The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-09-06


/. governt is granted in the Constitution it.
self.
:, This power has been sanctioned and
enforced By every department of the Gov.
erDment, from its very foundation until a.
bout ten years ago 10 the compromise
measures of 1850 its exercise was deemed
unnecessary and therefore inexpedient; but
the power was not yielded by the great ad
vocates OF these measures. It may be that
it will never again he exercised, as the
Republicans only propose to use it when
. ever it nay be necessary to prevent sla-
very in Territories now free.
However much the Republicans may
regret the formation of any new slave
States, yet if the people of Territory,
when they assume State sovereignty, De.
termine to recognize property in slave Ia
Dor, their admission into the Union will
not be resisted for that reason.
We are told, however, by the Democ.
racy that an act OF Congress prohibiting
slavery 10 the Territories would destroy
the equal rights of the States.
The reasoning by which this conclusion
is arrived at is unsound, and cauuot,
therefore, withstand the scrutiny of "n.
exorahle logic"
They assume that to be which does not
exist, and then reason from that assump-
ton. They say that, 'iuaspuch as the
Territories we're acquired by the common
blood and common treasure of the whole
people of all the States, the citizens of
these States have right to emigrste there.
to, and take with them their property as
suming 1t as granted that slaves are prop
erty within the recoguizs II Gaming of that
term. This we deny. What is property
! When God created man, He gave him
dominion over the earth and its fruits
over the beasts Of the field, the fowls Of
the air, and the Inhabitants of the great
deep. These be may possess, mOy destroy,
R1ay reduce TO property; bat nowhere did
lie give n an the light of property in man,
nor can any human power rightfully give
it to him. He cannot destroy n an as he
san other property, without being guilty
of murder. In the States where slavery
is recognized no property exists in men
aud WOE en- it is 10 their labor, their SER
ices. That only is property and can on
y exist in the States where it is reeog-
nized BY State Law.
The laws of Keutucky have DO exist.
ence, no validity, in Indiana, and there
/ fore il is that the moment a slave is
brought By the man Ebo ewns his service.
/ his labor, into Indiana, be loses that right
and the slave is discharged from owning
that labor or service, and becomes free.
/ The case is different il be comes into In
MANA without the consent of the man Who
own his service, because the Constitution
of the United States comes in and says
that this n an, thus owning labor or SER
vice, shall be delivered up to the person
I from whom he may have escaped. In
40 ether way is the existence of slavery
recognized in the Constitution, except the
representative clause and that in refer
enee to the suppression of the slave trade.
Oar Territories cone 10 us free. The
right Of one nan to owp the labor OF an.
other uan is not recognized by any Law
Of those Territories, and does not, there
/ fore exist.
These facts show that the property in
the labor of nan is of peculiar charac-
ter. and existing only by reason of local
State laws, and is not recognized by the
great charter of right to property as pro-
! claimed by God himself when be gave
man power Oh earth. When, therefore
resident Of slave State sees proper to
leave that State for new Territory. he
forfeits bis right to the labor of his slave,
and IL nust 60 precisely as the citizens of
other States 60 to it, with just such prop
erty as is recognized by the law of prop
erty made universal by the dictuns of the
Almighty, the Supreme Court of the Uni
verse, from which there is no appeal
What is there iu this that is wrong =
Where the ipju.tice done any portion of
the people It places all the States up
on the same equality, and was never COM
planned of until it became necessary for
party purposes and to achieve Democrat
ic triumphs.
In regard to this whole question of sla-
very, the Republicans, stand where a
great majority of the people of all parties
stood only few years ago; and l appeal
to all candid men for the truth of this as
sertion.
j We are told, however, that, although
this be true, public sentiment has under
gone great change, and especially in the
, slaveboIdipg StAes; that, because slave
labor has become more profitable, the
: rights Of the Shareholder have become
more enlarged.
The invention of the cotton gin and the
consequent increase in the value of slave
labor cannot change constitutional law !
Il it possible that our Constitution, of
which we so often boast, was liked up by
our fathers on the sliding scale principle
to be governed BY the fluctuations in the
value of negroes And yet, according
to Democratic construction such seems to
be the fact.
Permit me to digress q moment to say
l. II L. ~