Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1858-02-11

AeSaN US au4 EcAs9uautet bGGausc II
s'thsse slaves we're brought into the Terri.
tory under the Constitution Of Unaei
StaleA and are now the property Of tbeir
masters" Il only IemSiDs Tor the PIesi |
dent 10 say that I'll tie people oiK,Dsss are
now the properly oftheir masters. In an
other communication the President has
told The eouutry "lbst slavery existed 10
Kansas under the Constitution Of the Uni |
ted States" snd now be says ''this point
has been deeiie by The highest Judicial
tribunal aud yet be says. as il be were
demented, "tbe question bss been fairly
apd expressly referred to the people, e,whelh-
Or they vii. have q Constitution with or
without Slavery, and every citizen may
express, by bis vote, whether Kansas shall
Be received into the Union With or with.
oct Slavery" Surely this cannot be. ifI
Slavery is ia Kansas under and BY virtue
OF the Constitution Of the United States.
Why talk ofsubmitting i 10 The people |
when Slavery is there, not by force Of
their will, but by force Of fhe Constitution
Of the United Staiesl Why talk Of the
people Of Territory excluding that which
the Constitution of the Uuited States sane
tons and uphOldsi Can the people oil
Ksusas repeal, by vote or otherwise, the
Constitution of the United Statesl Is il
rot written on the face Of that instrument,
''this Constitution shall be the supreme
law Of the land, the Constitution and laws
Of any Staie to the contrary notwithstand-
ingf II therefore, men are property
under the CONSTITUTION Of the United
States, and By virtue thereof held as prop.
srty in the Territory Of Kansas. it is 10
VAIN, and a moekery, to talk Of the right
Of the people Of that Territory to exclude
Slavery tberefrom, Or 70 establish State
Constitution without Slavery; and heRee
the conclusion Of the President upon this
hypothesis is logically aud severely true
that although the majority Of the people
Of Kansas adopt a Constitution without
Slavery, Slavery nevertheless continues in
their Territory, aud under their Constitu-
ton 80 adopted, And to this complexion
has il come at last, that in Kansas it !,
just and reasonable that the people thereof
Phall be permitted to vote only for the
Constitution framed and submitted to them
by usprpers and only for Constitution
yith Slavery. And this is popular SOW.
ereiguty under Democratic rule! | sbal
not join in this libel upon the Constitution
Of my country, that Slavery exists in Kan
cas- or anywhere else under or by virtue o.
that sacred instrument | know that one
Of iti immotal authors, sometimes called
the Father Of the Constitution, said ''tha
it would be wrong to admit in the Consti
tuition that there could be property il
men" | know that he whose dust seepl
10 its quiet tomb on the banks of the beau
tiful Potomac, he who is sometimes caIIe,
the Father Of his Countr,, has said tba
the Constitution "is perfectly free in it
principles" know that it declares up
on It's face that no person, whether whit
or black, shall be deprived Of life, liberty
or property, without due pro ,ess Of law
and that 1t WAS ordained by the people /
establish justice! | know that, by a Ia,
made under aud pursuant TO that Consti
tuition, the trahc in men upon high sea
gndes our asg is crime, pr shsbe wit
death. Gan It 10 that this traffic, whicl
upon the seas, by the law Of the Oonstitr
tion, is piracy, worthy Of fdeath, and pur
ishabIe with death, is upon land rigll
a sacred right, sanctioned by the Constitr
tion, and not to be restricted or interfere
with by the Fundamental law Of any StsI
IN this Unionl II this be so, tyrants ma
call the roll OF their slave on Bunker Hi
and upon the very grave which holds Ii
haIIowed dust Of the fist great martyr
the cause Of our own American Liberty.
Slch, sir, is not the Constitution of Ii
United States. That instrument cuaral
ties Liberty. not Slavery; justice, not il
justice; Republican Government, restiu
upon the consent and uphoIding the il
born rights of tho government, not de
Potsm or an oIigarchy, fastened upon Il
people by brute force and upheld by bru
force. The Constitution Of the Unte
States limits the sovereignty of tue peop
10 the formation of State Constitution
this extent, that their Constitution must
republican, that it must not impair, b.
Sustalp aud secure. the universal and in
prescHPtible rights of life, liberty, and pro-
erty. When the people Of the Terrilori
frame such Constitutions Cong,ess ms
admit them into the Union. That Co
gress is the final nrbiter on the question
the formation Of new States within OF
Territories ia clear: for unless the Constit
ton framed by the people of Ter-ito
be affirmed aud approved by Congress,
State is organizsd,and the Constitution
framed does not become law. Your Ka
Gas Nebraska act recognises this princI
10 the fullest extent. Ii declares that /
people Of the Territory are left "perfect
free to form aud regulate their domes
institutions in their owp way, subject o
ly to the COpStitutiop ofthe United Stale
Who is to judge whether the iustitutjo
formed by the people Of Territory &C
form TO the Constitution Of the Unit
StAtesf Manifestly Congress inasmu
4" Congress alone can admit or reject /
proposed State. 1t is the right ofthe D,
PIE ola Territory to form a republic
Constitution, which in its provisions d,
not eontrAvene natural justice or the
PTens laE Of the land; and when tb
having sufficient numbers to sustain
State Government, do frame such a @,
stitutiOu, Il is the duty Of Congress to
mit them under 1t into the Union,
hinhar or rnnro irnnnrI.nl IL. IL -.