The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-09-27

that effect. Mr.. Mason, as is well known,
was distinguished member from Virginia
He says that the objection to slave labor, is,
that it puts free labor in disrepute that il
causes labor to be regarded as derogatory to
the character Of the free white man, and that
the free white man despises to work, to use
his expression, where Slaves are employed
This is a matter of great interest to the free
States ifit be true, as to great extent it Ger.
tainly is, that wherever slave labor prevails
free white labor is excluded or discouraged
Wherever labor is mainly performed by
slaves, it is regarded as degrading the free.
men. .... ........ .
Tie Freemen Of tie North, therefore, haze
a deep interest in keeping labor free, erclu.
sioely free, IN the ne,5 Territories.
But, sir, let us. look further into this al.
legged inequality. There is no pretence that
Southern people may not go into territory
which shall be subject to the ordinance Of
1871. The only restraint is, that they shall
not carry slaves hither and continue that re-
lation. They say this shuts them out alto
gether. Why, sir, there can be nothing
more inaccurate in point Of fact, than this
statement. understand that one half the
people who settled Illinois, are people, or de-
scendcnts of people, who came from other
States. And | suppose one-third of the peo-
pie Of Ohio are those, or descendants of those
who emgrated from the South, and ven
ture to say, that, in respect to those two
States, they are at this time, settled by peo-
pie Of Southern origin, in as great proper
ton as they are by people of Northern orr
gin, according to the general number and
proportion of people, South and North
There il, then, no exclusion of Southern
people, There is only the exclusion of a
peculiar local law. Neither in principle nor
in fact is there any inequality. The ques-
ton now is, whether it is not competent to
Congress, in the exercise of fair and just
discretion to prevent the further increase of
s'ave-holding States,--that is the question,
see TO injustice IN it, To the power of Con-
gress, l have nothing to add to what said
the other day. Congress has full Pocer
oUer the subject.
Ihaye said that I shall consent to no er-
tension Of the area Of Stapery upon..this Con-
tineat, nor to any increase Of stare represen-
tation in the other House Of Congress.
Ihave now stated my reason for my con-
duct and my vote. We, of the North, have
already gone, in this respect, far beyond all
that any Southern man could have expected
or did expect, at the time of the adoption of
the Constitution. repeat the sentiment OF
the fact of the creation of five new slave hold
ing States out Of newly acquired Territory.
We have done that, which, ifthose who framed
the Constitution had foreseen, they never
would have agreed to slave representation.
We have yielded thus far and we have now
in the House of Representatives twenty per-
sons voting upon all other questions, and
here only in virtue of the representation of
Slaves
Let me conclude, therefore, by remarking
that, while am willing to present this as
showing my own judgment and position in
regard to this case, and beg it to be under
stood that am speaking for no other than
myself, and while am wiling to offer it to
the whole world as my own justification,
rest on these propositions:
First-That when this Constitution Was
adopted, nobody looked for any new acquisi-
ton of Territory to bc formed into slave,
holding States.
Sccondly-That the principles ofthe Con-
stitution prohibited, and were intended to
prohibit, and should be construed to prohibit
all interference of the general government
with slavery as it existed and as it still exists
in the States. And then, looking to the op-
Grafton of their new acquisitions, which have,
in great degree, had the effect of strength
ening that interest in the South, by the adj
diton of these five States. I,fset that there
isnothing unjust, nothing Of ,,hieh any hon.
est nan car complain, If els intelligent, and
Ite0t that there is nothing Nth achich The
ci0ilized acorld, if they take notice Of so hnn'
bic a person as myself. oiu reproach me, 'che"
say, as said the other day, that I hare
made mp my mind for one, that under no
circumstances aoiH Iconsent to the further er-
tension Of the area Of 4Slaueryin tic United
States, or the further increase Of slare repre-
sentation In the H,use Of Representatives.