The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-08-23

Federal authority, or anything else, prop
erlv forbade the Federal Government to
control as to slavery in Federal Territory.
Tho other of the four, james McHenry,
voted against the prohibition-showing
That, for some cause, he thought 1t i'm
proper to vote for it. In 1877, still be
fore the Constitution, but while the Con-
vention was in session framing 1t, and
while the Northwestern Territory still
was the only Territory owned by the
United States, the1same question of pro
hibiting slavery in the Territory again
came before the Congress of the Coniod-
Grafton and three more OF the " thirty
nine" who afterwards signed the Consti
tuition were in that Congress, and voted
on the question. They we're William
Blount, William Few and Abraham, Bald
win ; and they all voted for the prohibi
tion-thus showing that, in their under
standing, no line dividing local from Fed
eral authority, nor anything else, proper
Ilv forbade the Federal Government to
control as to slavery in Federal territory.
This time, the prohibition became law,
being Il part of what is now we'll known
as the ordinance of 1857. The question
of Federal control of slavery in the Ter
ritories seems not to have been directly
before the Convention which framed the
original Constitution and hence it is not
recorded that the "thirty nine" or any Of
them, while engaged on that instrument,
expressed an opinion on that precise ques
tion. In 1889, by the first Congress
which sat under the Constitution, an act
was passed to enforce the ordinance Of
1887, including the prohibition of Slave
ry in the Northwestern Territory. The
bill for this act was reported by one Of
the thirty-nine,' Thomas Fitzslmmons,
then member of the House from Penn
sYlvauia. 1t went through all its stages
without word of opposition, and finally
passed both branches without yeas and
nays, which is equivalent to unanimous
passage. TCheers. In this Congress
there were sixteen of the thirty nine
fathers who framed the original Constitu-
ton They were-John Langdon, Mich
olas Gilman, William s. johnson, Roger
Sherman, Robert Morris, George Ciymer,
Thomas Fitzsimmons, WilliamE Few. Abra-
ham Baldwin, Rutus King, William Pat
terson, Richard Bassett, George Read,
Pierce Butler, Daniel Carroll and James
Madison.
This shows that, in their understand
ing, no line dividing LEGAL from Federal
authority, nor anything III the Constitu-
ton. properly forbade Congress to prohib-
| it slavery in the Federal territory else
both their fidelity to correct principle,
and their oath to support the CoLstitu-
ton, would have constrained them to op.
pose the prohibition. Again George
/ Washington, another Of the "thirty- nine"
was then President Of the United States,
and, as such, approved and signed the bill
thus completing its validity as law,
and thus showing that, in his understand
ing, no line dividing local from Federal
authority, nor anything in the Constitu-
ton, forbade the Federal Government to
control as to slavery in Federal territory
Loud applause. No great while after
the adoption of the original Consti unon,
North Carolina ceded to the Federal Gov
ernment the country now constituting the
State of Tennessee; and few years later.
Georgia ceded that which now constitutes
the States Of Mississippi and Alabama.
In both deeds of cession it was made
condition by the ceding States, that the
Federal Government should not prohibit
slavery in the ceded country. Besides
this, slavery was then actually in the ced-
ed country. Under these circumstances,
Congress, on taking charge of these coun-
tries, did not absolutely prohibit slavery
within them But they did interfere
with it-take control Of it-even there,
to a certain extent. In 1893, Congress
organized the Territory of Mississippi.
In the act Of organization they prohibited
the bringing of slaves into the Territory,
from any place without the United States,
by fine, and giving freedom to slaves SO
brought This act passed both branches
of Congress without yeas and nays. lu
that Congress were three OF the " thirty
nine" who framed the original Constitu-
ton. They were-John Langdon, George
Bead and Abraham Baldwin. They all
probably voted for it. Certainly they
would have placed their opposition to it
upon record, if, in their understanding,
any line dividing local from Federal au
thority, or anything in the Constitution.
properly forbade the Federal Government
to control as to slavery in the Federal
territory. Applause In 1903, thc
Federal Government purchased the Lou
isiana country. Our former territorial
acquisitions came from certain of our own
States, but this Louisiana country was ae-
quired fron foreign nation In 1894,
Congress gave a Territorial organization