The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-09-08
From the Quincy Herald.
Popular Sovereignty adopted by WASH
ingtOn and the Congress of 1893.

platform asserts that our ''rcpublican fa
theirs abolished slavery in all our natona
Territory, and Mr.. Lincoln two years age
reiterated the same idea in almost ever,
speech he made. In his speech at Ottawa
August u, 1853 he said:
wv hen the Judge reminds me that
have often said to him that the institution
OF slavery has existed for ei,hty years il
some OF the States and yet it does not eX
Ist In others, | agree to the fact, and &C
count Tor 1t by looking at the position ir
which our fathers originally placed i,-re
str,cfiag II from he ne,o Y.,rttories where j,
had not gone, and legislating to cut off it
source by the abrogation of the slave trade
thus putting the seal of legislation oqai,lS
'ts SpTeoA The public mind did rest in the
belief that il was III the course Of uitimQt.
eEtEcttOn."
i BY the fathers is meant the men who
/ framed the Constitution, who formed the
7 tth.on of the States, and who started the
3rchinery Of the American government
Wien Lincoln ana the Republicans after
hiin assert that these fathers placed ''sla
rery IN the course Of ultimate extinction,
they mean that the legislation Of that pc
rlod was directed so as 10 accomplish that
end that the legislation of 4 sUbscqucnt
ara late day has been in opposition 10 that
OF the fathers, and that the Republican
pefty want to go back 10 the legislation
/ which they assert was designed to accom-
plish the abolition Of slavery. Right here
we may say that while they assert ,hi- in
tentlou. and 1T the same time deny
any desire TO interfere with slavery
| wuerc i exists they involve themselves in
an Inconsistency which condemn, them
/" place slavery IN cour-- OF extinction
either near OF Ultimate, nothing, tut 70
place t ia course OF abolition, either
shortly OF remotely. If The policy OF
the fathers was to abolish slavery.
then Of course the Republicans, when They
want I" adopt tina policy, are IN favor Of
the abolition Of slavery We think. how
ever, that these RepUhlical- do not uE-
mcut Eur the legislation @: the father. or
il they do understand it, they are charge
able with mi-repre,enting il
/ ia the formation Of the Constitution
AID its adoption, occurred the first
legislation OF TIA. fathers on the slavery
question. Ia that Constitution the subject
.! negro slavery IS referred u three tine
The first Is where il provides that the inn
portation Of negroes -ha!. not be prohibit
ea previous - l>D$--tw.uty years alter
/ tho Constitution was adopted. Nc.-oe,
might lie imported by thou-and, every
, day for twenty yesr--no linn; To The mum
bcr- -sId the fathers and att=r these
twenty years had expired there was moth
in. compulsory on Congress To abolish the
slave ;,ai--tIc fathers i.it il 1T the dis
erection o the peoples Representatives. .-
Ih" second r'sr- ia the Constitution which
ye.rr- - s!ase-v Is the provision which
counts ..- -.ay.s equal u three .Ty- l-.ou
a> = bass tJr representation Ia the '"g
house of cou-re-, The third reivral.a. =
slavery Is IN Art ! SEC. > which provide
Tor tn- return OF .ug.ty---rUutyaE slaves
shall l.. delivered az OH c.,..:. 90: their
owners Now we arc ~ 4 la-- To I. over
what there Is in these provisions @. ti.e
Constitution which look, towards the Ill
innate extinction Of slavery. a. Lincoln
and his party are % frequently ASSERTING
70 &c the tact We taInk our readers
viii be unable TO discover IL Th. two
provision, Of the Constitution which have
any bearing upon the subiec, certainly
look 70 the pcrpet..a;.ou o: slavery, 50 long
- the people Of any State wanted - per
pe.uat" i The Constitution authorized
the r-onl" - :ucr-a-" - importation che
number Of slaves indefinitely for twenty
YEAR. and provided against an, a.m.Hu-
,.au OF The number ~ Tie >.etes Iu cr4-e-
q..u"r oI their running away. y - ak
our Republican friends whether this looks
Ike placing Slavery IN course Of ultimate
extinction ii this legislation %: the ia
the., was calculated to abolish slavery
either sooner OF later? We conclude that
the fathers recognized $500 -uch doctrin.
and that the Iiucolni;,:s or,- guilty of :.
terrible pervcrsion OF facts when they az
tribute such a design 10 the fathers The
,ft
principle of popular >ovcrejgntv-the night
Of the people of the States and Territories
TO regulate their domestic concerns ia
their own way. During the year, sue
cecdin@ the adoption of the Constitution.
while some Of the fathers were in both
branches OF Congress. some in the cabinet.
aud some in the Executive chair slavery
was established in several Territories aHd
several slave States Were &aHItt,d into
the Union Slavery was established in ~
aIgua and Mississippi during the admin
i~trauon oi JOHN Adams, a"d the slave
holding Territory of Louisiana WIS pur-
chased while Jefferson wa, President
Great Britain was required TO nay !or run
AWAY slaves. under treaties made in l1>3
and l>lJ VIII our Republican friends
-av that they are anxious to repeat all
these things? IS Mr. Lincoln honest
when he SAYS he wants to 20 back 10 this
policy ot the fathers Again the Congress
OF 1893 recognized the right Of the T,eopie
OF the Territories to settle the slavery CUES
ton for themselves The fathers believed
as the Democrats of this day believe that
the Constitution conferred no power on
Congress to lecislate on this subject: that
the people. when they gave to Congress
through the Constitution, all the power
y II, G,,li,
reserved to the States, or to the y.oph'
this right to regulate the slavery question
for themselves. AS evidence that we are
correct in this position, we introduce the
Sd section OF an Act entitled, An act re-
spectng tusitives from justice, and persons
eccaping from the service OF their masters
approved by George Washington, Feb. T.
1893. as follows:
SEC. III. That when a person held to
labor in any of the United States, or in
e;thsr # tie Territories on the Northwest OF
South o. the river Ohio. und,r the I1,rS
thereof. shall escape into any other of the
said States or Territories the person to
whom such labor may be due. his agent or
attorney is hereby empowered to seize or
arres. such fugitive from labor, and to take
him or her before any judge of the circuit
or district courts of the United States, re-
siding or being within the state or before
any magistrate OF Il county, city or town
corporate wherein such seizure or arrest
shall be made, and upon proof, TO the sat
isfac,ion of such judge or magistrate,
either bv oral testimony or affidavit taken
before and certified by magistrate OF any
such State or Territory, that the person so
seized or arrested doth, under the laws OF
the State or Territory from which he or
she fed, owe service OF labor to the person
claiming him Or her. ii shall be the duty
! of such Judge or magistrate to give GER
/ titicate thereof TO such claimant, his agent
or attorney, which shall be sufficient war