True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-02-04
z. Raglan, Editor and Proprietor.

actment, and coextensIve with the nation
al Territories. The President further
tells US that this right t" is great princi-
pie Of our inslltulions--a constitutional
right Of each and all of The States of the
Union, as States, which the people, by
their recent political action, have sane.
TONED and announced"
Ifsall this be true, what mockery for
the President TO tell US, and he does tell
us, in the very next line Of this message,
that the people have thus "proclamed
their unallerable and devoted attachment
to the Constitution, as the safeguard Of
the rights Of all, and as the spirit of the
liberty of The Republic" The spirit Of
the liberty of the Republic to eusIave
men throughout the national jurisdiction |!
10 cast fetter upon the human soul to
inerpose the dark shadow of oppression
between man and his Maker! Sir, this
is not the spirit Of that liberty which God
gave 10 man when he brealhed into him
the breath Of life. This is not the spirit
of that liberty, one hour of which, lis
worth a whole eternity of bondage," {"
This is not the spirit Of that liberty, for
which Hampden and Sidney died, and
for defending which, Milton was hunted
aud perseculed in his blindness. This is
no: the spirit Of that libery for which
the great apostles Of our race-men Of
whom The world was not worlhy--sulfer-
ed hunger and thirst, cold aud nakedness,
and endured, without fear aud wiIhou,
reproach, the jeers Of hate, the scowl oil
power, the gloom of the dungeon, the
torture Of the wheel, the agony Of the lag-
got, The ignominy Of The scatfold Of !he
cross.
shall not stop 10 inquire, whether the
Presiden! has hot uttered a aagi!ious Ii
bel upon the American people by his
announcement, that they have sanction
ed this alleged right 10 enslave men as
the constitutional right of each and
all OF the STATES, as States, as the spirit
of the liberty Of the Republic" They
will answer TO that charge themselves,
and with more potency than any man
can answer for them.
Is i. true, that this alleged imprescrip.
tible right Of the several States, is a
great principle of our Institutions, sane.
toned by the Constitution, and upheld
by the national arm If this be true, it
affords The reason Of The Presidents as
serlion in his message Of last year, that
the attempt by congressional enactment
to prohibit slavery in the Territories re.
Gently acquired from Mexico, was the
endeavor to force the ideas OF internal
policy entertained in particular States,
upon allied independent States"
With these Instructions o.! the Presi-
dent upon The &" theory Of our Govern
ment," VIC can understand why it is that
the southern States deny the right or
power Of Congress 10 exclude slavery
from the Territories while distinguished
representatives Of the South demand of
Congress the repeal of all restrictions
upon the traffic in slaves throughout the
national jurisdiction, whether upon the
land or the sea. 10 be sure,- The 4 Con.
stitution provides, that Congress shall
have power 10 regulate commerce and
the power TO regulate implies the power
10 prohibit but The Constitution also pro-
vides that" Congress shall have power
to make all needlul rules and regulations
respecting the territory of the United
States" The power OF Congress to leg
islaIe in respect Of each of these. subjects,
commerce and The Territories, is the
same, general and eGclusiUe. The word
needfal expressed in the one grant OF
power, is implied in the other. Only
that Legislation which is nesdfM is con-
tempIated by the Constitution in.either Or
any case; only that Legislation which is
needful should be tolerated by The people.
Ii The President be correct, it follows
that these powers in Congress are but
trust powers, to be so exercised as not to
infringe but maintain this alleged impress
criptble right Of each and all Of the States
as States. fhlS was the opinion of Mr..
Calhoun, from whom 'manles,ly the
President has taken his political faith.
That illustrious Senator Mr.. Calhoun
said 1t was they the several States
who constituted the Govern ment as their
representative or trustee, and intrusled it
with powers TO be exercised for their
common benefit Calhoun's Works,
vol. 4. p. 497.) Ifit be true. then. that
lheeSlaies as States have each this I'm
prescriptidte right to traffic in slaves, not
only ,0ithin but also l0ithout their re-
speclive limits, and that the National
Governments is but their trustee TO enforce
it, in my judgement, South Catolina has
the same constitutional right to demand
the repeal Of your statute which prohib-
lis the slave trade upon the seas, and
Furnishes it with death, as. Virginia had
to demand the repeal Of your statute ol
1920, WHICH prohibited the slave traffic
in the Territories. Both these enact.
ments resi- Cor their validity upon. the
same general power in Congress; and
the extra territorial right Of the several
States to irafic-in slaves, if it exist, is as
sacred upon the seas as upon aihe land,