The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-04-12

Mexico might have been the result Of unavoidable causes
for which the United States were not responsible Equal
participation in the beneficial enjoyment Of this territory
having become impossible and the whole benefit of its
loyment having from the first enured class of its
common propretor the other class ought to receive
demnihcauon nom some other portion Of the common
property TINS principle the moral basis of that praise
worthy legislation OF 1854 which the chairman Of the Com
mtee on Territories has inudciously denonated
a conspiracy against freedom"
To the northward Of latitude of 40 deg climate and
other make slavery practically out of the
question To tie southwark of 36 deg 80 min on this
side OF the Rocky mountains except in that portion of what
was taken from Texas and annexed TO New Mexico in
1850, the institution OF slavery is established From
all parts OF our country 10 the westward the Rocky
is excluded This exclusion is probably per-
manent The Territory of Kansas. lying westward Of the
State of Missouri between the parallels of latitude OF 81 deg
and 40 deg, is therefore, the only space which the
question OF slavery IS TO be regarded Of any practical
Importance. The question Isl whether the force of
merical majority from the northern States be ghtfu-
exercised In order to deprive southern brethren of
the privilege Of free access with their slave property
this Tcriora Territory be 1t remembered within de-
grees Of latitude which, TO the eastward OF its limits
clude already FIVE slavehoding States and much more
land OF Shareholders than land from which slavery is
cluded a al l - #
Let US now trace the history of these successive pa
| TONS .M
The first partition of territory made by series Of
acts in the years l7S7 1885, and 1890 followed by
OF 1902 The power of the concderacy which preceded
present constitution if determinabe solely by the terms
Of the articles of confederation was perhaps greater
on the subject in question than that Of the conederacy
sequenty organized under present constitution But
there was this difference Under the old coniederacy
bers of Congress in constant communion with the
legislatures and executive governments of the several
States which they respectively represented. They
stany acted under direct As rep
resentaves of the several States they might be- and often
were authorized by their respective legislatures perform
acts Of sovereignty exercising delegated authority not
unlike the treaty making power and binding the States by
compacts with the confederated government 1t is difficult
to measure the legal extent of their power when exercised
under the sanction or acquescence Of the States Their
aetion when ratified by the States especially when the
States unanimous might thus be the exercise Of a
power taking effect independently of the articles of confed
| GRAFTON. ##
The boundaries of the United States under the treaty Of
1888 with England included quite eight hundred thou
sand square miles, of which about one-hf organized
into States and the other half composed Of Territories
not thus organized t. .r.m... ...... ....
These Territories were as we know the subjects Of
cessons by the different States to the United States
The language in which the subjects of these cessions
defined and the conditions which they were received
have been often overlooked They expressly
sons of both soil and sdcioh The woold expression
sol and urisdctlon, employed in every The
cessions not made received uncondtionay The
States which had exacted them had in their published
maniesoes the subject declared that these Territories
wresed from England the common enemy by the blood
and treasure Of all the &ates should be considered
property and should DO parceed out by Congress into free
and independent States By the resolution Of Congress of
1880 had been stipulated that the unapproprated lands
that might be ceded renquished to the United States
by any particular State should be disposed of for the
benefit of the United States and be settled and formed
distinct republican which should become
bes of the federal Union and have the rights Of
ereigny freedom and independence the other States
Under this engagement the United States thus received
the grant of the lurisdoH well the so Of these
Territories solemn pledge was thus given that the
Territories should be governed for the benefit In
the debates and proceedings Of the federal convention and
of the Virginia convention, 1t ia manifest that this
understood to mean "the common beneht Of the slave
holding well as of the non-slaveholdng States
Before the peace of 1888 of the States had begun
the work of lberatng their slaves ALI the States Il e
time of the Declaration of Independence had been slave
holding including Massachusetts, though this has in her
case been DENIED The original New England articles of
confederation OF the previous century, TO which Massachu
party had contained clause for the rendition
of fugitive slaves The law Of Massachusetts, like that
the other States recognised and protected property in
slaves until the adoption OF her constitution framed du-
ring the Of the revolution" But at the time Of the
adoption of the federal constitution majority of the
Satesseven Of the thrteen-were nonslay yeholdingt
The jealous apprehension the part Of the slave
holding States of infringement of their equal priv
ieges, which exists, at that day manifested.
Those who, in the Virginia convention, opposed the
adoption of the constitution, inviting attention the Ter
ritores accused the non-ssvehodng States of withhold
ing from what then the West the navigation of the
Mississippi through jealousy lest the power OF the slave
holding States might perchancc thereafter equal that OF
the nonslayeholding, and prophesed that The
holding States II they retained their numerical majority
would unfairly prevent the Gdmisaion into the Union OF
new States in Which slavery might be toleratedt The de
tenders Of the constitution in that venton denounced
these charges against their northern brethren ilbel
and unjust
Through menaoing pers of dsunion at that crisis Of
our destnies we happily passed unhur Through SINH
lar perils which followed likewise passed In the flu
ture such pers viii probably be diminished rather
increased But this happy result cannot be promoted by
such dscourss that of the chairman Of the Committee
on Territories,
have stated that at the time Of the establishment Of
our present constitution, the OF the original States
was about four hundred thousand square miles exclusive
of the Territories Three-Rfihs of this area then
slavehoding and two-6fhs only non-slaveholdngE The
Territories we're together Of area nearly equal 70
that Of the States. The partition Of these Terrific
ries then made carried into effect by success
sive acts partly Of the old Congress Of the Confeder
alton and partly Of the Congress under the present cons
tuition This legislation gave 10 the nonsaveboldng pop
uation about veeigbths of the territorial domain The
slaveboding population retained only about
The extensiona Of the slayehodng and nonslaye
holding parts Of the Union thus nearly equazed
There then cautious observance Of those compacts
securing the rights OF the saveholdng Staes which the
chairman Of the Committee the Territories would
tear to tatters and scatter TO the winds
The ordinance excluding slavery from the Northwestern
s"The Boston Gazette and Country Journal print
ed by Benjamin Eades in waertown. No. llO5 published
tho 2ld OF July 76, contains the Declaration OF Inde
n pepdenee, and The following adyertisemcnti
To BE SODA stout strong, healthy negro man, about
twenty years Of age has bad the smallpox turn
his hand almost anything be likes farming business the
bes he well clothed The pay may be interest, giving
security. Inquire of the printer"
The paper Is in the possession Of Col, Peter Force
i would have been, with accuracy said Of
these States that they had passed laws for tho
peotive gradual abolition Of slavery within their limits and Of
otbersj that the number OF slaves within their mu
small and that the views and policy Of their Inhabitants
we're generally opposed 10 slavery.
Pennsy vania, and the States TO the norhward and
eastward OF her, for practical purposes regarded
ayehodng at the time Of the adoption Of the contu
ton. (See the next note. .@
In the debate OF the 2ad Of Juno ITss the third