Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-02-05

very next line Of this message, that the peop
have thus proclaimed their unalserabls and d
voted attachment to the Constitution, as Il
safeguard Of the rights Oi all, aud as thS spir
Of the liberty Of the Republic The spirit
The liberty OF the Republic to ensIaVs me
throughout the national jurisdiction | to cast
letter upon the human SOUL to interpose Ii
dark shadow Of oppression between man an
bis Maker Sir. this is not the spirit Of tbs
liberty which God gave 10 man when He brsS
thed into bim the breath Of life. This is nc
tbe spirit Of that liberty. one Sour OF which. i
worth whole eternity Of bOndsgs.' This
no! the spirit of that liberty, for which Hamp
den and Sidney died. and for defending which
Milton was hunted and prosecuted in hrs blind
ness. This is not the spirit Of that liberty 70
which the great apostles Of our raes-men o
whom the world was rot WOrthy-sufferet
hunger and thirst, cod aud nakedDess, and en-
dured, without fear and without reproach, the
jssrs Of Sate, the scowl Of power, the gloom o
the dungeon, the torture Of The wheel. the ag
ony Of the faggOt, the ignOminy Of the seal
fold aud the cross.
| shall not stop TO inquire, whether the
President, has not uttered AsgtlOuS libel up.
on the American people by his announcement,
that they have sanctioned this alledged right to
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, aud with more pO.
teucy than any man can answer for them.
Is it true. that this alleged imprescriptble
right Of the several States. is a great principle
OF our Institutions, sanctioned by the COnstitu-
ton. and upheld by the national arm If this
be true, it affords the reason Of the Presidents
assertion in his message Of last year, that the
attempt by congressional enactment to prObib-
it slavery In the Territories recently acquired
from Mexico vas the eudeavor to force the l.
deas Of intsrusl policy entertained in particular
States, upon allied independent States
With these instructions of the President up.
on the theory of our Government we can uu-
derstsud why it is that the Southern States de-
ny the right or power Of Congress to exclude
slavery from the Territories; while distinguish
cd representatives of the South demand of Con-
grssS the repeal of all restrictions upon the lraf
fc in slaves throughout the national jurisdc.
lion, whether upon the land or the sea- To be
sure the Constitution provides, that Congress
shall have power to regulate commerce; and
he power to regulate implies the power to pro.
nbit; but the Constitution also provides that
Congress shall have power to make all need.
'ul rules and regulations respecting the terrific
~ Of the United States The power of Con-
gress to legislate in respect Of each Of these
subjects, commerce and the Territories, Is the
lame. general and exclusive The word need.
'u expressed in the one grant of power, lie i'm.
'lied in the other 0nly that Legislation which
S needful is contemplated by the Constitution
which is needful should be tolerated by the peo.
Die.
fthe President be correct. it follows that these
powers in Congress are but trust powers, to be
30 exercised as not to infringe but maintain
his allsdged imprescrptible right Ofeach and
III Of the States as States. This was the o.
,inion Of Mr.. Calhoun, from whom manifestly
he President has taken lis political faith
That iilustrious Senator Mr.. Calhoun said
1t was they the several States who cousti-
uted the Government as Iheil representative
,r trustee, and intrusted it with powers to be
xercised for their common benefit. (Cal-
nouns works, vol, 4. p. 1917 II it be true,
hen, that the States as States have each this
mptescr ptible right to traffic in slaves, not
,nly within but also without their respective
limits. and that the National Government is
but their trustee to enforce it, In my judge.
nent, South Carolina has the same convtitu-
lional right to demand the repea of your stat
ute which prohibits the slave trade upon the
seas, and punshes it with death, as Virginia
had to demand the repeal Of your statute of
1890, which prohibited the slave traffic in the
Territories, Both these enactments rest for
their validity upon the same general power ln
Congress; and the extra territorial right of the
several States. to traffic iu slaves. If e exist,
as sacred upon the seas as upon the land. 1t
logically results, therefore, upon the Pres.
ident's showing, that the statute restriction up
on the slave trade upon thu seas ia violalive of
a great priaciple Of our institutions, the impre-
sCripdbls right of equality Of the several
States.
How comes it that the President, does not
at once denOunce this unequal exercise Of the
trust power Of Government over the foreign