, 1859-12-16

pR1Nc1PLEs orTHE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
Remarks OF Hon. Lyman Tfumbn1l
OF Illinois.
II THE SENATE or TIKI UNITED srA1Es, sHuaspAr,
pKc. 8, 1853.
Mr. President. juss before the adjournment Of
this body yesterday, was called upon by the
Senatorirom Florida, [Mr. lulee, ! to state what
were the principles Of the Republicaapsrty. He
said that he desired precise statement Ut the
point: -..~--.--.- = = :.
"AndNNls emb.asoned to the world and u 70 dmple
IT. =. The 1Gn ny ss.a I en- sgpy but
fs1 words shst tae peIoa II ID p.Itg Ia to .as
po!ps s:1a:j vasts a. pnposs Il tasE
eoan9 9a apoa II psas ~ to n 'A'
Sir, did suppose that the Senator from
Florida, and every Senator could understand, If
BE- desired to DO, what our principles were.
They have been proclaimed by m authoritative
conrention Of the party in language as plain as
1t is 10 the power Of man to employ and it is
only by mystiacatiou, BY nlsrepresentations Of
think, that aie public mind Of the South has
been excited Against the Republican party. I
have brought along with me their declaration Of
principles and 50 tar ns it relates to the atavery
question will read it; 1t is br;ef, and should
Ike 70 know what portion Of it the Senator
from Florida, or any other Senator, OF indisid-
ual, North or South, objects. Here it Is:
.so< rh>t lie maintenance n, N. ,o,nn,.
gated The Lecarzoa of Indtpadenee and enboaed ia
ihs EedsE. usion. ess<ai pas u
uo a o aaa ~ has ~. r. aa e
nuai md skaN Be pr sseIsed." - >1@s >'-''
Does the Senator from Florida understand
the rights Of the States. and the ur1nciDles en-.
bodied in the Constitution. must and shall he
preservedl
Nr, ruLEs-I want to know hov ron eon-
strne the Constitution1
Mr, TRUxuu11-We will tell you, We raw
ourselves how We construe it an the alsrery
question:
to BE- ev naS az h 16 9er tP1nIa iase Ts hsa
in4ensbe Hight ot ne liberty Nd tbs passuit Of h.ppl
nsas 1ud thst tbs prtry osje ulteos design OF
edsS ~. e Ant fnfse s ss 70 ~
iathess when tney bsd sosSsd s.1ey IL ii oaf
ts1n:oy ossa,nea th.. ~. b depTed q ne.
ouF 9 e saan e. pte4oa pSs q IL
.ns III attempts !, 1elss for .se purpess of = L.
lshiak .l.veE e he tEtoEe. of r. q d s...e) oy
se1e.n hs aphoS oi o. ii ~
oal Lss..u!e o any iadi Or assoesst!en Of ID
divdu1 TO e seI e to sLsssy n anY IeItoy
m,int,inta' "A's >' p1s7e4' s''au pe
-e.oifai That the Constitution eonfe1s iron co-scs,
soyefeka power over tts Territories Of ths Ca:tsd States
p:o!bit IN ihe feitoes tbose twin relics o hafba.as
poyeamy aud a.aTsry"
That is the whole platform Of the Republican
party on the subject Of slavery.
Ma- SAuIsBuR1.--Wi1l the Senator from ILL.,
nois allow me to ask him question!
Mn TRuxBuLL.-Yes, sir.
Mr. SAu1sBuRI.-1f it be true, as the last re-
r1s%$G~ %k.aA 4Az
upon Congress- sovereign power over the Terri
tories Of the United States, for their govern
meut, why is it that that power, which the re-
solution declares to be sovereign in Congress
by which, presume, Is meant supreme power,
a power which has no superior-is not espable
Of being exercised for the establishments Of
slavery il Territory
which the Federal Government may exercise
nver Territory is sovereign power in it's gov
ernment, as we all know and understand, With
in the Constitution Of the United States. The
Constitution Of the United Slater declares that
Congress shall pass no law establishing any
particular form Of religion Of absidging the
freedom Of speech or Of the press. / readily
admit, aad so does the Republican party, that
the Congress Of the United States cannot pass
u Inv a6ridging the freedom of speech to any
one of the Territories. They are expressly pro-
hibitcd from SO doing. They hare the sovereign
power over the Territories; 10 legislate iqr
them in all mattesa within the Constitution OF
the United States does not authorize Congress
to establish slavery. The Constitution is found
ed upon this principle: 1t does not establish
slnyery at all, but merely to1eratcs it where
it already exists by virtue of State Laws.
That is the meaning OF the Con.
stitutiou Of the United States It is q
Constitution of freedom. the word "stave" not
occurring in it, and The men who framed the
Tnpefifrf,cs all s.. L. r
time there would be no slaves in any portion
of the Conlederacy, and one Of its principal
authors objected to the use of the word "staye i"
lest future generations might know that there
was slavery IN some Of the states when the Con.
stitution was formed. 1t was formed on The
principle Of liberty, bns not on the principle Of
freeing slayes where they are held by yir-
tue OF State law; and il you will turn 10
that clause Of the Constitution relating 10
the reclamation of fugitive slayes ron will
find that it reads, thai tno person held II
service or labor in Que State under the laws
thereof" that is, under tie laws of the State.
"escapinr into auother. shall. in conseouence
Of any law or regulation therein. be discharred
from such service or labor. bnt shall be deiiy-
cred up." There ia no nroyison for tbe del;y-
ering no Of q man Who is heid as = slaye under
the CONSTITUTION Of the United States. Would
the honorable senator from Delaware contend
that under that clause you could reclaim man
who was held as 4 slave, under the Constitution
Of the United States, who had escaped into
another Statee Suppose person comes in.
to the State Of Delaware who, it is conteuded. is
slave. and his alleged owner comes and eeeks
to reclaim him and lake him back to the country
from which he had led. would yon rive hin, m
il he did not show that be was held az d slave
uudar Tia Lrtrx af The ,St1fe from tehieh Ia 81,
oaptd! 1t you would not. then, as matter Of
courae, you would not give up person who
Was held us q slave in one Of the Territories,
unless there il an net Of Congress- which author
izes the surrender Of a person held as slave in
Territory.
No., Less be misunderstood, I will state TINT
lido not mean to say that il there is slareTy in
one Of the Territories Of tie Union, as there
was by acquieseuce of Congress in Tennessee
aud Kentucky and in tue southwestern States
while they were Territories, u negro who is
States Of the Union may not be reclaimed.
hold to no such doctrine. l contend that the
Congress Of the United States have sovereign
power over tho Territories to ieglslate for them
within the Constitution, and had the right to
provide, as 1t did in the enactment Of the ordi-
nance of l7S7 for The northwestern Territory BY
inserting clause specially providing that tugi-
tires who should escape to that territory from
slaSeho!ding States should be surrendered up,
Why was that clause put int Why did not tho
general law cover it, It is by virtue Of it's sov-
ereign power over the Territories that Congress
provides law by which person held to SER
vice OF labor in 4 s1aveholdinR Territory nay
be reclaimed when he escapes 10 Stste, and by
which slave in State who escapes into free
Territory mar be reclaimed aud brought back
to the State from whence be fed. This is what
understand by these two provisions.