Daily national Democrat., 1860-10-18
Henry Clay for Popular Sovereignty and
Selt-GOvernment by the People in
the Territories.

Extract of Speech Of Hon. Henry Clay, oil
Kentucky, in the Senate, June, 1850, on the
Compromise Measures, in reply to Mr.. Jelfer-
son Davis, of Mississippi:
"Nlr. Clay" "The clause itself wos
-introduced into the Lill by the Committee for
the purpose of tying up the hands ofthe Ter
rilonaI Legislature in respect to legislating
at all, one way or the other upon the sub.
ject of African slavery. 1t was intended to
leave the legislation and the law of the re
spective Territories in the condition in which
the act will find them stated on a former
occasion that did not, in committee, vote
for the amendment to insert the clause, tho
1t was proposed TO be introduced by ma
jority of the committee attached very lit
tie consequence to it at the time, aud / at
tach very little to it at present. 1t is perhaps
of no particular Importance whatever. Now,
sir, if | understand the measure proposed by
the Senator from Mississippi, it aims at the
same thing. | do not understand him as pro
posing that if any one shall carry slaves into
the itory,-although by the laws Of the
Territory be cannot take them there, the
legislative hands of the territorial govern
ment should be SO tied as to prevent it say
ing lie shall not enjoy the fruits of their labor.
If the Senator from Mississippi means 70 say
that
"Mr. Davis-I do mean to say it."
"Alr. Clay-If the object of the Senator is
to provide that slaves may be introduced into
the Territory contrary to the ler loci, and Le.
ing introduced, nothing shall be done bv the
Legislature to impair the rights of owners to
hold the slaves thus brought contrary to the
local laws, | certainly cannot vote for it. In
doing So 1 shall repeat again the expression
Of opinion which | announced at an early
period Of the session. - Cong Globe, VOL 2i,
part l, p. 1908
Extract of Speech Of Hon. Henry Clay, of
Kentucky, in the Senate, July %, 1850, on
the Compromise bill:
"The provisions of the bill are that lie
people are left free to do as they choose. There
is indeed, one provision which did not meet
with my appro baton, and with which
would have been better satisfied had it been
left out; and that is the provision which does
not permit the Government of the Territories
to esta6lish or PROHIBIT slavery. Cong.
Globe, vol. %, part ?, p l4l0.
Again; on the 3oth ofJuly, 1850, speaking
on the motion of Mr. Norris, of New Hamp-
shire, to strike out that provision of the bill
which "did not meet his approbation,' Mr..
Clay said:
"The clause is an Introduction imposed by
Congress upon the local Legislature either to
introduce or to exclude slavery. Now, sir,
it seems to me that Congress has no such
power according to the Southern doctrine.
That doctrine Is one Of cledr aad clean Non
INTERVENTION. The amendment in the bill,
on the contrary, assumes the power to exist
in Congress, which is denied. For if Con-
gress possesses the power to impose this in
terdiction, Congress has the power to impose
the Wihnot Proviso The only difference is,
that the action Of Congress in the one ease is
direct, and that the action Of Congress in the
other ca e is Indirect 1t appears to me,
therefore, that upon the great Principle Non,
Intervention upon which Southern gentle
men have rested the support of their rights,
they ought to oppose the exercise Of this
power by Congress to interdict the local
Legislature. '-Ap. Cong. Globe, vol. %, part
2, p. l4G5.
Mr.. Clay subsequently, voted for the mo-
ton of Mr.. Norris, to strike out from the
Compromise bill the provision by which the
Legislature of the Territory OF New Mexico
was interdicted from passing any law "estab-
fishing or prohibiting African slavery" and
thus left the Legislature free either to estab.
lish or prohibit it-See App. Cong. Globe,
vol. %, part ,, p. l473