Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-10-08
BELLAIR, o. Sept. 26th.
The Constitutionality Of Slavery
Opinion of Buchanan and Clay.


Mr.. Buchanan, in his letter to DR.. Silli-
man and others, utters the following memo
rsble doctrine:
"Slavery existed at that period, and still
exists, in Kansas, under the Constitution of
the United States. This puint has been at
last finally settled by the highest tribunal
known to our laws. HoU 1t could haus ben
seriously doubted, is mystery. If confed-
Grafton OF Sovereign States acquire new
Territory, at the expense of their common
blood and treasure, surely one set of the
partners can have no right to exclude the
other from lis enjoyment. by prohibiting
them from taking into it whatever is recog-
a,zed to be property by the Common Con-
stilution. But when the people-the bona
fde residents of such Territory-proceed to
frame State Constitution, then il is their
right to decide the importa question for
themselves, whether they will continue,
modify or abolish Slavery. To them, and
TO them alone, does this question belong,
free from all foreign interference"
Mr. CLAW, on the 22d of July, 1850, a Pc
rod of great political darkness, it is true'
delivered himselfas follows:
Mr.. Clay. | am aware that there
are gentlemNR who maintain that, tn uirtue
of the Constitution, the right to carry slaves
south OF that line (a6 deg 3O.) already ex-
lists, that of course, those who maintain that
opinion, want no other security for the
transportation OF their slaves south OF that
line than the Constitution. III lad not
heard that opinion uuo,Ced, / should haue re.
gardcd it as one OF tbs most extraordinary as
SYMPTOMS, and the most indetenst5te position
that ,rds erpr taken bs man. The Constitu-
tion neither created nor does it continue
slavery.
+ = Ii the Constitution possesses the par
amount authority attributed to it. the laws
of even the free States OF the Union would
yield to that paramount authority. II, there
fore, it be true that, under the laws now in
force in California, New Mexico, and Utah,
Slavery cannot be introduced-if such is the
lea loci, the Constitution of the United States
as the Constitution or Government of any
other country upon earth
In my opinion, therefore, the SUPPOSE
ton that the Constitution OF the United
ST ties carries Slavery into Caiforn ia, sup
posing her now to be Stat, is an assump-
ton tutal!y unwarranted by the COnstitu
ton. - Con. Globe, Vol. ~, page 2.
The authority oil Mr.. clay was formerly
very great with cold line Whigs." and Of
late the Black Democracy have been in the
habit of referring him as a convert to their
national platform.
Will some of them tell as what they
think of the above! Isn't it pretty gooI
BLACK Republican doctring! Verify, the
"Great Commoner" would be with us were
he now iiving.-Ohio State Jop nal.
Mr.. BLICKENsDERFER.-Th Steubenvlle
Herald publishes Mr.. Blickensderfer's letter
to the State Central Committee, and saws
editorially:
I'VE understand, that in consequence of
the attempt to deprec;ate the political stand
ing OF Mr.. Blickensderfer, by his own parti.
zans, that the voters in his own neighbor.
hood have resolved to vindicate his charac-
ter by uniting in his support. This is highly
commendable. But nothing more than an
act of justice. under the circumstances. due
one ritizpn 10 another II is to be bo,aJ
that the opposition to Mr.. Blickensderfer,
in the Re publican ranks at least, will now
cease If /; does not. it should, for it is |
very evident that those who have charged
him with corruption in Office, have sinned
more, already, than they will be able To