives Congress power to make oil needful
rules and regulations for the Territory of
the United States, and he expresses his
conclusion in this clear and emphatic man
ner
s'THE POWER, then, Mr.. President, in my
opinion--and l extend it to the introduction
as well as to the prohibition Of Slavery in the
new Territores-DoKs EXIST IN CONGRESS
and think there is this important distnc-
ton between Slavery outside Of the States
and Slavery inside Of the States; that all
outside of the States is debatable, and all
inside of the States il not debatable."
Further along in his speech he snys:
81 cannot concur with that honorable
Senator, mr.. Cass1 though entertain the
utmost respect for the opinion which he has
advanced adverse to nv own; but | must
say when point is settled by all the cle-
mentarv authorities, and by the uniform in
depreciation and action Of every department
of our Goyernment-Legislative, Executive
and Judicial-and when that point has been
settled during period Of fifty years, and
never was seriously disturbed till recently. /
think if we are to regard any thing as fixed
and settled under the administration of this
Constitution Of ours, it is the question which
h has been thus invariably and uniformly
VOTE ON TUE COMPROMISE LINE.
In regard to action on the Missouri Com
promise line, Mr.. Clay says in the same
speech:
81 take tho occasion to say, that among
those who agreed to that line were majority
Of Southern members, my friend from Ala
bama in the Senate, [Mr. King, late Vice
President], Mr.. Pinckney, from Maryland,
| and majority of Southern Senators in this
body voted for the line Of sc deg. 80 min.,
and o majority OF Southern members in the
other House, ut the head Of whom was Mr..
Lowndes (of South Carolina) himself, voted
also for that line. 1 hare no doubt did
also; but u l was Speaker Of the House,
and as the Journal does not show which way
the Speaker votes, except in the case Of q
tie, | am not able to tell with certainty how
! actually did vote: but have no earthly
la, 1.t kk.,x 4 til ssl al.
Southern friends, for the adoption OF this
line, SO deg, 30 MIN
POWER OF CONGRESS IN THE DISTRICT or
In the same speech, and in reference to
his resolution on the present inexpediency OF
sbolishing Slavery in the Distric, Of Column
bia, he said, in abiding to former remarks
Of his:
81 said then, as l have uniformly main
tanned in this body, as commended in 1893,
and ever have done, that the power to abol-
ish Slavery in the District Of Columbia has
been vested in Congress, in language too
clear and explicit to admit in my judgement,
OF any rational question whatever
Gov. REEDER SArE.-Goy. Rceder reach
ed Chicago Wednesday and made speech to
Spontaneous crowd" in which he showed
up the lawlcss and violence, rapine and muir
der-loving slavery propaganda authorities
and Claw and order" bands OF rufbans in Kan
sas. In the course Of his speech he askeds.if the
people Of the North could not and would not
/
send one thousand armed men to Kansas for
every hundred sent by the South, which was
responded to with deafcning shouts md loud
cries OF 1--WE can, we will"
Gov. Reeder left Chicago the same evening
| to attend the State Convention Ut Blooming.
| ton, which met on Thursday.