Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-06-04


siding in the States and District of Colum.-
ba, only 1o0.92O resided in States which
gave majorties for COL Fremont, being less
than one-fourth. In those States the free
colored persons are to the whites as one to
eighty-ive, and in these which gave major
tiles against him, they were as one to thirty
Two. REPUBLICAN.
From The Philadelphia Times.
John Jay VS.. Roger B. Taney-
the first Chief Justice of the Z.
States. VS. the Present Chief JUS
tice.
Every school boy is familiar with the
'clarum ct venerable nonen' of John Jay.
Every lawyer chershes the profoundest de f
erence for the learning and authority of him
who was selected by Washington to be the
Chief Justice of the United States. Every
citizen of the Republic is proud of the illus
trious fame of him whose proverbial spot
less private life shed lustre upon his splen-
did public career. John Jay was one of the
purest, noblest. and wisest Of the fathers OF
the Revolution. and of the earlier days of
the Constitution. He was the intimate per-
sonal friend, and the trusted, confidential
adviser of Washington. The dignity, in
tegrity. and erudition of his Chief Justice
ship has never been exceiled, even by the
powerful genius OF the venerable John Mar
shall. or the various culture of the gentle
and lamented Story. Chief Justice Jay was
the fit compeer of Presiden: Washington.
But it were saperHuous to prolong eulogy of
him whose name and life is one of the most
golden charters of our history, and one of
the grandes inheritances left to the present.
1t is therefore with no ordinary pride and
qualification that we lay before our readers
letter of John Jay,which, although written
years ago, sfec,ually disposes OF Mr.. JUS
tice Taney and his associates on the bench.
This letter. as its date shows, was writ
ten during the controversy which terminated
in the Missouri Compromise. But it hap
pens to hit he very point misdecided by the
Judges of the present court. They have
given their opinions that Congress cannot
control the subject of Slavery in the Terri
tories. John Jay considers that the author.
ity of Congress to do SO il 'unquestionable
They have also given the revolving opinion
that negroes haue no rights ,ohich ,rhite men
are bound 10 respect, and that our fathers
thought SO. Judge Taney quotes the De-
claration of lndependence-the very clause
of it cited in Judge Jays istter-as proof
Of this calamny upon the fathers. Mark how
John Jay refers to this clause! But to
the letter:
BEDFORD, WEsrcHEsrER Co. N. Y.
18th November, 1919.
DEAR SIR: have received the copy Of a
circular letter. which, as chairman of the
committee appointed by the public meeting
at Trenton, respecting Slavery. you were
pleased to direct to me on the 9th inst.
Little can ibe added to what has been
said and written on the subject of Slavery.
| concur in the opinion that it ought not TO
be introdu sed nor permitted in any of the
nev. States .and that it ought to be gradually
them ~
'I5 me the constitutional authority of Con-
grsss to prohibit the migration and importa-
tion Of SLAVES into aug of the STATES does not
appear questionable.
The first article of the Constitution spe-
ci6es the legislative powers committed TO
the Congress. The ninth section os that
article has these words: The migration or
importation of such persons as any oe the
noD eristing States shall think proper to ad-
nit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress
prior to the year 1908, but tax or duty
may be imposed on such Importation, not
exceeding ten dollars for each person.
Il understand the sesse and meaning OF
tLis clause to be,that the power of the Con-
gress, although competent 10 prohibit such
migration and importation. was not to be
exercised with respect to the then existing
States, and then only until the year 1908;
but that the Congress were at liberty to
make such prohibition as to any ne,D State
which might in the mean time be estab-
lished And, further, that from and after
that period, they were authorized to make
such prohibition as to all the States, whether
neio or old
sIt will, | presume be admitted that slaves
were the persons intended. The scord SLAVES
,cas avoided, probably on account of the erist-
ing liberation of Slavery. and its discordancy
roith the principles of the Revolution, and
from consciousness of its being repugnant
to the tollosDing positions in the Declaration
Of Independence.
We hold these truths to be self.evident;
that all men are created free and equal; ;that
they are endowed by their Creator with GER
tain inalenable rights; that among these
are life. liberty, and the pursuit of happi-
ness.'
Gas to my taking an actirs part in 'organi-
zing plan of cooperation the state of nv
health has long been such as not to admit
of it,
BE pleased to assure the committee of
my best wishes for their success, land permit
me to assure you of the esteem and regard
with which am dear sir, your obedient and
iaiihful servant. JOHN JAY.
To the Hon. Elias Boudinot.'
This letter is precious relic of the ven-
erable past. 1t is addressed 70 one who
was himself one of the purest and noblest OF
the sages and patriots of the early days.
The words in italics were SO emphasized
by Jay himself. The letter is an exquisite
specimen of the clear, transparent, exact,
direct, and luminous intellect of the Chief
Justice, and of the simple, humane, and
Christian character of the bosom friend of
Washington.
@Our billingsgate neighbor of the
Gnzstfe accuses us OF Quackery, because