Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-01-05

and ufhl med these principles OF constitution.
oil law, SO manfestly just In themyelves,and
SO we'll calculated to promote peace and
harmony among the states. ltisa striking
proof Of sthe sense OF justice which is in
herent in oufpeople. that the property in
slaves has never been disturbed, 10 my
know ledge, In any Of tie Territoi,s. Even
throughout the late troubles in Kansas there
has not been any attempt as ] am credibly
informed, to interfere, In a.singe instance,
with the right OF the master. Hal any
such attempt been made, The judiciary would
doubtless have afforded on adequate remedy
Sheuld thes fail to Go this hereafter, 1t " ~
lksn be iint en,ngh ~ strengthen their
lidnds by further Legislation. Had 1t been
dec ided that ctllenCongress or the teiritori.
al legislature pos sess the power to onnul or
impair the right property in slaves, the
evil would be intole.ab'e. In the later
e'ent, there would be a struggle for ma
Iority OF the members of the legislature at
each successive e'ec ion, ani the sacred
rights OF property held under the Federal
Constitution would depend for the time be.
in5 on the result. The agitation would
thus be rendered nceassant whist the ter.
rlturial condition rem iined, and its banefu
influence would keep alive dangerous ex
ctemcnt among the people OF the several
States.
Thus has the status Of a Territory during
The intermediate period from its first settle.
ment until il shall become a State, been ir-
revoca5ly fixed by the final decision OF the
Supreme Court. Fortunate has this been
for the prosper ty OF the Territories, as well
as the tranquility of the States. Now,
emiyranis ir1m the North aud the S)uth,
the East and the West. will meet in the
Territories on common platform, having
brought with them that sp 'cies of property
best ad ,p,ed, in their own opinion, to pro.
mote their welfare. From ma ural cause,
the slavery question will in each case soon
virtually settle itself; md efjrc the Terri
tory is prepared for admiss ON as State
into the Uaon this decision, one way or the
other, will have been foreguna conclusion
Meanwhile the sctt lemenl OF the new Ter.
riiory will proceed without serious int crfup-
ton, and its progress mud prosperity will not
be endangered or retarded by violent strug-
gles
When in the progress uf events the in.
babitants of any Territory shall have relch-
ed the number required TO fo;m State,
they will then proceed, in a tgu.pr manner.
and in the eX4rcis9uf tbs rights of popular
sovereignty, to form a cons ituIioh prepnra
tory to adm ssi m in the Union. After
this IS been dJDe, 10 employ he language
ot the Kansas and Nebraska act, they 'shal Il
be received into tue Union with nr without
slavery, ns their cvn4li,ui;op may preacrihs
at the time of their admission This sound
fprncipie has happily been recognised. in
snme fo-i'. csother, By an almost unanimous
-o'c OF both houses of the last Congress.
II lawful means at my command hive
been cupluytd, and shail cont nue. 10 be
employed, to eXecutey yre iuws against the
African slave trader After must careful!
and rigorous exam nation OF our coasts and
Il thorough investigation of the subject, we
have not been able to discover that any
slaves have been imported into the Unted
States except the cary" ty "a" Wanderer,
numbering between three ana our hundred.
Those engaged IN this unlawful enterprise
have been vigorously prosecuted; bu, mot
with as much iuccesS as theT crimes have
deserved. number OF them arc still un-
der prosecution.
Our history proves that the Fathers OF
the Republic, III ADVANCE OF all other ma
tions, condemned the African slave trade.
1t was, Notwithstanding, deemed eXpeiient
by the trainers OF the Constitution to de-
frive Congress OF the power TO pr'h'bit
the migration or importation OF such per-
sua' as any OF Inc states tow existing shall
thiak proper TO adinit 'p!ior to the year one
thousand eiSht hundred ana eight'
1t Wal We seen that this RESTRICTION On the
power oi Congress was c'hlimed TO such
o'u'ts only as m'shl th'hH Pi'Psr 10 admit
'he ''hPo''"''oii VI s'Nc'' IL u'u hot eA-
tend to o'her States or 10 'he tfHde carried
On Abroad Accordingly we hhu int SO
curl! as the ga Aiareh' 1884, congress
p 'ssed All act imposing severe penalties and
punlshmen's upon c'tz'ns ana residents ol
the United States VINO should engage IN
his trade between ioreing hati'hs. Ihe
provisions oi this act were exlended and
enforced by the act oil ION May lsoo.