Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1859-02-03

prief0rs. the congress ot thc thit''
States. should legislate directly there
on; otherwise the sovereignty of the
rcnplc Of tie United States wonld be-
Land At the feet Of the intcrlopcrs AMI
squatiers who might take themselves.
perhaps TO escape from the hands Of
Justice. beyond the limits of the States.
And IL has been uniformly held by the
Republican party. and by all parties
down to ls47. that the question wheih-
er Slavery should occupy OR new
Territories, was one Of such general IN
tcrest and importance that II should be
reserved for the action of Congress.
The Republican party aiiirms what
has been well stated by Hon. Caleb
Gushing. that NEGRO servituic is a
4 deadly blight upon the social aud
economical condition of country.
weighing down It's prosperity. corrupt
ing the morals Of It's people Of every
class aud color. and coaiemning
it to long endurance OF public
evils" Hence it follows. logically aud
irresistibly. that Whenever tac mem
hers Of this party have ihe power ~
inhiLit it. it is their duty 70 exercise
that power. Congress can keep IL
from Territory il il will pass law
+ for its exclusion: anl from the State
TO be formed ont Of such Territory FOR
in no community from which SLAVERY
is excluded till il becomes a State. viii
il ever subsequently, be established IL
i sail that hy the Drcl Scott decision
the power of Congress 10 prohibit
Slavery is deniei answer. there is
no such decision: the opinions Of the
slaveholding Judges upon this point
where mere oLiter dido, of no binding
force whatever; aud. further. that il
they were opinion, upon questions be
fore the court. they would 40; be bind
ing. n, statement of political truths.
upon Congress or the people. The
people are the source OF power. AMI
thc ultimate judges in all poliiica,
questions. Sir. ii there /. any man.
or number of men. in thi. country.
who are authorized TO d. tide political
questions. and from whose dccrces
there is no appeal. then We have
dcspoti>m; mil IL matter. not whether
there is one dcspot or nine. or whether
the power j. lo'lgcl with King. a
Dnc.io ora Supreme Court. Aud.
sir, ia repudiate anl resent this usur-
patton Of the slascholdins judges. this
assumption Of authority TO decide snch
questions. anl TO impose master npon
the people. would have Congress. oa
all proper occasions affirm AMI excr-
cise the right to lcgislais lor the pro-
hibi,ion Of Slavery in the Territories.
This should be done. that there may
be no prescriptions against this right
from non-user or acqnicsccnces iR the
opposite theory. For these consiicrs-
ton. lcs;sc to thank my frieal from
Missouri Mr. Blair for the iesoiu-
iions which he Offered in tho IIonse
few DAYS ago. drawn. as | am in
formed. by the distinguished gen,le-
man who represented that State FOR SO
long pcliol in the Senate Of the Uni
tel States. lCol. B,n'on. One Of
them is as follows, aad il contains
SOM dortliac:
&c. Rcsolced. That said decisions
are in dcrogation oi the power Of
Congress. anl restrictive OF ito time
honorei rights and practice 10 legis-
late for Territories; aud being so de
rogatory and restrictive. il becomes
the duty OF Congress to yindicaie its
total disregard of the said-illcgal. eS
ra-juiicial. and voil decisions OF
the Supreme Conri. which according
ly, is hereby done"
Mr.. Blair. Thos. resolutions were
drawn by Col. Benton. have the
original in nay possession, in iiis hand
writing.
Mr.. Wa,hsusn, OF Maine. Mr..
Chairman, the fate of the Territories
TO be formed from our unoccupied do
main. is in the Keeping Of Congress:
ani it will he for il to determine, so
far as some Of them at least arc con
cerncd. whether they shall be slave or
free.
But the Republican party docs not
stop with the assertion that Congress
ought to intervene TO keep Slavery out
OF the Territories. Ii also maintains
il have been properly instructed in
what it has inscribed upon It's list of
duties AMI purposes--'hat wherever. for
any reason. an act Of Congress cannot
be passed To keep Slavery out OF .
Territory. the only remaining way TO
secure this cnl shall be re>ortcd to.
AMI the people OF the Territories per-
mittei to exlude !, hy their own leg
islativc authority 1t would rely up-
on the people Of the Territory 10 re-
press an evil whieh can be reached by
no other power; but il does not leave
to popular sovereignty the oTportuni-
ty to introduce an undoubtel evil into
Territory, or commit aR acknowl-
eigcsl crime. when il can legally pre-
vent it. To act otherw:se--io say 10
the people of Territory. "Slavcfy is
/, grca, wrong; twill be- an everlasting
curse TO yon If you have il: we can keep
II from your midst IL wc viii. but we
choose not to 10 so. in. order ths; you
may have an opportunity 10 reie.t II Il
that shall be your pleasure would
be weak in,lced: aud worse than weak
|. in those cases where IL would be seen
! beforehand that they would not reject.
: Yet. avn told. there are men in the
Republican ranks who insist that this
: intervention policy is very unwise
n and mistaken policy and that. although
1 Congress has undoubtedly the right 10
!: prohibit Slavery. il ought not iu ex-