The Nevada journal., 1860-06-29
sSfaDA COUNTY OFFICIAL PRESS
seRECH OF DANIEL WEBSTER,

Oregon subject to the Ordinance Of 1857, er-
elnding Slare,y Jorercr therefrom.
There are two or three political questions
arising in this case which I wish to state
dispassionately not to argue, but to state.
The honorable gentleman from Georgia,
Af. Berrien, for whom have great re-
spect, and with whom 1t is my delight to
cultivate personal friendship, he stated with
great propriety the Importance of this ques-
tion: He has said that it is question in-
terestihg to the South and to the North,
and one which may very well also attract
the attention of mankind. He has not sta
ted any part of this too strongly. 1t Is
such a question. Without doubt, it Is a
question which may we'll attract the atten-
tion of mankind. On the subjects involved
in this debate, the whole world is hot now
the honorable member, that if what is now
proposed TO be done by US who resist this
amendment is, as he supposes, unjust and
injurious to any portion of this community;
or against its constitutional rights that in=
justice should be presented to the civilized
world, and we, who concur in the proceed
ing, ought to submit ourselves to its rcbuke.
/ am glad that the honorable gentleman
proposes to refer this question to the great
the great tribunal of the American people.
1t is proper. 1t is question of magnitude
enough, of interest enough, to all the civil
ized nations of the earth, to call from those
who support the one side or the other a
statement of the grounds upon which they
act.
Now, propose to state as briefly as I can
the grounds upon which | proceed, histori-
cal and constitutional, and will endeavor to
use a, few words as possible, so that l may
relieve the Senate from hearing me at the
earliest possible moment In the first place,
to view the matter historically. This Con-
ptitution, founded in 1857, and the Govern
ment under it, organizedin in 1889, recognized
the existence of Slavery in certain States,
then belonging to the Union, and particu-
lar description of Slavery. l hope tina;
what am about to say may be received
without any supposition that / intend the
slightest disrespect. But this particular
description of Slavery does not, believe
now exist in Europe, nor in any other civil.
lied portion of the habitable globe. 1t il
not analogous to the case of the predidt oil
slave glebee adscripti of Russia, or Hungary
or other States. 1t is peculiar system o.
personal Slavery, by which the person who
from hand to hand l speak of this as 6
fact; and that is the fact. And l will say
further, perhaps other gentlemen may re-
member the instances, that although Sla
very. as system of servitude attached tC
the earth, exists in various countries of Eu
rope, am not at the present moment aware
Of any place on the globe in which thi
property of man in human being as I
slave, transferable as chattel, exists, eI
cept in America. Now, that it existed, il
the form in which it still exists, in certain
States, at the formation of this Constitution
and that the framers of that instrument
and those who adopted it, agreed that as fa
rs it existed it should not be disturbed o.
interfered with by the new General Govern
ment, there is no doubt.
ha Of taI
cognises II as an existing fact, an existing
relation between the inhabitants of the
Southern States. do not call it an % in.
Btitution," because that term is not appli.
cable to it; for that seems to imply a vol
untary establishment. When first cam,
here, it was matter of frequent reproacf
to England, the mother country, that Sla'
very had been entailed upon the colonie:
by her, against her consent, and that which
is now considered cherished "institu.
tion,' was then regarded as, / will not say
an eri, but an entailment on the colcnie:
by the policy of the mother country agains
their wishes. AT any rate, it stands recog.
ton was adopted in l7ss, and went into
operation in 1883. When it was adopted
the state of the country was this: Slavery
existed in the Southern States; there wa:
very large extent o. unoccupied territory
which, it was understood, was destined tc
be formed into States and it was then de-
termined that no Slavery should exist il
this territory. | gather now, as matter o
inference from the history of the time anc
the history of the debates, that the prevail
ing motives with the North for agreeing Il
this recognition of the existence of Shaver,
in the Southern States, and giving a repre-
sentation to those States founded in par
upon their slaves, rested on the suppositiol
that NO acquisition of territory would b,
made 20 form new States on the southern
frontier of this country, either by cessior
or conquest. No one looked to any acqui
sition of new territory on the southern OF
southwestern frontier The exclusion o
Slavery from the Northwestern Territory
snd the prospective abolition of the foreign
slave trade, were generally, the former unan
imously, agreed to and on the basis o
these considerations, the South insisted tina
where Slavery existed it should not be in