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

unless there be a l1iD pr0Ujdod lghjcb shoHI
protect their o1onersbjp ia persons The
assertion is that we create an inequality |
Is there nothing to be said on the
other side in relation to inequality
Sir, from She date Of this Constitution, |
and in the councils that formed and es-
tablished this Constitution, and / sup
pose in all mems judgments since, it'll
is received as q settled truth that slaUe
labor and free labor do not cUjSi tgsU to-
gctier. ] have before me a declaration
of Mr. Mason, in the Convention that
formed the Constitution, to that effect
Mr.. Mason, as is well known, was q dis
tinguished member from Virginia. He
says that the objection to slave labor is,
that it causes labor to be regarded as de-
rogatOry to the character of the free
white man, and that the free white man
despises to work, to use his expression,
where slaves are employed.
This is a matter of great interest to
the Free States, if it be true, as TO
great extent il certainly is, that wherev-
er slave labor prevails, free white labor
is excluded or discouraged. Wherever
labor is mainly performed by slaves it
is regarded as degrading to freemen.
| THE FREEMEN OF THE NORTH, THERE
IFoRE HAVE A DEEP INTEREST IN KEEP
ING LABOR FREE, EXCLUSIVELY FREE,
IN THE TERBIToRIEs.
But sir, let us look further into this
alleged inequality. There is no pre-
tence that Southern people may not 90
into Territory which shall be subject to
the Ordinance of 1887 The only re-
straint is, that they shall not carry slaves
! thither and continue their relation
They say this shuts them out altogether.
| Why, sir, there can be nothing more in
accurate in point offact, than this state
ment. I understand that one-half OF
the people, who settled Illinois are peo-
pie, or descendants Of people, who
came from the Southern States. And /
suppose that onc-third Of the people oi
Ohio are those, or defendants Of those
who emigrated from the South, and ]
venture to say that, in respect to those
two States, they are at this time, settled
by people of Southern origin, in az
great proportion as they are by peopl,
of Northern origin, according TO the gen
eral numbers and proportion Of people
q South and North. There is, then, no ex
clusion Of Southern people There j
5 only the exclusion of a peculiar loca
, law. Neither in principle nor in fac
D is there any inequality.
The question now is, whether it is no
7 competent to Congress, in the exercis
. of fair and just discretion, to proven
e the further increase of slave-holdin,
@ States. That is the question. I see no in
e justice in it. AS to the power of Congress
. 1 have nothing to add to what I sal
the other day CONGREss HAS Full
POWER OVER THE SUBJECT.
y / haze sail that shall consent NJ
cJtcasion Of tic area Of SlaUery upo,
G this Continent, nor to any increase {
@ slaUe representation IN the other House q
S Congress.
y L have now stated my reasons for m
y conduct and my vote. We Of the Mort
: have already gone in this respect, f,
e beyond all that any Southern man coul
c have expected, or did expect at I'll
j. time of the adoption Of the Constitution
e I repeat the statement Of the fact o
n the creation of FIVE new slaveholdin
Il States out Of newly acquired Terr
d tory We have done that, whic
IS if those who framed the ConstitutiO
8, had forseen, they never would hay
n agreed to slave representation. W
u have yielded thus far and we have no
G in the House of Representatives t0cn
l. persons voting upon this very question
l. and upon all other questions, who a,
Is here only ia virtue of the represent
ton of Slaves.
IT Let me conclude, therefore, by T
l. marking that, while l am willing to pr
Il sent this as showing my own judgHc
r and position, in regard to this case, al
IT / beg 1t to be understood that 1 a
le speaking for no other than myself, al
d that VIII lo,I am willing to offer it to /
s. lghole lCorid as my own justification,
g, rest on these propositions;
~ First That when this Constitute
3, was adopted, nobody looked for al
1r new acquisition ofTerritory to be forl
y ed into slaveholding States.
,a Secondly. That the principles Of @
nt Constitution prohibited and were
e. tended to prohibit, and should be co
n strued to prohibit, all interference
III the General Government with Slave
r. as it existed and as it still exists in
1t States. And then, looking TO the OF
m ration of their new acquisitions, viii
lw have in a great degree had the effect
is, strengthening that interest in the Sou
lg by the addition of these five States,
feel that there is nothing unjust, no
lot ing Of which any honest man can co
ST. plain, If he is intelligent, and feel d
of there is nothing with which the civil,
we world, If they take notice of so hum
or person as myself, will reproaoh ]
sss when 1 say, as 1 said the other day, t
in have made up my mind for one, {
20, under no circumstances lOU / consent
/, the further extension of the area
1es Szme1y jn Ae United States, or to
ity further increase Of slaUe representation
nd the House Of Representatives.
ere 1t will be remembered that the \
on York Herald has been publishing st
ling stories, written by its Washing