The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1859-09-29

Exclusion Of Slavery from the
Territories,
sPEECH of DANlL. WEBsTER.

Now there are two on three pOuJlCal |
questions arising in this case, which 1
wish Co state dispassionately, not to arr
cue. but to state. The honorable mem |
Der from Georgia (DIr Berrien) for
whom I have great respect, and with
whom it is my delight TO cultivate per-
sonal friendship, has stated, with great
propriety. the importance Of this ques
ton. CThe exclusion Of Slavery from
Territories.) He has said, that it is g.
question interesting to the South and to
the North, and one which may very
we'll also attract The attention Of man.
kind. He has not stated any part Of
this too strongly. IT IS SUCH A CUES
TIoN. Without doubt, it is a question
which may we'll attract the attention Of
mankind. On the subjects involved in
this debate, the whole world is not now
asleep. 1t is wide awake; and / agree
with the honorable member, that, it
what Is now proposed TO be done by us
who resist this amendment is, as he sup
poses, unjust and injurious to anyIpor-
tion Of this community, or against its
constitutional rights, that injustice
should be presented TO the civilized
world, and WE, who concur in the pro-
ceeding, ought to submit ourselves to
its rebuke. / am glad that the honora-
bic gentleman proposes to refer this
question to the great tribunal Of Mod
eru Civilization, as well as the great
tribunal of tie American People. 1t
is proper 1t is a question Of magni-
tude eRough, to all the civilized nations
of the earth, TO call from those who
support the one side or the other a
statement Of the grounds upon which
they act.
Now I propose to state ag briefly as I
can the grounds upon which I proceed,
historical and Constitutional. In the
first place, to view the matter histori-
cally. This constitution founded in
I7S8, and the government under it, Or
ganized 1889, do recognize the existence
of slavery in certain States, THEN be-
longing to the Union; aud particular
description Of slavery. hope that
what 1 am about to say may be received
without any supposition that l intend
the slightest disrespect. But this par
ticular description of slavery does not,
I believe, now exist in Europe, nor in
any other civilized portion of the habi-
table globe. 1t is not predial slavery
1t is not analogous to the case of the
PREDIAL slaves, or slaves GLEBE AD-
SCRIPT Of Russia, OF Hungary, or other
States. 1t is a peculiar system Of per.
sonal slavery, by which the person who
is called a slave is transferable as q
ohattel, from hand to hand / speak
of this as a fact. And [ will say fur,
ther, perhaps other gentlemen may re-
member the instances, that although
slavery as a system of servitude at
taohod TO the earth, exists in various
countries Of Europe, am not at the
present moment aware Of any place Oh
the globe ia which this property of mar
in a human being as a slave, trausfera
ble as a ohattei, exists, except America
Now, that it existed, in the form il
which it still exists in certain States, a
the formation of this Constitution, ant
that the trainers Of that instrument
and those who adopted it, agreed that
AS FAR AS IT EXCyED, it should not b
disturbed or iuterfered with by the ney
general government, there is no doubt
The Constitution of the United State
recognizes it as an existing fact-an eX
istiug relation between the inhabitant
of the Southern States. do not call
an CONSTITUTION" because that term
not applicable TO it; for that seems
imply voluntary establishment. Whe
] first came here, it was a matter Of frC
quent reproach TO England, the mothe
country, that slavery had been eutaile
upon the colonies by her, AGAINST THEI
CONSENT, and that which is now cousiC
cred a cherished "ins6tution" was the
regarded as, I viii not say an EVIL, bJ
an entailment on the colonies BY tl
policy Of the mother country AaAIN'
THEIR WISHES.
The Constitution was adopted 178
and went into operation in 1883. WhC
it was adopted, the state of the countl
was this Slavery existed in the Sout
ern States; there was a very large eXte
of unoccupied territory the who
N0BTHWESTERN TERRI 7 OR
which, it was understood, was destin
90 be formed into States; and it was TIL
AGNgL NAllANN bllttb NJ Ola AtAhA pAANhAN y
list in this territory I gather now, as
matter of inference from the time al
the history Of the debates, that the pi
vaiing motives with the North for agrC
ing to this recognition Of the existen
of slavery in Southern States, and g
ing a representation to those Stat
founded in part upon their slaves, rest
upon the superstition that no acquisiti
of territory would be made to form n
States on the Southern frontier Of h
country, either by cession or oonque
No one looked to any acquisition Of n
territory on the Southern and Sou
western frontier The exclusion
slavery from the Northwestern Ter
tory and the prospective abolition
the foreign slave trade were generally
the former uhdnimoUly -agrood to, q
on the basis Of these considerations,
South Insisted that where slavery exi
cd it should not be interiered with, .
chat 10 should have a certain ratio
representation in Congress. And n
siT, j am one, who, believing aucl