White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1860-03-01

49, Dsebe On Slavery.
We some time since predicted that
Bssbe would opposs ,hs bin lbolishing
Slavery in Kansas. which prophecy has
been fulfilled. he NOT only reported.
spoke and voted against It. but made ev-
cry move in bis power, by way Of non
sensicsl amendments and time-killing. to
retard its passage. Yet We were told.
last Fall, that Beebe was a thorough
Free State mani Let rs hear no more
about the Slavery question being settled
in Kansas. the Democracy willing to &C
quiesce ia it. and issues of more impor-
lance demanding the attention of the peo-
pie. When dsm.gogues have to rake up
the Louisiana Treaty, and even the old
Roman law, 70 prove that the people NOi
Kansas have no right to abolish Slavery.
thsiir Free State principles dOn9 hurt
them much. Here is portion Of the
Legislative proceedings, giving aspect
sein Of BssbSs performances. upon the
6nsl passage a. Of ii. bill in the Council
The Houss bill 70 prohibit slavery came
upergls yfi1hI So ~ $3.50 sgl fll9
J Mr.. Beebe, from the committee to
whom it had been referred, made a mi
nority report, saying; : Having found
that there is now invested in this Terri
tory between one-fourth and one ball
million dollars of property in slaves. and
believing that the immediate prohibition
of an existing right Of property in any
given article is beyond either the legisla-
tive power of the States or Territories,
as eontravenirg the letter and spirit of ar
tieles 4 and 5 of the amendments to the
Federal Constitution, recommend to your
honorable body the, indefinite postpone
ment of the bill."is s p
Nv. Beebe moved TO amend the bill by
inserting before the enacting clause
Whereas. the right of property in slaves
now legally exists in this Territory"
Lost-7Nays 9. (all Republican j Yeas
4. (all Democrats. seslo (, VI r7i.
Mr.. Beebe then moved to amend by in
serting before the enscting clause
=" Whereas. Congress has not sovereign
power ever the people of the Territories
to govern them and whereas it is neith-
er the right nor the duty of Congress
to assume the exercise of any such pow
err, either for the prohibition, in such Ter.
ritory. of slavery, or for any other pur-
poses pertaining to Territorial domestic
legislation" Lost-Yess 5, Nays s.
Mr.. Beebe said it was we'll known that
no legislative body in the Union could
pass such bill. Following the lead Of
Mr.. Blake, Of the House, he argued that
the treaty of Louisiana guarantees the
right to hold slaves here-slavery comes
here under the guarantee Of the old COM
mon law which is founded on the old
Roman law, which guarantees slavery.
T Query.-As the old Roman law
sanctioned making slaves of prisoners
of war, does that principle also come
here with the common law, Mr..
Beebe II 1t is held that Congress
had no right make such atreaty.
If SO, then Congress transceDds its
right, and the treaty is null, and this
entire country reverts back to France
This act would amount to an "unwar-
rantsble seizure of property under the
Constitution of the United States. A
street crowd would have Just as good a
right to make such an enactment as this
Council. "You may pile your statutes
as high as Etna, and they will be inef-
fective. Nothing but the courts or revo-
luton can do this. We have no right
under the Constitution to pass such an
act, because we have delegated these pow
ers. No Legislature can prohibit an ex-
isting property right without compensa-
ton. Slavery does erist here legally. ii
slavery does not exist here, then the ne
gro has all the rights of the white man,
As good National Democrat, concede
to negro who is free, all the legal rights
that have, of bringing and prosecuting
suits 1 am willing. if the gentleman
(Hendry) thinks it is not so now. to pass
an act giving to the negroes, who can
show that they are free. all the rights
that I have"
He had yet to learn that any Democrat
had ever held or declared that sovereignty
exists in Congress over this question.
Logical sequence: Jefferson, who framed
the ordinance of 1887. and his patriotic
coadjutors who supported it, and those
who framed and adopted the Missouri
COMPROMISE, were therefore not Demo
crats.-Reporter.] This being judicial
question, we should refer it to judicial
decision. Query.-If a corrupt judi
ciary make an absolute decree, then. like
despot's subjects, must we submit
If so what is the sovereiguty of the people?
i