Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-12-27

gin:a Mr.. Mason regards the assertion of that
doctrine as war upon the slave States-upon
slavery per sc. Does the Senator from Penn
sylvania now concur in that opinion
The Senator from Michigan Mr.. Cassl the
other dav, gave ns another DISC uisition upon
his doctrine of squstier sovereignty, While
he occupied the floor of the Senate in giving
us additional notes and comments upon his
Nicholson letter. and in illustrating the beau
ties of his theeryAwhle he was upon the
floor claiming that the people Of the Terrific
fies. in their territorial capacity, have the
right 10 exclude slavery, a distinguished Rep
resenta'iye from Kentucky, Mr.. Humphrey
MARSHALL was bringing up the Democratic
party to the confessional in regard TO this doc
trise. The Senator from Virginia Mr.. Ma
sonl was summoned to the House to explain
TO his colleagues casual remark which he
had made during the speech of the Senator
from Name MIR. Fessenden The delegation
from Virginia proclaimed on the floor OF the
House their unanimous disagreement with the
doctrines the Senator from Michigan was then
avowins, and announced, bv Authority, that
the Senator from Virginia had been msunder-
stood. Aftsr the close o! that speech, the
Senator from Virginia came in here, and asked
two minutes for explanation, and then avow-
ed his doctrine to be tina, Congress had no
right, under the Constitution, to legislate in
regard to slavery in the Territories; that the
people in the Territories derived their powers
from Congress, and therefore had no right to
legislate at all. That was beautiful lllustra-
ton of this doctrine of squatter sovereignty,
which has been preached all over the North,
and by which the people have been cheated,
deceived, and deluded.
The Senator from South Carolina told us
some days ago, that in the Revolution, when
the Government was first framed, they were
ell patriots-they did not quarrel over these
sectional questions. The Senator from Texas,
think, held the same language, that we of
this degenerate age were raising these section
al questions | would ask these Senators
who forced these issues upon us In IVA,
y when the old Congress met and framed the
Articles of Association. the second article was
prohibition OF the slave trade which had
been forced upon the Colonies by the policy
of the British Government. That prohibi
ton of the slave trade was sustained by the
North and by the South even South Carroll
ma endorsed it. In 1887, when your Consti
tuition was framed we of the North were not
responsible for the existence of slave any
where under the authority of Congress-
Most of the Northern States had taken meas
ures in favor of, or tending to, emancipation
in their States. When the Constitution was
framed, there was not man in America who
believed that the idea of property in man, to
use the woads of Mr.. Madison, was embodied
in that Constitution. When Washington en-
tered upon his duties as President. there was
no action of the national Government which
made the people OF Massachusetts,, or of any
State, responsible for slavery anywhere out
side of their own jurisdiction. We're men
prescribed then who held the views that We
on this side of the Chamber now hold: No,
sir the men who promulgated the Declara-
ton of Independence; who carried US through
the Revolution who framed the Constitution
OF the United States; and who held the first
offices, were all men opposed to slavery.
Washington was President. He had declared
thai no man IN America was more in favor of
the abolition Of slavery than himself, and his
vote should never be wanting to effect that
object. John Adams had declared that con-
senting to slavery was a sacriegous breach of
trust. Thomas Jefferson had proclaimed, over
and over again, his views in favor Of emanci-
patton. that '' the abolition of slavery was the
first object of desire"
Alexander Hamilton was removed from the
residency of an abolition society in New
York to the head of the United States Treas
ury. John Jay was taken from an abolition
society in New York, and made Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of the United States
yet he had proclaimed to the world that our
'sprayers to Heaven would be impous" until
we abolished slavery. Iredell, Of North Car
olina, had declared that when the abolition of
slavery took place, 1t would be an act pleasing
to all generous minds, and he was made a
Judge of the Supreme Court. Wilson, of
Pennsylvania, in the Convention for the adop-
ton of the Federal Constitution, had ayowed
the doctrine, that the new States were TO be
under the authority of Congress, and that sla-
very would never go there; and yet he, too,
was placed on the bench of the Supreme
Court. Gouverneur Morris, who was cent
abroad to represent this country, declared sla-
very to be nefarious institution. Madison,
Sherman, Ellsworth, Gerry, Patrick Henry
all the great men of the country, North and
South, with the exception of few Fire.
eaters in South Carolina and Georgia-held
the doctrine then that slavery was local in
stitution, existing only by the force OF local
law; that the national Government had no
connection with it; that it was an institution
which would pass away before our higher civ.
ilization and our purer Christianity. AL we
ask of you is to carry us back and place us
where we stood when we made the Constitu-
ton and inaugurated the Government. Then
we were not responsible for the existence Of
slavery anywhere on earth outside of our own
Commonwealth.
What have you donei You accepted the
grants of North Carolina, South Carolina, and
Georgia, over Tennessee, Alabama, and Mis-
sissippi, on condition that you should not
enancipste the bondsmen which had been
carried into portions of those Territories, there
by making US of the free States responsible for
the political power at least of slavery in those
three great States. Then you located the ma
tional capital here on the banks of the Poto-
mac, and continued the laws of Virginia and
Maryland, under which the slave trade and
slavery houTislted beneath the protecting folds
Of the national flag. Sir, within sight Of the
starry banner of the Union, which now floats
over our heads, hundreds of men, for whom
Christ died, are held in perpetual bondage for
which we of the North are responsible in the
forum Of the nations. The permanent inter.
ests Of the country required the purchase of
Louisiana. You purchased it, You took
with it forty thousand slaves. You did not
make them free. You made the people of
Massachusetts, and the North responsible for
their future slavery, and the slavery of their
posterty. Then you purchased Florida, with
her slaves. You did not set them free. You
linked US with slavery in that Territory. You
made US responsible for its future existence
there Then you annexed the senator's own
State OF Texas. and the leading motive why
it was forced into the Union at that time at
the risk OF war with Mexico, was to strength
en- the cause of slavery. Mr.. Calhoun, the
master spirit in that annexation, avowed this
substantially in his letter to Mr.. King, then
our Minister at Paris. You annexed Texas,
with her slaves, and you have made us re.
sponsible for slavery there.