The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-06-15
... SPEECH OF
ll0N. JAMES II. HAMMOND.

neHrrcd il. he Senate Of Tie u . !Staies,
May 2l, 1850.
The Senate having !: or consideration the
resolutions submitted by III Davis on the lstt
of March, relative to the:selatons of the States.
and thefigh's Of persons and Property in.-lhe
Territories "nd the duty of protecting slave
property in the Territories when necessity for
SO doing shall exist-Mr HAMMOND sud:
Mr.. PREsIbESr I feel reluctant 10 tres
PASSION the time Of the Senate, and to fol-
low with a dry constitutional argumen,
The able eloquent, and stirring speech Of
tic Senator from Georgia; but have a
''w words 10 say, and Imay as well go on
this afternoon.
II / understand sjt aright, the precise
Question before the Senate ia simply tLs ::
have thc terraoriargovcrnmcnts established
by Congress the power to define and de
clare villa. shall be and what shall no. Le
property within the territorial boundaries
Those who advocate the reso ation offered
hy th" S"natorSfT"m Mississippi deny that
the Territories have such power. Those
vino oppose tho resolutions maintain that
they Lave. Doth parties will agree, Of
course, that the power to define and de-
clare whaeis property is aupreme and uu.
comfortable ,sin Short, what We call sover
eisn. Certainly no other power can do it
since, in that case, tbs really supreme
power could at once reverse any such dec
lara'i"n' and without proper definition
Of propertys agssssd upon by tile control
ling power of Government, tbaressearJd-
be no civil Goystnment at all ;ssh .5c:iisil-
azed government, however far it may reaclss
is organized on property; and never has
existed, and never can exist long without
IS properly,
Ws,bavc no history of the origin of Lu:
man association and political goyernmeHk
that gives us'sany full ON eIearsae aeeouas-
The Bible and @6ther ancient hooks give
us hints. which suggest thoughts, that ena :.
Die us to. form ceSiions of Jlese matters
which are, perhsPs sufficient Gf all our,
practical purposes. s'>K a e. rowing fatnily,
grown into a.tsi:be,sfhtiag psssssit waters,
fine soil, aedssset aikthat baSssss w not been
appropsiated, a'restasits Esanssing, drives
down its. stakes,slalins sslis SIisbtful re-
gion as its aSn, ,&conslifttes it property,
and, dividing it out, organizes "a govern
me"t'and, blythe risbtof eminent dosasin,,
OF usage, asd its physical po~srs ssfab-
fishes, iasssessssi gsty: That .soversigntysis,
good soaong as sit can be.snalrtained
"g"ipst all assaults. Ifit sustains itself, in
time it gEoys great; it becomes oyer pop
uous il. sends put emissaries to dscover
similarly endowed lands at obtains them
by:irst discovery, by purcl.ass:sor by. c on :.
quest it colonies them with. its surplus
population, but, holding the eminep. do
main, it holds its colonies in strict subor.
di"ation to its own will, and ma,nlaias SOW
e'eisnty over them. The colonies also
grow In tine they derphnd soyeieigp.y
for themselves; >Jtds wiselyseepeeded, or,
by s:sucesgfla sebs! !Iioe, ut is -ss ssssadaered
~ t1e co9sl sp%es .,soyer-
eign. Such, fstake it:s3Fas assp he o.
sHbst unvarJing history Of. the, o'fTeffn and
progress of;humsn. association. and poli,i-
cal orgauxsttons. ssss
4: 4: Thus 4hsthireenao aoionies, MbichAecoma