Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-07-19
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then determined that no Slavery should exist
In this Territory ] gather now os "a matter
Of inference, from the history 81 the ume
ana the history OF the debates, that the pre-
vailing motives with the North Tor agreeing
to this recognition OF the existence OF Sla-
very in Southern States, and giving ref.
resenittion to those States founded in part
upon their slaves, rested on the suPposition
that no acquisition Of territory would be
made to form new States on the Southern
frontier OF this country. either by cess'on or
conquest. No one looked to any acquisition
OF new territory on the Southern or South
Western frontier. The exclusion OF Sla-
very from the North Western 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
Slavery existed il SHOULD not be interfered
with, and that II should have certain ratio
of represeu atun 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, conceded point, that
Slavery in the States in which ii exists is
matter of State regulation exclusively, and
that Congress has not the least power over
! 7 or the right to interfere with IT, BY this
principle, too, mean to abide.
have now stated, as l understand it, the
condition OF, things upon the adoption Of the
Constitution Of the United States. What
has happened since! Sir, It has happened
that above and beyond all contemplation or
expectation Of the original trainers Of the
Constitution or the people who adopted 1t,
foreign 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 slsveaolding States
have been created and added to the Union,
bringing ten Senators into this body, q in
ciude Texas, which consider in the light
OF foreign acquisition also,) and up to This
hour in which address you not one Tree
State has been admitted to the Union from
all this acquired territory!
MIR, Bernen I'm his seat-fes, Iowa.
Iowa is not yet IN the Union. Her Sen.
ators are not here. when she comes In
there will be one to hve, one free State 10
five slave States, formed out OF new terrific
ries. NOW It seems strange 10 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 present the matter in that light
in which am willing as an individual men,
Der Of Congress, to be judged BY civilized
humanity. We stand here Low, at least
do, for ore, to say that considering five new
'slaveholding States have already been
framed out OF newly acquired territory and
only one noh-slaveholding State' at most
do not feel that am called on to go further
do not feel the obligation to yield more.
But our friends OF the South say: You
r deprive US of all our rights we have fought
for this terrl}ory, and yoc deny US pariiclpa'
ton in it. Let Us CONSIDER the question as
il really is; and since the honorable gentle
mpn from Georgia proposes to leave the
caseilo the enlightened and impartial Judg-
ment of mankind, ard as agree with him
that it is a case proper to be considered BY
the enlightened part Of mankind, let us see
how the matter in truth stands. Gentlemen
who advocate the case which my honorable
, friend from Georgia with so much abiit!
sustains, declare that We invade their rights
that we deprive them of, a participation il
the enjoyment of territories acquired by th'
common service and common exertions o
, ALL is this true! How deprive! OF wha
do we deprive theml Why, they say WI
Deprive them OF the privilege OF carrying
, their slaves, as slaves, into the new terri
\ tories. Well, sir, what is the amount o
that! They say that in this way we deprlv
them of the opportunity Of going into thi
+, aquired terri ory with their properly-thel
property" What do they mean by prop
= erty!" We certainly do not deprive ,heI
= of the privilege OF going into these newl
+ acquired territories with all that which tn
general estimate of human society, in tn
general,and common and universal undel
stsnding Of mankind. Is esteemed property
! Not at |. The truth is JUST this: they hav
In their own State peculiar laws, whic
. create property in persons. They have
e system of local legis lation upon which Slt
very exists, while everybody agrees that
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