Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-01-15

Esq, was written IN answer TO an invitation r.
attend meeting of the Republican Association
in the City of Washington, in December last
Mr. Blair was the editor of the Wasbing4on
t GLOBE, during the Administration of GENERAL
JACKSON, and was the consistent friend of the
oid hero. he was one of the leading men in
the Democratic party, but has become sickened
with the Intrigues of its present leaders. and
SPEAKS the sentiments of an honest man in this
letter.
SILVER SPRING, Md, Dec 1, 1855.
GESTLENES-E Having relinouisbed ,,oI;t;c.1
employment, and, 10 avoid encounterine again
It's anxieties, addicted myself to country life, I
am constrained to decline your invitation to Join
the Republican Association of Washington Citv.
although tempted by the honor of becoming its
presiding officer Yet feel it NV duty TO saw
that in the main 1 concur in the aims of the
Association To exclude Slavery from the Ter
r1tories of the United States, and to rebuke the
violation of the Compromises, which were made
10 stand as covenants between the Slave and
Free States TO effect that exclusion. are in nv
opinion. the most important movements which
have engaged the public mind since the Revo
luton.
The extension of Slavery over the new Terri
tories would prove fatal TO their prosperity: but
the greatest calamity to be apprehended from il.
IS the destruction of the Confederacv. on which
the welfare of the whole country reposes Fv
cry conquest of this element of discord, which
has so often threatened the dissolution of the
Union increases the danger. Every surrender
of the Free States invites invasion.
The cause which your organization is intended
TO promote may well draw 10 It's support men
of all parties. Differences on questions of pol
Icy. of constitutional construction, of modes Of
administration, may well be merged. to unite
men who believe that concert of action on the
part Of those who would arrest the snread of
Slavery, can resist the power of the combina-
tIon now embodied to make it embrace the Con-
tinent from ocean to ocean.
The repeating clause of the Kansas BIZ is
predicated on the nullity of the clause in the
Constitution which gives Congress the power
TO make regulations respecting the Territories
OF the United States. Yet nothing Is clearer in
the history Of our Government, than that this
phrase, giving power to Congress q to make recr
lations respecting the Territories" was meant
TO give it the power to exclude Slavery from
them.
Mr. Jeffersou's resolutions Of 1854, declaring
that there shall Be neither Slarerg nor isa.o7s,,ta~,
seT-ritude IN any Of the States" laid off in the
Western Territory, was subsequently, renewed
in the Congress of 1855. which added that tAfs
regulation shall be an article Of compact; and 1t
was so voted unanimously by the delegations Of
eight States out Of twelve.
1t was passed by the unanimous votes Of all
the States by the Congress Of I7S7, which sat
contemporaneously with the Convention forming
the Constitution, and that Constitution gave Con-
gress the power " TO make regulations respecting
the Territories, and moreover affirmed the valid
ity Of d" tie engagements entered into 5etore the
adoption Of the Constitution" by the Confederation
one Of which engagements was that made by
the regulation excluding Slavery from the Ter
ritories. Thus the Congress of the Confederation
and the Convention framing the Constitution
united In giving double sanction TO the exclu-
sion.
The first exerted the power Of euacting Mr
Jeffersons interdict Of Slavery in the Territories
then held by the United States, TO which if had
previously given an impressive sanction by add
ing, this regulation shall be an Article of con-
pact, &c; and the Convention guaranteed this
= engagement" entered into under the Confed-
erarion, by declaring 1t valid" and employed
the same terms, regaIGtion Of the Territories -
to transmit the power here exerted to future
Congresses. In the face Of this history, and the
letter Of tie Constitution granting the power
to make whatever regulations it deemed fit re-
specting the Territories of the United States
the authors of the Kansas and Nebraska Bill
deny the constitutionality of all the regulations
which exclude Slavery from the Territories, and
set at naught all tie preeedents that confirm
them, which have followed IN uninterrupted
succession, from the foundation of the Govern
uent.
That other clause in the Constitution, en-
powering Congress to pass laws to prevent the
migration or importation" of slaves after l908.
shows the fixed purpose of the founders of our
Union to limit the increase Of this evil. The
consequence was an inhibition, which prevents
South Carolina planter, who has slaves in Cuba,
from bringing them 70 his home plantation and
to remove this obstruction TO the increase Of
Slavery within the Union and open Africa TO
supply the demand made by the new act the
Northern nullifers already called on by
their Southern allies to lend their aid and GER
tainly those who EN- mbrace Mr.. Calhoun's doc
triue, as stated by Mr.. Douglas, that every cit-
zen has an inalienable right TO move into any Of
the Territories with his property, of whatever
kind or description" the Constitution and Com
promises notwithstanding, can hardly refuse l.
It was on the annexation of the Mexican Terri
tories that Mr. Calhoun asserted this principle
to unsettle the fixed policy of the Nation, be-
ginning with the era of the Declaration of Inde-
Pendence; and he applied It alike TO the Com
promises of 1890 and 1859. Mr. DouClas thus
sums up the position taken, and the result:
under this section, as IN the case Of the Keri-
car Iar IN New Aezico and Utah. IL IS a disputed
point whether Slavery is prohibited in the Ne
braska country by valid enactment The deci-
sion of this question involves the constitutional
power of Congress to pass laws prescribing and
regulating the domestic Institutions of the -ari-