The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1859-02-03
No. s.


e'slon. The opinion Of The slaveholding
judges upon this point were mere o5ster dc
"a, ot 10 mere binding force whatever: and
'ar;her, that If they were opinions upon ques-
uans before the court. they would not be
ending aS statement of political truths upon
Congress or the people. The people are the
source ot pcwer sud the ultimate Judges IN
al political questions. Sir Il there i any
maa or number Of men in this country. who
are au:horzed 70 deci IL political questions.
and from whose DEGREES there is no appeal.
then We have deSpotism and IL matters not
whether there is one despot or nine. or
whether the power Is u be lodged with a
king, directory. or 4 supreme court Aud,
sir. to repudiate and resent this usurpstion
Of the slayeholiing Judges this usurpation
OF authority to decide such questions. and TO
impose master upon the people. l would
have Congress. on all proper occasions, sf-
firm and exercise the right 70 legisate for
the prohibition If slavery in the Territories.
This should be done that there may be no pre-
SYMPTOMS against this right from non-user
or sc4uese nee IN the opposite theory For
these con ~iieratious | desire TO thank my
/ friend form Missouri Mr.. Blair. for the reso-
luton which he offered in the House, few
days aEo, drawn, ss | an informed. BY the
istinEaished gentleman who represented that
State for so long s. period in the Senate Of
the United States. iCol Benton.) One OF
them IS as follows. and il contains sound
doctrine
70. Il so're3. That said decisions are in
deroEatian of the power of Congress and re-
Strctiye Of is Tine -honorei rights and prac-
tice To le-,slate for Territories: and being -
derogatorv and restrictive. it becomes the
duty Of Congress to vindica,e its rights by rs
sertinJ It's full authority to legislate upon
slavery in the Territories and declaring It's
total Disregard of the said Illegal, extra Judi
clal ani void decisions OF the Supreme Court;
which accordingly. is hereby done
Mr. Blair. Those resolutions were drawn
by Colonel Benton. | have the original in
nv possession, in his handwriting.
Mr. Wsshharne, of Maine Mr. Chair
man, the fate of the territories to be formed
from our unoccuped domain. is in the keep
ing Of Congress; and it will be for il to de-
termine, 50 far some Of them at least are
concerned, whether they shall be slave or
free
Bat the Republican party does not stop
with the assertion that Congress ought to in
teryene to keep slavery out of the territories.
l. also maintalns--if | have been properly
instrue el IN what It has inscribed upon its
list Of da,ies and purposes-that wherever.
for anY reason. an act OF Congress cannot ba
only remtinlng end shall be resorted 10, and
the people of the territories permitted to ex-
cudc II by their own legislative authority
1t would rely upon the people of the
territory to repress evil which can be
reached hy no other power; bat 1t does not
leave 10 popular sovereignty the opportunity
10 Introduce an unioubted evil into Il territo-
ry, or commit acknowledged crime when
1t can legally prevent it. To act otherwise
10 say l. the people Of a territory, slavery
Is gr~a, wrong; il VIII be an everlasting
curse - YOU ii YOU have IT. we can keep il
from your midst if we will, but we choose
not to do 50. in order that you may have an
opportunity to reject it it that shall he your
pleasure would be weak indeed: and
worse than weak in those cases whore It
would be seen beforehand that they would
not reject It. Yet | am told there arc men
IN the Republican ranks who insist that this
intervention policy is very nnwi5e and mis-
taken policy; and that. although Congress
has undoubtedly the right to prohibit slavery,
Il ought not to exercise 1t, but should leave
= the people Of the territories 70 decide for
themselves whether or not they will have
what they (the Republicans declare Is be
an unmitisated and gigantic evil And who
are the people to whom IL Is proDosad to
lsave this question, A few hundreds II
runaways or outlaws, 1t may be. And who
axe - b. affected by their decsion2 Al the
IPeoPa Of the United States 70 theze frst
Inhabitants. such as they are, good j. bad,
is to be lett the settlement Of questions 81
sIprenl. Importance to al the State. 4uas-
tons ike these: Shall there be- mai5l5ty
fof FREQ Sate,2 or shall the slave Sa=es out
namber the fee? Shall democratic IDEAS o,
arlstocratic be encouraged2 Shall the GOV
eminent be republican or oligarchical2 Shall
. Congress b- 50 constituted that its maioritias
vii project free labor or opPress il? The
people of the States are Interested ia these
r questions deeply. vitay; and they have the
power to determine what the answers t.
them shall BE-. Bat l. is proposed that thos.
. who w5ll1 decide right, should abIicate IN
5 favor Of tie people Of the territores, whc
+ may decide wrong
D 1t IS safer and wiser, / hear it said t
: leave people to act freely, than to hedge
r than around with legal restraints Il is bet
t tsr that people should do r;gh. cause
. they desire TO, than because the law keep
g them from doing wrong Bat whether / i
5 better that they should d. wrong. there Be
. ing 10 lax, than - d wrong. The law
4 preventing. i question which / w9glt
= commend 70 the consideration Of the philos
opaerS OF popular soyereignty. This theor
# Of giving msn ths largest opportunity TO
: wrong to themselves and others strikes al Al
legal restraints | an not prepaE5 . sa
0 IA, i wDull b wise + repeal all our psna
: avs because il is better that = sh1nl,
= d right for right sake than from fear 0
4: punishment. 70 carry ont the ideas Of thes
4 gentlemen to their gieal re-aits, your s.a:
q uses against larceny, murder, treason, an
=, other crimes should b. repealed, that Fnel
D nav be left perfectly free - d. as they vii
because If they viii n3s steal. or xii. or see
r - overthrow the STATE in the absence 2
-r law f3rbid1ng these crimes they will, M
- imor55 .olv. be batter men and ci'izans thar