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


was framed, mean TO abide by
IT, It was and has been also, a oonce-
ded point, that Slavery in the States in
which 10 exists, is a matter of State regU. |
laiion eJclusiUelH and that Congress has |
not the least power over it, or the right |
to interfere with it. BY this principle !
too, / mean to abide,
/ have now stated, as I understand it, |
the condition of things upon tho adop-
ton Of the Constitution of the United !
States. What has happened since2-
Sir, it has happened that above and be-
yond all contemplation or expectation
of the original trainers of the COnstitu-
ton or the people who adopted it, foreign
territory has been acquired by cession,
first from France, and then from Spain,
on our Southern frontier. And what
has been the RESULT Five slavoholding
States have been created and added 90
the Union, bringing ten Senators into
this body. I include Texas, which 1
consider in the light Of a foreign acqui-
sition also,) and up to this hour in which
i address you, not one free State has
been admitted to the Union from all
this acquired territory
Mr.. Berrien Gin his seat) Yes, Iowa,
Iowa is not yet in the Union. Her
Senators are not here When she comes
in, there will be one to five, one Free
State to five Slave States, formed out Of
new territories. Now it seems strange
to me that there should be any com
plant Of injustice exercised by the
North towards the. South. I do not
represent the North, ] state my own
case; and I present the matter in that
| light in which I am willing, as an indi-
vidual member Of Congress to be judged
| by civilized humanity. We stand here
now, at least / do for one, to say, that
considering FIVE new slavoholding States
have already been framed out Of newly
acquired territory, and only one non.
slaveholdiug State, at most, L d0 not feel
that am called on to go tarlbcr ! do
not feel the obligation to yjcid more
But, our friends Of the South say you
deprive us Of all our rights. We have
fought for this territory, and you deny
us participation in it. Let us consider
this question as it really is; and since
the honorable gentleman from Georgia
proposes to leave the case to the enligh-
tened and impartial judgment Of man.
kind, and as l agree with him that it Is
a case proper to be considered by the
enlightened part of mankind let us SEE
how the matter in truth stands. Gentle
men who advocate the cause, which my
honorable friend from Georgia. with 81
much ability sustains, declare that W.
invade their rights, that we deprive
them of a participation in the enjoy
ment Of territories acquired by the com
mon service and common eXerticns OF
all. Is this true2 How deprive? OF
what do we deprive them? Why, the
say we deprive them of the privilege Of
carrying their slaves, as slaves, into thu
new Territories. Well, sir, what is tn
amount of that? They say that in thi
way we deprive them Of the opportunit.
Of going into this acquired territor.
with their property. their property =
p what do they mean by "propertyY' w
b certainly do not deprive them of tn
privilege of going into those newly ac
- quired territories with all that, in tn
general estimate Of human society, j
the general and common, and universe
understanding Of mankind, is esteeme
property Not at all. The truth
q Just this, they have, in their own States
4. peculiar laws, which create property
! persons. They have q system Of loco
c legislation upoB 1Cbich slaUeryrests, Will
1 everybody agrees that it is against ma
!, tural law, or at least against the. CON
, mon understanding which prevail
c among men as to what is natural law,
Y I am not going into metaphysics, fc
}. therein I should encounter the houori
IS bic member from S. c., Mr.. Calhoun
aud we should find emo end in wander
IS inc mazes lost until after the time f
It the adjournment of Congress III
Is Southern States have peculiar laws, on
% by those laws there is property in slave
n This IS purely local. The real meanm
D. then, Of Southern gentlemen, Is that th'
,r cannot 90 into the Territories Of The IL
d carrying tcitb then, their oi0p peeulic
III toCut tbll--A t4tD NNtJtg NftNtto pivI'i
l. in persons. This, according to their on
N statement as aU the ground Of comp 'ai
lt hey haze Now, here, 1 think, gentl
ie men are unjust towards us. How u
5T just they are, others will judge. Itw
not be contended that this sort Of pc
8, sonal slavery exists by general la,o.
IN cris6 only By local lao. / do not met
'y to deny the validity Of that local !,
b. where It is established, but / say it
mt after all, local lal0. 1t is nothiI
lie more.
Y And l0hercUor that local lal0 does d
ed eUtead, property ia persons does not eCi
EN- Well, sir, what is now the demand
* our Southern friends? They say, +"
a will carry our local laws with us VIII,
nd ever we go-we insist that CongrC
re- does us injustice unless it establishes
,e- the Territory in which we wish to
zoe our own local law" This demand
w. for one, resist, and shall resist. 1t g
es, upon the idea that there is no equal
ed unless persons under this local law, a
ON holding property by authority Of tl
ew law, can 60 into new Territory and th
his establish that local law to the exclusi
$50. Of the general lao.
ew Mr. President, it was a maxim of
tn civil law, that between Slavery q