Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-01-16


l. only be exercised by them in forming their Consti
tuition for State Government, in their sovereign
r capacity independent State."- Laws o
t l849, p. 667.
This resolution denies the right Of the people o.
aTerritory to excludeSlavery by TERRITORIAL LAW
1t presents the confused idea that they have itand
r do not have it that it exists but cannot be exer
cised sleeps but is walked by NAME. Call the
representatives of people LEGIsLATuRE, and the
t power does hot exist call the same assembage q
g CoNvENTioN, and it does. But the resolution
admits the power exists and may be exercised In
forming a Constitution for State Government
How does it happen that so vital a power exists
just at this time, and not before2 What clause OF
the Constitution does it come fromY Or from
what source outside of the Constitution II mem
bers of the Legislature cannot exclude Slavery,
bow can the same people, as members of Con-
, vention, do it ? 1t is plain that the torpid power
thus insisted upon is purely arbitrary, and made
to let Slavery into all the Territories, if single
individual choose to carry it there, in spite OF
Congress, or the will of the local inhabitants.
have single remark TO make in reference to
the Fugitive Slave law. An error was committed
in its passage, which in my opinion, has largely
contributed to the evils of Slavery agitation. !
speak of the clause commanding all good citizens
to aid and assist in catching fugitive slaves. when
ever their services may be required. 1t is an an
/, only. There is no such obligation between the
citizens of the Slave States. We cannot here be
made to help catch runaway slaves, and any at
tempt to pass law making it our duty to do 1t,
would meet the most decced opposition. law
making it our duty to quitour own affairs and help
our neighbors catch stray horses, would not be
tolerated. That it is the constitutional right OF
slave.owners to follow their runaway slaves into
free territory and recapture them is beyond quee-
ton but as Slavery exists by force, and not by
law, they ought to be left to their exertons.
aided alone by those who willing to do eo:--
Catching slaves is one thing keeping the peace Is
another. One is the busines of slave-owners and
those willing to assist them the other, of all good
citizens.
! Another error I shall notice, is the position as
sumed the other night, that it is unconstitutional
for emigrants to como here with view to change
our institutions. am at loss to know! what clause
of the Constitution is violated by such an emigra-
ton what tribunal can take cogniznnce OF 1t {;
how the grievance is to be ascertained /; or how
redressed. The right of emigration to this State
is common to the citizens of our sister States, and
all the privileges and immumites of citizens are
guaranteed to them by the Constitution OF the
United States, when they get here We have no
inquistion to meet them at tae border, and ques
ton them as to their motives. Their emigration
here is one thing the motives that bring them,
another. With the first no authority can interfere
and for the last they are answerabealone to their
God. If they choose to come here and become citi-
zens with US, and seek to change our institutions,
according to the forms of the Constitution they
have the right to do so and the motives that
prompt them afterward, are beyond the cognizance
of human tribunals.
The some position was assumed by our State
Executive, in his inaugural when he annexed to
emigration qualification "mOrdl rorth and political
integrity The 'n,ordl ucorth" necessary to admis
sion, might possibly be determined, if we had
tribunal to take cognzance of the matter, but the
"poluical integrity' would confound oil attempts.
Know Nothing Anti or Benton integrity would
be required. as one or the other of these parties
might have possession of the tribunal if each par
ty organizes one of it's own, | do not well see how
anybody is to get into the State at all.
This matter is well illustrated by the very Occas-
ion which forced me to speak. Objections were
made to emigrants from free States, and to their
building University here. because it is said, they
are Abolitioniss. The objeotors make themselves
the judges, hear no evidence admit no defense, and
exclude. Such tribunal may well be compared
to the Spanish Inquisiton, and will certainly mech
with the same determined resistance.
| Mr.. Douglas takes the same position in his re-
port on Kansas affairs. tribunal was organized
to meet it. 1t acted independent of constituted
authorities and was unknown to the Consultation
and law, the hiGtory of Kansas tells q melancholy
story of carnage and of blood, sadly illustrating
the faacy of the position. No good citizen
none who love tho quiet of their bearthstones, and
the majesty of the law that grants it can wish to
see such doctrine put in practical operation
here.
| have now finished my view of the errors from
which think, much of the evil Of Slavery agta-
tlOn mas resulted. lnat mum mas resulteu from
improper Northern agitation, is doubles true
but we ought not to allow such consideration to
lead us into similar II ever there were
people who ough to be sudousy careful to be
right it is the people of the South If the terrible
conflict so often predicted, should come-I trust
in God it may not-the civilized world will be
against us and, if Mr.. jefferson is to be believed
God has no attribute that could side with us in
the conflict. The great masses of the Free States
have no interest but in being right, and they will
be and sustain us in all our rights here if we
will keep right ourselves; but it, in the face of hu
manity, the united opinions of the founders Of the
Government, and of all experience, assume
that Slavery is blessing, that all restrictions up
on it ought to be removed, and political opinions
sanctioned which would send it not only into all
the Territories, but into all the Free States, and
result in reopening the slave trade, everlasting
and injurious agitation will be the inevablt result
! | come now to speak of Slavery in Missouri,
and what ought to be policy in reference to it,
That it is rapidly diminishing is fact well auth
eltcated that it will ultimately disappear from
among US is a conviction deeply fixed in the public
mind everywhere. Missouri is now tho great cen
trsl State of the Union and is rapidly becoming
the center of its wealth and population. Midway
between the two oceans, directly on the great rail
way route that must ultimately connect them. with
a mild climate and unsurpassed agricultural and
mineral resources, it is attracting an immense EN-
! igration. 1t is coming, and will continue 10
come, chiefly from the Free States Slave
holders not only will not come here, but
those that are here are, every now and then, going
off to Texas Our policy is manifest 1t is to
impose no qualification, no restriction by our con
duct. upon emigration but, the contrary to
encourage it, by the exhibition of generous, fra
ternal feeline
The tendencies of the times will free us of Slave
ry, without injury to the stakeholder without
tax upon anybody; without leaving free negroes
among us, and without agitation, unles it is wan.
tonly thrust upon by those who, losing sight of
State, make the political ascendency of the ultra
Pro-Savery party the chief labor of their lives,
by exciting the fears of the Shareholders misrepre
senting "de opinions and aims of other districts"
swelling the dangerous element of sectional agita-
ton, and imperriling the Union.
But it has been urged upon that we must not
permit slavery thus quietly to find its way to the
cotton and sugar fields Of the South that there must
be slave border somewhere; that we ought to |