Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-01-04

Congress or Territorial Legislature was 10 eStao-
lish slavery in Territory, but that slave properly
like any other property, went there under Tue IOi
stitution as matter of curse, and, being there 1t
was entitled to the same protection as any Other
propertv and to have it from whatever power gave
protection to other peoples property, whether II
came from the legislature or from the couI'S. No
body, as | understand my own people certainly as
/ | understand myself has ever claimed tnat ttiiS
government was in any way bound to establish sia-
very in Territory; but we say slaves are property
under the constitution, and go as property Ike any
thing else to a Territory, and there receive protcc
! ton other property. That is all; 49,
Mr.. Pugh. That is mere verbal criticism on
the word establish" | say any law to maii'aiH
it, protect it, give 1t force OF elect, Is estaoSh'S
| it. according to every dictionary.
Mr.. Brown. Not at all.
Mr. Pugh But the question want to ask the
Senator from Oregon is this: | understand nm
now to say that Il Territorial legislature has no
| power to establish slavery. Now, germane TO the
resolution which | have offered will the honorable
| Senator vote to abroyatc so much of the laws of
New Mexico as establish slavery, on the ground
! that they arc wholly void?
| Mr.. Lane. Mr. President --
! Mr. Brown | protest against the assumption OF
| the Senator from Ohio that there are any laws III
New Mexico establishing slavery. | deny his pro-
! position and assert that there no such laws;
but assert on the contrary, that slavery went there
under the Constitution. 1t went as horses went as
COWS went as dry goods went, as any other proper
ty went and then the Legislature in discharge OF
solemn ,luty enacted laws for its protection. The
law which protects thing already carried INTO
Territory under the guarantees OF the Constitution,
does not establish it there. Now sir If the Senator
from Oregon will allow mc for che moment-
Mr. Pugh The Senator has got between me and
the Senator from Oregon | will debate that with
him We can have the statute of New Mexico here.
Mr. Brown Very well. | assert that the laws
3 l., lnN.S lNIph
tcct animal property, do not establish such Things
in the Territory AS property; but all these things
come in under the guarantees of the Constitution,
as property and being there, they are protected as
matter OF course; and all that the Territorial Leg
iSaturc of New Mexico has done is simply TO pro
tect that, property, which went there uiuer the
/ guarantees of the Constitution.
Mr. Lane M. President, it Is not my purpose to
discuss this territorial question. am tired Of 1t;
the country is tired of it; and hope that the dis
cuSsOn of it will cease; but it is 50 essential
in my Judgment that justice and right prevail, that
feel it my duty to give my views in relation to the
rights of all the States O this country in Territory,
while it remains in a territorial condition | have
heard gentlemen, Senator's and others, talk about
the value of the Union and their devotion TO it. No
man loves it more than do, and no one would make
greater sacrifices to maintain and preserve TINS
UnOn would do it at the moment when the colln-
try requires it. at the expense of every drop of bood
but to maintain that Union, the Constitution must
be maintained IN its spirit in its letter, and III IFS
meaning. The princ pl,S of justice and eluaity
must prevail in this country, or there can be no
Union. Sir as much as love this Union, as much
"a am devoted to it-and no one Is more 50 than
mvsclt-I would not ask To have this ! mon main.
tanned by the violation of the Constitution itself Ii
the northern States of this COnfedcracy could not
have equal rights with the southern States III the
Territories and equal justice under all circunStir-
ceS, would they remain in the Union: Ii we want
to preserve it. let DC just Go right, deal ilrly hy
every portion of this country, and not hold that the
Territory belongs the North, to free labor or TO
the South, to slave labor; for it is not so. 1t be
longs equally to all all of them have an equal right
in it; and would submit to wrong from the South.
Being northern man, | would submit to nothing
that inlringcd the rights of the northern States III
the Territories of this Mon. No man would be
more prompt resent wrong insult, or an lndIes-
nifty injustice attempted to bc pcrrctracd on the
northern States ny the South, than myself; and
while would submit to no wrong from that quar-
ter, | would ask them to submit to none from us.
intend to be Just by all to deal rightly with
the whole country; To know no section but the Con-
Stution and the Union; to carry out It's provisions
and its guarantees and the rights which are secured
by it to the States Of this COntcdcraCy. lido not see
how any man who loves the Union and the ConSti-
tuition can discriminate between the sections of this
country, and pretend to that the common terri
tory of all shall be given exclusively to free labor or
TO slave labor Inc OF INC
rights in the Territory while it remains in the ter
ritOral condition; and when the people who nhabit
it come form State constitution, then It Is their
right to prohibit slavery or to establish it as they
see fit and they have right TO be admitted into
the Union as they shall! decide.
did not intend sir, to say anything on this ter
ritoral question and should not have said word
on this OCCASION but that | heard very ndlsinctly
some question which propOundcd by the honor
able Senator from Ohio to which the honorable Son
ator from Minnesota to respond, and | desired
to know what the question was, 50 that to" might
respond | say again to that Senator that the De
mocracy of the North differ in opinion upon this
question. | regret it. can agree with him, and
with our old friend DouglaS-fOr they are both good
DcmucratS--upOn all essential questions this only
excepted They will both Labor to prevent the cleo
ton of sectional man to the Presidency, and will,
| have no doubt 10 all i'll their power TO secure the
election of the nominee of the Charleston convention.
Both love this Union; they stand upon the princi-
pie of right as they understand 1t; but must differ
from them as to the power of the people in Terri
tory, while in 4 territorial condition; but, as said
before, they will, have doubt, labor faithfully
with the Democracy to secure the election of the
nominees of the Charleston convention.
Now sir, hope the Senator from OHIO Is satisfied
with my position as to the Territories, and also with
! the fact that | recognize him good Democrat,
because / know him to be so, and | know he will
not dispute my Democracy because | happen to
/ differ in opinion with him upon matter that re-
gard as essential to the peace and harmony Of this
country.
will say, before | take my seat, that this CUES
ton was made in our late election i'll Oregon and |
took an active interest in it and it required the Ia
Dor of sound Democrats there to the election
of reliable national man to represent that State in
this Congress The question was plainly and fairly
submitted to the people of Oregon, and in every
speech that the member who represents that State,
in the other branch of Congress, made before the
people, he took the ground that the citizens of all
the States had equal rights in the Territories and
that the North had no right to infringe the rights
of the South or the South to infringe the rights of
the North canvassed nearly every county i'll the
State in that campaign, and made myself under
StnnA ,nln tho mint l.lnnr,H. that