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

,
Slavely existed in the Southern States; there
was large extent of unoccupied territory,
the whole NORTH WESTERN TERRIFIC
RY, which, it was understood, was designed
to be formed into States, and it was then de-
te,mined that no slavery should exist in this
territory. gather now from the history OF
the time of the debate, that the prevailing
motives with the North for agreeing to this
recognition Of slavery in Southern States and
giving representation to those States found.
ed in part upon their slaves, restel on the
supposition that no acquisition of territory
would be made to form new States on the
Southern frontiers Of this country either by
cessions or conquest No one looked to the
acquisition of new territory on the Southern
or South western frontier The exclusion OF
Slavery from the Northwestern Territory
and the prospective abolition of the foreign
slave trade were generally, the former unani-
mously, agreed to; and on the basis of these
considerations, the South insisted that where
clavery existed it should not be interfered
with, and that it should have certain ratio
/ of representation in Congress. And now,
Sir, am one, who, believing such to be the
understanding on which the Constitution
was framed, mean to abide by it. 1t was
and has been, also a conceded point, that
slavery in the States in which it exists, is a
matter of State regulation exclusively, and
that Congress has not the least power over
| it, or the right to interfere with it. BY this
| principle too, mean to abide.
7 have now stated, as [ understand it, the
condition of things upon the adoption of the
| Constitution of the United States.
What has happened since? Sir, it has hap
pened that above and beyond all contempla-
ton Or expectation of the original trainers of
the Constitution, or the people who adopted
it. f reign territory has been acquired by ces
sion, first from France, and then from Spain,
on our southern frontier And what has
been the result? Five slave-holding States
have been created and added to the Union,
bringing ten Senator's into this body. Ct in
cu1c Texas which consider in the light OF
foreign acquisition also,) and up to this
hour when address you, not one free State
has been admitted to the Union from all this
acquired Territory .....
Mr.. Berrien Gin his sea)-Yes low.
Iowa is not yet in the Union. Her Sena-
tors are not here. When she comes in, there
will be one to FIVE, one free State to five slave
States, formed out Of new Territories. Now,
1t seems strange to me that there should be
any complaint of injustice exercised by the
North toward the South do not represent
the North, state my own case; and pre-
sent the matter in that light in which am
willing as an ldividual member of Congress,
to be judged by civilized humanity. We
stand here now, at least do, for one, to say,
that considering five new holding
States have already been framed out of newly
acquired Territory, and only one non slave
holding State, at most, I do not feel thnt
an called on to go further, I do moi. feel the
obligation to yield more.
But our friends ofthe South say, you de-
prive US of all our rights. We have fought
for this territory and you deny Us partc pa
ton in it. Let us consider this question as
it really is; and since the honorable gentle
man from Georgia proposes to leave the case
to the enlightened and impartial judgment
of mankind, and as agree with him that it
is case proper to be considered by the en-
lightened part of mankind, let us see how in
truth it stands. Gentlemen who advocate
the case, which my honorable friend from
Georgia, with so much ability, sustains, de-
clare that we invade their rights, that we
deprive them of a participation in the enjoy
ment of Territories acquired by the common
service and common exertons of ALL Is this
true? How deprive? OF what do we de-
prive them? Why, they say we deprive
them of the privilege of carrying their slaves,
as slaves, into the new Territories Well,
sir, what is the amount Of that? They say
that in this way we deprive them of the op-
portunity of going to this acquired territory
with property-their property" What do
they mean by property y We certainly
do not deprive them of the privilege of going
into these newly acquired territories with all
that in the general estimate of human soci-
ETY., in the general, and common, and univer-
sal understanding of mankind, is esteemed
as property. Not at all The truth is just
this, they have, in their own States, peculiar
laws, which create property in persons. They
have system OF local legislation upon which
stacery stands, while everybody agrees that
it is against the natural law, or at least against
the common understanding which prevails
among men as to what is natural law.
| am not going into metaphysics, for there
in should encounter the honorable member
from South Carolina, (Mr. Calhoun) and we
should find mo end IN wandering mazes
lost" until after the time for the adjournment
of Congress. The Southern States have Pc
cuiiar laws, and by these laws there is prop
erty in slaves. This is purely local. The
real meaning then, Of Southern gentlemen,
IN making this complaint, is, that they cannot
60 into the Territories Of the United States,
carryiag with them their o,on peculiar local
tao--d lao Which creates property IN per-
sons. THIS, according to their onn state
ment, IS all the ground Of complaint they
haoe. Now, here, | think, gentlemen are
unjust toward us. How unjust they are,
others will Judge; gentlemen that will come
after US will judge. 1t will not be contend
ed that this sort of personal slavery exists by
general lac. 1t erists only By local lac.
do not mean to deny the validity Of that 10
cal law where it is established, but say it
| is, after all, a local lac. 1t is nothing more
And eheregsr that local lao does not ertead,
property in persons does not erist. Well,
Sir, what is now the demand on the part OF
our Southern friends? They say, we will
! carry our local laws with us wherever we go
insist that Congress does MS injustice un-
| less it establishes in the Territory in which
we wish to go, our own local law" This
demand |, for one resist, and shall resist
1t goes upon the idea that there is no equal
| ity, unless persons under this local law,
and holding this property by authority of
law, can go into new territory and there es-
tablish that local law to the exclusion of the
general lan ....
Mr.. President, it was a maxim of the civil
| law, that between Slavery and Freedom,
Freedom should always be presumed, and
Slavery must be proved. Slavery is an ex-
ception to the general rule. Such, Isuppose,
| IS the generaL iap Of mankind An individ-