, 1860-02-03
sLAvErY 1N rHE rERRIroRIEs.

cordially congratulate you upon the
final settlement, by the Supreme Court of
the United States, of the question Of slavery
in the Territories, which had presented an
aspect so truly formidable at the commence.
ment of my administration. The right has
been established Of every citizen 10 take his
property Of any kind. including slaves, into
tho common Territories belonging equally
to all the States of the Confederacy, and
have it protected there under the Federal
Constitution. Neither Congress nor Ter
ritOriul Legislature, nor any human power
has any authority to annuI or impair this
vested right The Supreme Judicial tribu-
nal Of the country, which is coordinate
branch Of the Government, has sanctioned
and affirmed these principles Of Constitu-
tional law, SO manifestly just in themselves,
and SO well calculated to promote peace
and harmony among the States. 1t is n
striking proof Of justice which is inherent
10 our people, that the property in slaves
has never been disturbed, to my knowledge,
in any Of the Territories. Even through
out the late troubles in Kansas there has
not been any attempt, as am credbly iu-
formed, to interfere in a single instance
with the right of the master. Had any
such attempt been made, the Judiciary
would doubtless have afforded an adequate
remedy. Should they fail to do this here
after, it will then be time enough to
strengthen their hands by further legisla-
ton. Had it been decided that either
Congress or the Territorial Legislature
possesses the power TO annul or impair the
right to property in slaves, the evil would
be intolerable. In the latter event, there
would be struggle for a majority Of the
members Of the Legislature at each success.
i've election, and the sacred rights of prop
erty held under the Federal Constitution
would depend for the time being on the re-
suit. The agitation would thus be render
ed ncessaut-whilst the Territorial condi-
ton remained-and its influence would
keep alive a dangerous excitement among
the people Of the several States. .4
THE PRESIDENT EMPHAncAILY REJECTS DOUG
Las POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY.
Thus has the status of Territory, du-
ring the intermediate period from its first
settlement until it shall become a State,
been irrevocably hxed by the fnal decision
Of the Supreme Court. Fortunate has this
been for the prosperity Of the Territories as
well as the tranquility Of the States. Now,
emigrants from the North and South, the
East and the West, will meet 10 the Terri
tories on a common platform, having
brought with them that species Of property
best adapted, 10 their own opinion, to pro-
mote their own welfare, From. natural
causes the slavery question will, ia each
case, soon virtually settle itself, and before
the Territory is proposed for admission as a
State into the Union, this decision, one
way or the other, will have been foregone
conclusion. MeanWhile the settlement Of
the Territory will proceed without serious
interruption, aud its progress and prosperi-
ty will not DO endangered or retarded by
violent political struggles. When, in the
progress Of events, the inhabits Of Any Ter
ritory shall have reached tho number re-
quired to form a State, they viii then pro-
coed IN a regular manner, aud, Ia the exer-
else Of the rights Of Popular Sovereignty,
to form q Constitution, preparatory to ad-
mission into the Union. After this has
been done, to employ the language Of the
Kansas and Nebraska Act, they shall be
received into the Union, with or without
slavery, as their Constitution may prescribe,
at the time of the admission. This princi,
pie has happily been recognized, in some
form or other, by an almost unanimous
vote Of both houses Of the last Congress
THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE
All lawful means at my command have
been employed, and shull continue to be
employed, to execute the laws against the
African slave trade. After most careful
and vigorous examination of our coasts,
und thorough investigation Of the subject,
we have not been able to discover that any
slaves have been imported into the United
States, except the cargo by the WdRderey,
Numbering between 800 aud 400 Those
engaged in the unlawful enterprise have
been vigorously prosecuted; but not with
as much success as their crimes deserved.
A number Of them are still under pFoseeu.
tion. -Our history proves that the fathers
Of the Republic, in advance Of all other ma.
tons, condemned the African slave trade.
1t was, Notwithstanding, deemed expedient
by the trainers Of the Constitution to de.
priVs Congress Of the power to prohibit the
migration or importation Of such persons
as any Of the States now existing shall
think proper to adopt prior to the year
1908. II will be seen that this restriction
on the power Of Congress was confined Il
such States onlJ as might think proper tC
admit the importation Of slaves. /. It did
not extend TO other States or to trade car
ried on abroad. Accordingly, we fnd thai
SO early as the 22d OF March, 1894, Con.
gress passed an Act Imposing severe penal
ties and punishments upon citizens and resi-
dents of the United States who should en-
gage in this trade between foreign nations
The provisions of this Act we're extended
and enforced by the Act Of 10th May
1900. Again, the States themselves had q
clear right to waive the constitutional priv
ilege Intended for their beneft--to prohibit
i bV their own laws this trade at any time