Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-04-01
Speech of Nj. Blair of Missouri.
From Our Own Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. TUESDAY,. March %. '5S.

One Of the best of the counties Kansas
'peeches in the House was made to-day by
Frank Blair of Missouri. He.began by say
that the policy of the Administration,
With regard to Kansas, had been criticised
With severity, not only By its enemies, bat
~ thuse who were elected and sent here as
is friends, and 10 champion had yet ap-
capable OF making for it even a
defense. 1t has been shown con
that the President, in recommend
inc the admission of Kansas as a State
the Lecompton Constitution and with
put permitting the people to vote upon It's
adoption, had violated the most solemn
is equally a violation of his Inaugural
and of his instructions to Gov.
Walker. 81 never had the least idea" said
Mr. Blair. shat the President intended to
his pledges. / always believed that
they were made for the purpose of being
violated. and | must be excused if | express
no surprise at the result. ] have believed
from the frat that Mr.. Buchanan was noni-
nu'ed for the very purpose Of carrying out
the policy ofhis predecessor, which consisted
in using the whole power and patronage Of
the General Government 10 force Slavery
upon a reluctant people, ard that all his
professions of respect for the popular will
Aere oniv Intended to cloak the design Of
tram2ling upon the rights of the people.
The Presidents own political friends have
fixed this CT me upon him BY the strongest
proofs, and | shall leave them to excuse
themselves to the country for h1ving aided
in srming his hands with the power to ac-
complish it,"
Ii is not Kansas alone, continued Mr..
Blair, that is embraced in this conspiracy,
nat the whole continent upon which we live.
Hateful as is the policy by which it has
been sought 10 force upon Kansas an insti-
tuition abhorred By its peopla-hatetul as
are the low AMI mean frauds by which this
policy has been p~ushed-hateful as gre the
crimes by which, Tor three years. that Terri
tory has been held in subjection-still more
hateful and abhorred is the avoEo purpose
of,be President to apply that policy TO the
whole couutry-a purpose distinctly avowed
in his Lecompton Message. as we'll as in h S
letter to certain gentlemen in Connecticut.
His declaration tina: the Constitution of The
United States Carries Slavery into all the
Territories OF the Union, and that neither
Congress nor the people of the Territories
can prohibit its introduction, was first pro-
mulgated by the late Mr.. Calhoun, and, as
the President says, the doctrine has finally
been decided by the highest judicia tribunal
of the county. The sovereignty of Congress
over its Territories, and the sovereignty I
the people OF the Territories, are alike de
signed to be struck down BY the Supreme
Court, and the President accepts its decis.
ion. This decision Of the Supreme Court /,
a Lecompton Constitution for the rhole coun.
.ry. For, If Congress has no right to pro,
hibit Slavery in The Territories, and The
people Of the Territories have not the right
whence comes the right of the people t.
prohibit it when forming a State COnstitu
ton. They cannot derive the right from
j Congress because the Supreme Court denie:
tine power in Congress, nor can they derive
it from the people OF the Territory who d.
} not themselves possess it. The organ of tht
Administration, The Washington Union, ha.
: boldly put forth this doctrine, that a State
5 cannot abolish Slavery deriving it logical!
l and legitima.ely from the decision of TIT
Supreme Courl. and i, has been rewarde,
: for its holiness by the election of its edito
to be the Printer of the United States Sen
4 ate.
> NJ. Blair could not see how any man VIII
holds to the doctrine of the S preme Court
that neither Congress nor the people Of
Territory can prohibit a STAKEHOLDER iron
: carrying his property into any Territory &c
CURED by the confederacy Of s~overeig
E States at their joint expense, can deny tn
hight Of the STAKEHOLDER to carry his proper;
e into any State formed of territory thus &C
n CURED. In fact the case is stronger agaiDs
the State than against the Territory, for III
Constitution of the United States, which
said to recognize the right of property j
slaves, is the supreme law of all the State:
bat does not, BY its terms, apply TO the Tel
~ritories, and it was held by Mr.. Webster an
y the most eminent constitutional lawyers i
y the country not 10 rxtend to them at all.
y What" exclaimed NJ. Blair, shave III
N advocates of popular sovereignty to Say t
this decision of the Supreme Court, whicj
subver;s the power OF the ,ofa Teri
tory, the power of the people of a State, II
a. power Of the people of the Union, 10 pr
hibit Slavery?-which invests the siav
IL holder with absolute sovereignty, empowe
r ing him to walk into a State and carry vi
him his slaves, aud by his single viii estr
fish Slavery therein, until the next day,
o. next week, or next year, he sees tit to va
out again, aud gfi ~ciUusiy leaves the Peep
C. to resume their free institutions until anoth
sovereign STAKEHOLDER comes along, pitch
II his tent among them, and re-estabiishes t
nd patriarchal institution"
er The policy of President Buchanan, Ii
Is, the policy of President Pierce, is to drago
the people OF Kansas into submission, a
drive out the white man at the point Of I
lr. bayonet. to make room for the negro slaI
ms But no matter what party s~ustains the poll
no matter how many judicial declsio
e. may be got to sanction tho mater ht
lth many regiments are called out to euioIc e
OF they will all prove ;mpotent to wrest f {
l. the frcemen of this country their rights
,ut the Territories, for the purpose of buildi
up an oligarchy resting upon servile ins
tutions-an oligarchy which seeks 70 mon,
|. olize all the Iand of the ma ioI, in ocie:
he strengthen their political power and to Ell
nance the profits of their negro capital. 4"
, saying this" said Mr.. Blair, 81 do not spe
NE for the freemen of the North alone, but
he rho fraame, of the whole coprtrv hi,
Ihe no question of North against South. 1t
lar a question which addresses its,l to /
working men of all sections of the count
, and if it is of particular interest to any cl
Ut of men. it is SO to the free white laborerS
the South, for it is they who have receiv
u tho nraatast iniuru Irnon tho pra.spro