The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-06-08

oath TO support the Constitution. would
have constrained them to oppose the pro-
hibition.
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 va.
lidity as law, and thus showing that, IN
his understanding. no line dividing local
from federal authority. nor any thing in
the Constitution, forbade the Federal Gov.
eiment TO control as to slavery in Federal
Territory. Loud applause.) No great
while after the adoption Of the original
Constitution, North Carolina ceded to the
Federal Government the country now con.
stituting the State OF Tennessee and, a
few years later. Georgia ceded that which
now costitutes the States OF Mississippi
and Alabama. In both deeds OF ces.
sion, i! was made g condition by the
ceding States that the Federal Govern.
ment should not prohibit slavery in the
ceded country. Under these circum.
stances, Congress, on taking charge Of
these countries, did not absolutely pro-
hibit slavery within them.
But they did interfere with it-take
control OF il--even there, TO o certain ex.
tent. In 1898 Congress organized the
Territory OF Mississippi. 10 the act oI
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 Con-
gress without yeas and nays. In that
Congress were three Of the "ihirty .Dine''
who framed the original Constitution
They were john Langdon. George Read
and Abraham Baldwin. They all. prob
sbly. voted for il. Certainly they would
have placed their opposition 10 it upon
record il, in their understanding any line
dividing local and federal authority, or
anything in the Constitution properly for.
bade the Federal Government TO control
as TO slavery ir Federal Territory. Zap
plause.)
In 1898 the Federal Government pur
. chased the Louisiana country. Oul
former Territorial acquisitions came from
certain Of our own States, but this Louis
lana country was acquired from a foreign
nation. 10 1904 Congress gave Ter
ritorial organization to that part Of ii which
now constitutes the State of Louisiana
New Orleans, lying within that part, was
an old and comparatively large CITY,
There were other considerable towns and
settlements, and slavery was extensively
and thoroughly intermingled with the
people. Congress did not, in the Terri
torial act, prohibit slavery: but they did
interfere with it---take control Of it--in a
more marked and extensive way than they
did in the case OF Mississippi.
The substance OF the provision therein
made 10 relation to slaves was -
First, That no slave should be i'm.
ported into the Territory from foreign
parts.
;. Second. That no slave should be car
!, ried into it who had been imported into
the States since the first day Of May, 1889
Third, That no slave should be carried
into it, except by ,be owner, and for hi
} own use as settler: the penalty in al
: the cases being fine upon the violater o
the lay and freedom to the slave. (Pro
longed cbeers.)
i This aci also passed without yeas ol
nays. In the Congress which passed ii,
there were two Of the "thir,y.nine. -
They were Abraham Baldwin and iona.
than Dayton. As stated in the case o
, Mississippi. /, is probable they both voted
for il. They would not have allowed il to
/ pass without recording their opposition to
D il, II, in their understanding. il violated
. either the line properly dividing local from
federal authority or any provision Of tn,
Constitution. Many votes were taken BY
4 yeas and nays. in both branches OF Con
, gress, upon the various phases OF the gen
|, eral question. Two of the "thirty-nine
, Rufus King and Charles Pinckney-
were members Of that Congress. Mr.
King steadily voted for slavery prohibi
, tion aud against all compromises, while
, Mr.. Pinckney as steadily voted against
slavery prohibition. and against all com
promises. (cheers. By this Mr.. King
! showed that in his understanding, no line
. dividing local from federal authority, mol
anything in the Constitution. was violated
, by Congress prohibiting slavery in Fed
real Territory while Mr.. Pinekney, by
his votes, showed that, iu his under
standing, there was some sufficient rea'
/. son for opposing prohibition in tina, case
E The cases have mentioned are the
only acts Of the 'thirty nine" or any o
{ them, upon the direc. issue. which have
, been able TO discover. To enumerate the
! persons who thus acted. as being four ID
(; 1874. three in 1897, seventeen 10 1899
E three in 1898, two in 1904, and two IL
. 1919 20-ihcre would be ihirty.one o
: them. But this would be counting Johr
Langdon, Roger Sherman. William Few
RUFUS King and George Read, each twice
8 and Abraham Baldwin four times. ZAP
. planss.) He was Georgian too. Re
, newed applause aud laughler) The tru'
number OF those OF the "lhirty- nine
: whom / have shown to have acted upor
: the question, which, by the text they un
{ derslood better than We, is twenty. three
leaving sixteen not to have acted upor
il 10 any way. Here then we have twenty
! three out Of "thirty-niue" fathers wbC
5 framed the government under which w
, live. who have, upon their official respon
, sibility and their corporal osihs, acted
E upon the very question which the tex
affiTms they understood just as well, ant
. even better than we do now, /" and twenty
. one Of them---a clear majority Of the who'll