M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-03-27
DEMOCRATIC STATE TICKET
The slavery QuestlOn.

So much has been said and written upon
this subject, that we feel some diffidence in
thrusting upon the public our own opinion in
regard to it. Whatever doctrine or idea we
may enunciate, the reader probably vii! have
seen elsewhere. The present agitation Of
the slavery question began in consequence
of the repeal Of the Missouri Compromise,
which prohibited slavery in the territory of
the United States north Of thirty.six degrees
thirty minutas north latitude. At the time
the bill repeating this compromise was be-
fore Congress, I'VE, together with many 9th
er Democratic editors, while recognizing
the popular sovereignty principle condemned
the act as uncalled for by the people and
calculated to renew an agitation which had
already shaken the strong walls Of our Re-
publican fabric to their very foundation.
1t required the exercise Of but little fore
sight Or reasOnto satisfy any one that the
repeal of the long acquiescedin compromise
would give to the Abolition party strength
and vitality which it could not otherwise
claim-that it would, in consequence, sweep
the north at the then approaching elections
and surely bring upon Northern States all
the odious Legislation, which the Democra-
cy hal warred upon in former years. Such
has actually been the consequence, and the
Democratic party, of this State, at least,
must fight its battles over again. +
AS much as we condemned the policy of
the act, howeyerwe could not feel for the
Missouri Compromise any of the attachment
expressed by many at that time. 1t was a
simple act of Congress which that body
could repeal, alter or amend whenever it
chose to do so. The great error was in per-
mitting It to become law IN the first place.
Democrats Wings and even Republicans,
we Believe, concede this-the latter, how
ever, contending that the Missouri rest ric-
ton should have included all territory of the
United States north of their southern boun-
daries. Now, we are opposed to Congress-
ional interference upon the subject of sla-
very, in or out of the territories, for several
reasons, one of which we beg to state, The
only clause in the Constitution which could
possibly be construed to authorize the exer-
else of such a power by Congress is the
following: Congress shall have power tC
dispose of and make all needful rules ant
regulations respecting the territory or 9th
er property belonging to the United States, ;
This clause gives Congress the power t
dispose of and regulate lands belonging t.
the United States, whether in States or ter
ritories, but confers no power to govern the
people who may settle upon those lands. II
relates entirely to things, not to individual:
Ito property, not to persons. The above
clause, then, does not authorize Congress t.
make any laws except such as may be
thought proper to regulate, or dispose of
property belonging to the United States
By its authority, lands are surveyed, land Of
fees established, sales regulated, warrants
issued, titles confirmed, and all other things
done which relate to the "territory or other
property belonging to the United States -
And it will be observed that no distinction
Is made-the clause relates to all property
and confers the same powers over property
in the States that it does oyer that elsewhere
To interpret the above clause as giving Con-
gress power to abolish or prohibit slavery in
territory without the States would also con-
fer the same power within the States in
which government owns land. This would
destroy at once State sovereignty, as any
one with half an eye must clearly see. The
only other clause which gives Congress any
power as to territotes,is the one providing
for the admission of new States, under
which it has assumed the right to organize
territorial governments, as preliminary to
their admission into the Union as States
If the Constitution does not authorize Con-
gress to legislate for,the people of the ter
ritories, then the following clause applies:
"The powers not delegated to the United
States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by
il to the States, are reserved to the
States respectively or to the people"
There being no power delegated to the
United States to legislate for the settlers Of
the territories, that power, as we understand
1t, is resersed 10 the people. ~, -
That slavery is an evil, but few at this
day win attempt to deny and were we a
citizen Of Kansas, as we are a citizen oi
Ohio. we should oppose by all honorable
sneans the Introduction Of that peculiar in
sttationin into the territory. Weshodld claim
to represent nurself upon this question, and
would deem Il an unjust usrpstion Of our
rights should citizen Of Kentucky or New
York attempt to do that sane for US.