The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-08-06
Tom. corwin's Position.


Tom. Corwin, of Ohio, spoke recently
at Zenia, on the questions of the day
He claims to be independent, yet he
finds himself on the question of slavery
with the Republican party. He defined
his position on the prohibition of slavery
as follows
He would prohibit slavery everywhere.
The Constitution gives Congress right to
limit, and it is the duty of Congress to do
it. He did not believe Territories had
right to admit or reject it. This doc
trine is contrary to the intention and con-
struction of the trainers of the Constitu-
ton. All the laws Of the United States
upon this subject from the organization
of the Government down 10 the Kansas
Nebraska Bill, had expressed the right Of
Congress to legislate for the Territories
The Territory of Mississippi was organ
lied in 1898. Congress enacted law
imposing fine Of $500 upon any person
who should import a slave into that Ter
ritory for sale. IL did permit man own
ing slaves, who went there to live, to
take them there with him; but it forbid
the slave trade. The same law required
the Territorial Legislature to send up it,
laws for the approval of Congress, and if
disapproved they were null and void.
The United States Court, with John Mar
>hall on the bench, sustained this power
In louisiana Territory, organized 1893,
the same provision was applied, and this
in the face Of the law Of 1879, extending
the slave-trade twenty years-a law APP
plicable exclusively to the States. With
such imperial power did Congress admin
lister the Constitution in relation to the
Territories, and in that very Congress
which made the Organic Law of the Ter
ritory of l. puisiana, there were seventeen
members who assisted in framing the
Constitution ofthe United States, and there
was no petition or remonstrance against
the exercise of that right. and Thomas
Jefferson signed the bill hich prohibited
the slave trade in Louisiana. Michigan,
Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, California, New
Mexico and Utah were all organized
territorially with the same restriction laid
on by Congress. James X. Polk, whom
the Democrats ought to respect, recog
nized this power by signing the bill or
ganizing Oregon Territory with the
Wilmot Proviso. Missouri was an excep-
ton, but the Compromise restricted slav-
cry then by Mason & Dlxon's line. Mr..
Monroe and his whole Cabinet, all but
two of whom were Southern men, adj
mitted the power of Congress to prohibit
slavery north of that line. For seventy
FIVE years Congress exercised this power
and shall we say that those who made
the Constitution did not understand it =?
All the great fathers of the Constitution,
Washington, the Adams's, Jefferson,
Jackson and Polk recognized the pnques-
toned power of Congress. 1t was only
in 1916 that Douglas and Cass discovered
that Washington and Monroe didn't
know what the Constitution meant. They
produced Squatter Sovereignty. This
was hereSy he hoped the Republican
party would not introduce into their
Church. He would have them stick to
the good old anti-slavery construction Of
Washington and all the Presidents down
to Polk. All of them, said the speaker,
occupied the ground which the Republic
can party now occupies.
He proceeded to say of S1uatter Sove-
reiguty that if voting is the natural right
of white man, so it is the natural right
Of the black man; and if fifty thousand
blacks should meet in Territory and
legislaie, and Congress asserting to Squat
ter Sovereignty, must not interfere, un-
less these Democrats, by some ethnologi.
Cal or physiological argument, can prove
that black man is not human being
Recurring to the Fugitive Slave law, he
said, that by the same authority that Con-
gress legislates in the restriction of slav.
cry, she has right to make laws for the
re-cspture offugitive slaves.
This position had always been success.
fully maintained. While we are de.
nouncing the South, he said, for violating
the law by opening the slave trade. let u,
not be found guilty of violating it in the
North, in another particular. Let US tel
them that we rely upon the cotempora.
neous construction of the Constitution
and we can, with unimpeached integrity
oblige them to do SO. Mr.. Corwin here
devoted some attention to the question o.
admitting States with slavery Consti
tuition, and said he would not do so ever
if his constituents instructed him to DE-
SO; he would resign first. He thought
J however, that there is now no practica
view of slavery, which makes it Of deeI
) interest. lie was opposed to the acqusi
ton of more territory. He would advis,
Republicans, if they want the agitation
Of slavery to cease, they must not acquire
|, more territory; with 100000 of PEG
: pie, we have one-tenth of the globe, ant
} we want no more. Yon cay you wan
Cuba, or you won't let anybody else hav,
} it, because it is the key of the Gull. VIII,
is not Jamaica Or Canada dangerous t,
our peace? The danger is not here, i
is in the South. They say it is Nantes
} Destiny that we must expand but Man
J ifest Destiny always runs to the South.