The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-07-07
Senator Pugh-COngreSsiOnal In
reference.

|
reference.
The following letter, like it's author, il
! able to speak for itself. 1t appeared origi
nally in late number OF the Hamilton Tsle
graph:
! CINCINNATI, June 4, 1859.
I DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 3Oth ult.
caused me considerable astonishment. did
/ not suppose it possible for any man, frienC
or foe, to entertain the least doubt in regard
to my views of Territorial organization.-
But since you have been so kind as to in
form me that some doubt does exist, and il
the minds of our political friends, will
make one more effort to define those views
in clear and distinct language, granting you
full permission to publish what shall write
if you are thus disposed.
Fagree to 80 much of the second resolu
tion adopted by the Democratic Convention
oil Butler County, on the 2lst ult., ns tffirms
that the people of an organized Territory
have the same power to exclude or establish
the relation of slavery as the people of g
State have /; but this power of exclusion, as
well in the case of States as of Territories
is subject to tuo limitation expressed in the
Federal Constitution {:
]. That persons held to service or labor in other
States or Territories, under the laws thereof" can
not, by mere flight, secure to themselves any advan.
age which they had not in the place whence they fed
=. That a right to the service labor of a slave
once recognized by the laws of State or Territory
can not be d!vested or otherwise impaired without
compensation. The act of therefore, must
be prospective.
1t is my opinion, Furthermore, that Con.
gress has no constitutional authority TO in.
terfere with the laws of the States, or of the
Territories, on the subject Of slavery, except
in the particulars have specified. Never.
theless, it remains for the Judiciary, in all
cases, to decide how far an act of legislation,
by Territory contravenes the Constitution
OF the United States that results, inevita-
bIy, from the nature Of our government. If
the Judiciary should be of my opinion, when.
ever case shall arise in regard to the pow.
er of Territorial Legislature over the sub
ject of slavery, should expect those of DIFF
terent opinions to acquesce and so, if The
Judiciary should decide for them, would ac-
qulesce in that decision, until reversed, with.
out any reference to my individual opinion
or sentiments. The man who declares that
he will observe only such laws or decisions
as please him, and not those which he disap-
proves, thereby renounces all obedience and
loyalty as citizen.
If had been consulted in regard to the
resolution which you specify, should have
made no other criticism than that its lust
sentence is open to some degree of misop-
prehension. We may we'll enough act with
those, in our own State and elsewhere, who
believe that the people ofa Territory con
only decide upon the question of slavery
when about to form a State government
but upon the express condition that they will
attempt no Interference, through Congress,
while the Territorial organization exists
That is the real point of controversy and
that was determined by the Cincinnati plat.
form, as we'll as by the Kansas Nebraska
Oil. Give us the doctrine of Non-interven.
ton as there proclaimed, and Popular Sow
erelGhty becomes, at once, an established
and indisputable fact.
This, substantially, is what | said in the
Senate on the 23d OF February last and if
there be any thing which does not perfectly
accord with this, in the platform oil our State
Convention, am altogether unconscious of
Inc difference, and altogether certain that no
difference was intended.
have not made the question of "Con
gressional Slave.code" prominent, thus far,
in any of my speeches, because we are all,
in Ohio, upon the same side of that ques-
tion. have once debated it, and will de.
bate it again, if necessary, with gentlemen
Of different opinions but when see the
leaders of the Republican party Geo called)
at work here, to-day. in our own midst, to
pull Gown the very pillars of the Constitu-
tlon' and precipitate us into the abyss Of
Disunion and anarchy, prefer dealing with
them, face to face, rather than attacking their
allies in Louisiana, Or Mississippi, or South
Carolina.
am, sir, very respectfully,
Your ob't servant, G. E. PUGH.
M. H. MAGGNNIs, Esq, Hamilton, Ohio.