Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-08-29
THE BLAKE RESOLUTION"


Two weeks since, in noticing the nomination
of Gen. John Patton for Congress, we briefly
defined his position on the Slavery and Tariff
questions. In doing this, We spoke frankly,
not Nishing to disguise any views Gen. Patton
entertained, and We expected that he would,
in return, be fairly and manly dealt with by
his opponents. The Clearfeld Republican, the
organ of the Breckinridge Democracy in this
county, it seems, however, is disposed to mis-
represent his views, and place him in wrong
light before the people. After quoting par
agraph from the Journal, in which we say that
ssal the leading principles of the Republican
party are in accordance with Gen. Patton's
settled convictions and feelings" the Repub-
lican gives the so-called ssBlake Resolution, -
which the writer of the article asserts, she
may well believe, will receive his, Mr.. Psi
as it received his parties unqualified endorse
ment." BY what extraordinary mode of reas-
onng the author of the article in the Republi-
can comes to such sage conclusion, we are
left to conjecture. In order, however, that
every intelligent man may judge for himself
what the resolution is, which the distorted
vision of our neighbors has transformed into a
huge and dangerous monster, we here give it
entire as we find it in his paper:
Whereas the chattleizing OF humanity and
the Eolding of persons as property is contrary
to natural justice and the fundamental princi-
piles of our political system, and is notorious
ly reproach to our country throughout the
civilized world, and serious hindrance to the
progress OF republican liberty among the ma
tions of the earth therefore,
hat 4 fba, ffaan fho Ind
ciary be, and the same are hereby, instructed
to inquire into the expediency OF reporting a
bill giving freedom to every human being and
the Introduction of slavery, wherever Congress
has the constitutional power to leglslate on the
subject.
The resolution was lost by vote OF 60 yeas
to 100 nays-the Republican inserting the for
mer, but emitting to give the latter, and failing
also to tell its readers that the Democracy
were in minority in the House at that time.
But what is really the import and force of the
resolution Does it propose to give ssfree-
dom,' which our neighbor seems 20 abhor so
much, to any ''human being 10 We cannot
see that it does-it simply proposes to sim
quire into the ExPEDIENCY Of reporting a bill, %
which, in express terms, is only to affect those
places where ssCongress has the Constitutional
pouer TO legislate on the subject" As matter
of course, there wase no intention of making
an inquiry in regard to Slavery in the States-
it being admitted by all that Congress has no
constitutional power,'' to interfere with it
there. 1t there was any object at all in the
ssBlake Resolution it was to inquire into the
ssexpediency'' of establishing Freedom in The
Terrifories-in such places as were under the
control of Congress. There is not word in
the resolution about the ssannihilation OF Sla-
very'' in the States sswhere it exists"-nor did
it, as the Republican asserts, receive the Sum
qualified Endorsement of the Republican
party-on the contrary it was opposed by some
of its Representatives in Congress, and was
offered by Mr.. Blake, without any consultation
with his political friends, as retaliation, if
we mistake not, for some violent proposition
made by one of the Southern members. That
is the truth of the matter.
We do not intend, however, to discuss the
merits or demerits of the resolution. Our OBJ
ject is only to expose the desperate shifts to
which Democratic politicians find themselves
compelled to resort. Still, we may be permit
ted to add that there were in times gone by
some very respectable old gentlemen as
Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and so on
who, if our memory serves us correctly, we're
not only in the habit of making such einqui-
ries,'' but carried them out by actually estab-
fishing Freedom by statutory enactment, and
no one ever dreamed of charging them on that
account with entertaining Unreasonable here
sies," or making sswar upon the institutions
of our country" But--be this as it may
how any one can connect Gen. Patton with
the ssBlake Resolution" or make it appear,
as the Democratic organ would have it, to
be one of the "leading principles Of the
Republican party. is more than mere ordinary
mortal, like ourself, can conceive. The idea
is SO profound, so prodigious, amazing and
wonderful, that it could not be expected that
a man possessed of less astuteness than a
ClearfleId lawyer could ever have made the as
founding discovery. Seriously speaking, how
ever, cot to "answer q fool according to Ills