The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-07
THE DAILY UNION

Furthermore every citizen Of any Of the State nom what
ever section OF the country hs gees tans Mp bic fes
denos OH the Somon territory OF the States carries with
him all the essential rights which he possessed in his
State The States being joint proprietor and eosvetegns
the citizen Of each Stale sssnds Al II %ef Upon the soil of
his own State much If he stood upon the deck of
American vessel the high The general prnes
Piles Of law that TO all the States founded
usage and general conformity, prevail in and constitute
the common law Of the territory. There may be no Judi
cal organization 10 enforce that law but it mas vitality
and exists and upon the establishment of Judicial tr
bunals, would be recognised aud acted upon without
positive legislation the subject of these rights Prom
nent among these rights that of property recognised
by any of the States When that light as in the
case Of slavss 10 recognised by the organic law of
nearly oneha Of the States in the Union and least in
instance acknowledged by the constitution of the Uni
ted States it not only exists and is available in the
territory of the States before the establishment Of
civil government there but n far beyond the reach of both
the federal and territorial governments when found the
possessions of the States There but one pow
or that can destroy my right to my slave and that the
State In which hsd him, TO which voluntarily carry
hi Ii the federal government does possess the right
1t Is absurd to say that of It's departments has IT,
While concede to that high tribunal the Supreme Court
of the United States, the right to determine finally all
Of law and equity which cote within its Jurisdiction,
deny its Authority to settle questions which involve the
political rights of the States The constitution is the work
of the States and they must |. for themselves
upon all questions affecting their rights. These would
cease to be rights if subject to the antagonisc power
against which they limited II absurd to suppose
that the States in the formation Of the constitution jeal
of their great essential political rights would have left
them at the mercy of that very power against the
croachments of which they were erecting barrier 1t is
yet more absurd to suppose that they wosd have left the
by construction to department OF the government
and that department. both from its mode of appointment
and its tenure Of Office the least responsible to the people
lappsove Mr. Speaker the principles of the KansasNe-
braska act claim under IT. and under the constitution
the right to carry my slave into either Of those Territories
know that thn right it be made it, may be
the subject of the examination and decision of the Supreme
Court Of the United States and that that decision in any
given case, would be final. would abide by it set
dement, of the case decided but willing let il
go to the world that would respect the precedent that
would surrender the principle that the assertion OF such
essential rights belongs exclusively to the States aggreved
by their violation The Supreme Court in my opinion
possesses jurisdiction to decide finally upon the political
rights of the States. still oldashioned enough to
stand squarey upon the doctrines OF the Virginia and Ken
lucky resolutions of lT9s-99
AT last Mr. Speaker this whole subject resolves itself
into several great questions connected with the theory OF
our political system.
Is this essentially national government is it union
of sovereign States2
Does the sovereignty or supreme power reside in the
central government the of the people of
try nation and ndiysble2 does it yet repose
in the sovereign States
The solution of these great questions has at various pc
RODS of political history occped the attention of the
best statesmen of the country The radical principles in
voved in them divided the gigantic intellects of Calhoun
and Webster Almost all the differences of opinion that
exist to the action of the federal government the
out of the various solutions Of these questions Therefore,
they are, indeed worthy of repeated discussion.
had Mr.. Speaker, intended to notice some Of the re-
marks made by the gentleman from Kentucky lMr. MAR
SHALL the subject of squstter sovereignty but find
that my hour has expired. Whatever may have
wished to say in this connexon must perforce postpone
the accomplishment of my wishes until some further occa
sion.