The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1860-03-29

Ac'e " oe iof the present auu pc'""n
ent good Of the country.
And now, gentlemen, proceed to an
swer your questions, briefly indeed, bu
fully, plainly, and with all possible frank
ness. And to do this the more willing'.
because have received from indivldu
ais many letters, too many to be separate
ly answered,) and have seen in man.
public journals articles making urgen
calls upon me for such a statement Of IN
views. -
l. Slarery-- It's ertensios in tie 7*rritor;es
On this subject, in the States aud il
the Territories,l have no new opinion
no opinions formed in relation to tn
present array of parties. l am coeva
with the Missouri question of 1920
having begun my political life 10 tn
midst of that uggle. At that time my
position required me to seek all tn,
means Of knowledge within my reach ,ant
to study the principles involved with al
the powers of my mind and | arrived
at conclusions then which no subsequent
events have induced me to change. -
The existence of negro slavery in ou'
country had its beginning in the early
time OF the Colonies, and was imposed by
the mother cou"try against the will Of
most of the Colonists At the time Of
the Revolution, and long after, it was
commonly regarded as an evil, Temporal.
~ in its nature, and like! y to disappear
in the course of time, yet, while it con,
tinued, a misfortune to the country, So
cially and politically.
Thus was taught, by those who made
our government, and neither the new
light of modern civilization, nor the d s.
covery Of new system of constitutional
law and social philosophy, has enabled
me to detect the error of their teaching.
Slavery is "a social relation-a do,
nestle institution" Within the States,
it exists by the local law, aud the Fed.
eral Government has no control over it
there. The Territories, whether acqnir.
ed BY conquest or peaceable purchase, are
subject and Northumberland sovereign,
like the States The nation is supreme
over them, aud the ua,iontal government
has the power to permit or forbid slavery
within them. Entertaining these views,
am opposed to the extension of slavery,
and in my opinion the spirit and policy
of the government ought to be against
its extension.
2.-Do<s TIRE Constitution carry sler.ry into tie
Territories
answer no. The Constitution of the
United States does not carry slavery in
o the Territories. With much more
how Of reason may it be said that it car
les slavery into all the States. But, it
Ices not carry slavery anywhere. 1t on
y acts upon it, where it finds it estab
ished by the local law.
In connection with this point, am
asked to state my views of the bred
Scott case, and what was really determ-
ned by the Supreme Court in that case.
1t is my opinion, carefully considered,
hat the Court determined one single
ooint Of law only, tina; is, that Scott. the
plaintiff, b"lng negro Of African descent
not necessarily a slave could no. be
citizen Of Missouri, and therefore could
lot sue i'll the Federal Court aud tn t
or this reason, and this alone. the Cir. /
'ut Court had no jurisdiction of the
:ause, aud no power to give judgment
.etwecn the Partles, The only jurIsdic- I
ion which the Supreme Conrt had of
he cause was for the purpose of correct, I
NJ the error Of the Circuit Court, in as /
uming the power to decide uoon the /
'erl's of the case. This power the su-
RENE Court did exercise, by setting as.
ie the Judgment of the Circuit Cour.
pom the merits, and by dismissin- the /
ut, without any judgment for or against
ither party. This is all that tho Su
rene Court did, all that it had Lawful,
over to do.
consider it a great public mist rtune
lat several Of the learned Judges should
ave thought that their duty rconired
'em to discuss and give opinions upon
arious questions outside of the case, as
he case was actually disposed Of By the
curt All such opinions are extraiua;. !
al and Of no authority. But besides
.is,it appears to me that several of the !
acstions so discussed by the judges arc
olitical questions, and, therefore be. /
ond the cognizancc of the judiciary
I'd proper only to be considered and dis.
osed Of by the political departmcnts.-s
| am right in this, and it seems to me
ain, it may lead to a dangerous conflict
authority among the co ordinate bran
les of the government.
3. is TO the colonization ef,Ae free blacks:
For many years ] have been connected
it'll the American Colonization Society.
which she rising young State of Lii
ria is the first fruit | consider the
,jcct both humane and wise, beneticient
ike to the free blacks who emgrate,
ID to the whites whom they leave be-
ind. But Africa is distant, and pre-
nts so many obstacles to rapid settle
ent, that we cannot indulge the hope
draining off in that direction, the
rowing numbers of our free black pop.
alton. The tropical regions Of Ameri.
!, | think, offer far better prospect
9TH for Us and for them.
H. 10 "ytneqnotay Of right. among 4mtr,eas.j,-
ms:
recognize no distinctions anon,
merlcan citizens, but such as are cx.
'essly laid down in the Constitution
nd hold that our government is bound
protect all the citizens in the enjoy.
ent OF their rights, everywhere and
'alnst all assailants. And as to all these
5hts, there is no difference between
tizens born and citizens made such bv
w.