The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-06-08
THE REPUBLICAN, PARTY vrNDI.
CATED---THE DEMANDS OF THE
SOUTH EXPLAINED.
SPEECH OF
HON, ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
OF ILLINOIS.
IL the Cooper Institute. New York Gty
FEB. 27th. 1860.


shnil ueal 1hls evening are mainly Old and
familiar =; nor is there anything new in the
general use 1 shall make OF them. i,
there shall be any novelty, il will be in the
mode Of presenting the facts, and 10 the
interences and o observations following that
presentation.
In his speech last autumn, at Columbus.
Ohio. as reported in the New York Times,
Senator Douglas said:
Our la thers,when they framed the Rovernnnen,
under which we live, Understood this question,
just as well, and even better than we do now
l fully endorse this discourse. so
adopt II because il furnishes a precise and
an agreed starting point between Repub.
licsns and that wing Of the Democracy
headed by Senator Douglas. IL simply
leaves the inquiry , "Whst was the un-
derstanding those fa,hers had Of the
question mentioned ?"
What is the frame Of government under
which we live +? The answer mus, be -
"The Constitution Of the United States. .
That Constitution consists Of the original
framed in 1857, (and under which the
present government FIRST went into one
ration, and twelve subse queut amerd.
ments, the frst ten Of which we're framed
10 1899. ... .....-.t .... . ..--'
Who were our fathers that framed the
Constitution =? suppose the "tbirty.
nine" who signed the original instrument
may be fairly called our fathers, who
framed that part Of our present govern
ment. 1t is almost exactly true to say
they framed It, and il is altogether true
10 say they fairly represented the opinion
and sentiment Of tho whole nation a, tha,
time. Their names, being familiar tc
nearly all, and accessible 10 quite all, need
not now be repeated.
lake these "thirty nine" for the pres.
cot, as being "our fathers who framed
the government under which we live."
What is the question which, according
to the text, those fathers understood jus:
as well and even better than we do now
1t is this: Does the proper division Of
local from federal authority. or anything
in the Constitution. forbid our fedora. gov
ernment TO control ~ to slavery in our
federal territories?
Upon this Douglas holds the affirm
alive, and Republicans the negative
The affirmative and denial form an issue
and this issue--this queslion----is precisely v
what the text declares our fathers under.
stood better than we. ......
Let US now inquire whether the .',hir,y.
nine" or any Of them ever acted upon
this question and IL they did, how they
acted upon it--how they expressed ,ha;
better understanding.
In l784--three years before the Con.
stitu,ion--,he United States then owning
the northwestern territory. and no o,hel
the Congress Of the Confederacy had
before them the question Of prohibiting
slavery in that territory: and four of tht
''thirty nine" who af,erward framed III,
Constitution were in that Congress, anc
voted on that question. OF these, Roger
Sherman, Thomas Miffiin, and Hugh
Williamson. voted for the prohibition
thus showing that, in their understanding
no line dividing local from federal au.
thority, nor anything else. properly for.
bade the federal government control as &c
slavery in federal territory. The other o.
the four-James McIIepry---voted agains
the prohibition. showing that. for som,
cause, he thought it improper to vot'
for il.
In 1897. still before the Constitution
but while the Convention was in sessio,
framing Il. and while the north western
territory still was the only territory
owned by the United States-the same
question Of prohibiting slavery in the ter.
rilory again came before the Congress o
the Confederation and three more Of the
"tbirty nine" who afterwards signed the
Constitution were in that Congress and
voted on the question. They were Viii
liam Blout. William Few and Abraham
Baldwin. and they all voted for the pro
hibition--thus showing. that, in their un
ders:anding. no line dividing local from
Federal authority, nor anything else
properly forbade the federal governmen
to control as to slavery in federal territory
This time the prohibition became law
being part OF what is now known as th'
Ordinance Of 1897. a.-
The question Of federal control o
slavery in the territories seems not L
have been directly before the Convention
which framed the original Constitution
and hence it is not recorded that tb,
".hirty y'nine," or any OF them while en-
gagged on that instrument. expressed an
opinion on that precise question. .'
! In 1888, by the first Congress which
sat under the Constitution. an act wa
passed to enforce the Ordinance Of '87, in
cluding the prohibition OF slavery in th,
northwestern territory.
The bill for this act was reported BY
one Of the "thiriy nine" Thomas Fits
simmons, then member OF the House o
Representatives from Pennsylvania. Il
went through all its stages without q wore
Of opposition. and finally passed bCtl
branches without yeas and nays, which !,
equivalent to q unanimous passage. Ii
this Congress there were sixteen Of tn.
'thirty mine" fathers who framed th,
original Constitution. They were
John Langdon, William S. Johnson
Robert Morris. William Few. Rufus King
Richard Bassett, Pierce Butler, Jsmel
Madison. Nicholas Gilman. Roger Sher
man, Thos. Fitzsimmons, Abraham Bald
win. William Patterson. George Read
Daniel Carroll. George Clymer.
This shows that 10 their understanding
no line dividing local from federal author
| ity, nor anything in the Constitution