The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1860-04-14
M BATES LITTER OF MISSOURI.

I
on the all-absorhing question Of the day,
/ slavery in the Territories. We repro
ducc them ms an item of general interest
to our readers Mr.. Bates says
! SLAVERY EXTENSION IN TIE TERrI
royfes.-On this subject. in the States
and in the Territories, | have no new
opinions opinions formed in relation
| to the present array of parties. am
coeval with the Missouri question Of
1919 90. having begun my political life
in the midst Of that struggle. At that
| time my position required me TO seek all
the means of knowledge within my reach
and TO study the principles involved
with all the powers of my mind, and
arrived at conclusions then which no
subsequent events had induced me to
| change.
! The existence Of negro slavery IN ouf
country had It's beginning IN the early
time OF the col ny, and was imposed by
the mother country, against the VIII Of
most of the colonsts At the time Of
the Revolution. aud long after, IT was
commonly regarded as an evil, Temporal
rs in it's nature, and likely TO disappear
in the course of time yet, while 1t con
tiuued "a misfortune TO the country, So
clally and politically. Thus was !!
Taught by those who made our Govern
mpnt. and neither the new light OF mod
crn civilization nor the discovery of a
new system Of constitutional law and
social philosophy has enabled me to de-
tcct the error of their teaching.
Slavery is social relation, dpmes-
tic institution Within the States, IT ox-
lists by the local law, and the Federal
Government has no control over II there.
The Territories, whether acquired by
conquest or pcacealle purchase, are sub
icci AID subordinate, not sovereign Ike
the states. The nation is supreme oFc.
them. aud the Nptional Government has
the power 10 permit or forbid slavery
within them
Entertaining these views, am oppos-
cd to the extension Of slavery, and. IN
my opinion, the spiri. and the policy Of
the Government ought to be against its
extension.
,. Dies ne Condifnion Garry Sldrsy
into he 7erriieries II answer no. The
not carry slavery into the Territories
With muah rlosc show OF reason may II
be- said tina, it carries slavery iato all
the States Hut II does not carry slave
~ anywhere 1t only acts upon II where
il finds it established hy the local law
In connection with this point | am ask
ed to state my views OF the Dred scot;
case. and what was really determined by
the Supreme Cour, in that case II is
MY opinion, carefully considered, that
the cour. determined one single point Of
law only that rs, that Scott, the plan
tif, being negro 81 African descent,
not necessarily /. slave, could not be =
citizen Of Missouri. and there could not
sac in the Federal Cour, and that for
this reason, and this alone. the Circuit
Court had no jurisdiction OF the cause
and no power TO give Judgment between
the parties The only Jurisdiction which
the supreme Court had OF the cause was
for the purpose Of correcting the error of
the Circuit Court IN assuming the power
to decide upon the merits Of the csse.
This power tn, Supreme Court did er-
crcisc by setting aside the inegmeat q
Circuit Court, upon the merits. and by
dsmissiuc the suit without any iudg
ment for or agaias, either party. This
il All I'm, thn Snurcpe Couft did and ali
:, ,t it had lawful power To do. | con
~. p il a or,,t unblic misfortune thai
-. al III. Learned Judges should
- u, ,uo.lt that their duty requ,sed
H., ~ 4, 7russ and civ. opinions upon
49, .,s outside oil the case A.
49, -. ,,'.. b.. .tr ally dispsscd of hy the
-, an -. Unions are ,xtra.in-
ri al ~, a,,, bor,ty Bnt besides
d.i. !, an,,.,rs ~ ma that several Of Tia.
,;,,,''.,, .ii.,.,,ss,, hy the Judges
''l;,,al ones,i,ns a I'd therefore be-
~. ,,,,,,.,,,,,.e 81 tho Judiciary,
; - ,',I,, T., ne c,,eia, ,gsl and dis.
'''' ~ n,l,,icsl ae.aartinonts
in ,bis and II sec, as to me
., '',' ~" Tn, IA ,nnst unf,, inmate.
p''''', VI; - I'D IN f, dangcrnp, con
"t ~ " 10, -. mo cr.,,lir ,e
branches of the Government
Mr. Bates. in the course Of ms letter
after expressing his qualification at re-
cciving the nomination. says:
First. the Opposition members Of the
Missouri Legislature declared 'as' P,e,