Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-01-06
PARIS, ME-. FRIDAY. JANUARY 6, 1860.

Thus has the stsius of a Territory. duIing
the intermediate period lrom Us fret settle
usnt until Il shall tecome a STATE. been IT,
tr,Ocahly hNed hy the fnal decision ~ the
supreme CURT Fufiunate has this been
tor the prosperity ol the Territories. as we'll
~ the trsnquiliiy of the States. Nov. ,Bi.
prauts from the Nouh abd the South. the
Est sod the Wrst. sill meet ~ ihr Tetrilo-
rvs ou a cummon platform, having htouehI
with them that species or property hes,
adapted. In their own ophion. To ptuhote
their Wrlatr. Fium natural causes the
question OF slavery will IN each ease. ,c"n
virtually settle iiseli and beforo the Terri.
tory j. prepared iur ndmisslun as State lnio
the Uuiun. this dcrisun. one ~sy ot the
o,h,r, rill have been q lorrgose conclusion.
MranNhile. the settlement ol the neN l,fri.
tory - 90 proceed Sithout serious lntrrTup-
iiun, and lls rf"gres- aud prosperity Sill
not be endangered 90 retarded by violent po-
litical struggles
Whsn IN the rrocrcs, of e,rn',. the In.
hahiants of tny trt,itury shall have reached
a.. number required o. form a State. they
viIl then proceed. ip . regular mauprI, and
in ihr exercise ~ he right Of popslat soye.
fristty, o. iuiIu a Constitution preparatory
To- admission into tho rpiln. After this ns
ieen drse. o. rmplo, The laugsaR" ui the
Kansas aud Nebraska act. they " shall De-
received uto ,hc Uniuu With Ot vittout
-assry. a. their cuDsutuiinn NAV yir.cthe
90 the time of their admission Ihi- .uund
prirciple has happily been recoan r-d. in
some form 20 ether. b, an almost unanimous
. vote oi both houses Ut the last Cungtvss.
. H.a.f..N
hsen em plovcl. and shall cluiipuc to BE- EN-.
/ pluyed. e. cNecut- the laws aga,ns, the Al.
rican slave trade After q mu.i caIrlal sud
I rigorous examination Of out cu,sis. aud a
/ thutouch Investigation ~ the subject. we
/ have not been able 20 discover ih,t 40,
slave. have hsen impaired iuio tho Culisd
States except the cargo by the Wand-rcr,
pumheiing hctsrn three and tour hundred
I lhose engaged in thi. uul,sfal entrtptse
/ have been vigorously prosecuted bat not
stih 80 much success a. their rtim~- have
tr.rrci 4 number ol them are .tlll under
prosecution
| Our history proves that the father. of the
rsGuhllc. In advance ol al oihrr nations
cIutcmned ih~ African slave tnir. 10 Wts.
notwithstanding. drcmci ,Nysdicni hy the
trainers ui tho Constitution O. deprive T. on.
rrr-- 1T the PnNrr tu prohibit " th" mi.ta-
. tiHD 10 Importation "i such persons - any ot
th" state, npW cA,,ing shall lbiuk pr'p-t to
admit prior iu the year one ihnu,aud ,ight
hundred ani eight"
. II will b. sen that ,hi, restriction On the
ruvrt Il Cungtr.. vas rrrhusi a. surh
States only ., mlgtt ih,uk ururrr io aimn
ihe importation ol slaves. II ti nlt ,ueni
. ;u other Slatss 90 g. tho tnde carried IN
abroad Accordingly. ~ hni that =, -.rly
as the - 81 Mach, 1874. Congrc-. p,.-ci
on act imppsip: severe penalties and punish
mrut, upnn citirsrs aut residents of the
United STATE, who should rngasc l0 thi,
indr hstween foreign nailno. The pro.
visions of this act we're extended aud IN.
forced b, the act Of thr lOrh 81 NAV. lsO0
again The Snir, ttrmsrisr, hal , clear
right w wais~ the constitutional pu'ilrgc
intended ~ their h'u.fi. aui 60 ~ ltihit.
hy their oSn lass. ili, trade a. soy time
. they tFuusht prupsi previous 60 lsOS Sr'
rral 1T them eNrrrl.sd thi. rigAi brllre that
period, and among them s,mr rnntaiuius the
greater number u' slh,rs. lhi- gave "a
Congress tbr imm.iiiis power 10 act N re.
gard ~ ~ .scb Slat... i.rcsu-r thrY them.
~"NNNN ANaN lfNNNNNN ANIF NNlNNNNNMNlNiAA - NNfT
Cuu-tr-. Arcori,ngIy rsss-d an act ~ the
2-th u' February. 1903. "iu prevent tho
iuplrthtion oi cr,taiu prfsnns inin crfipin
: ,trs where, by the law. thereof. their al.
m ..ion 0, plobhi,ei " IN thi. manner The
importation of African slave. iu,n ,he U.,t-d
States va-. O. great extent. prohibited
-uue wears in advance 90 I-OS
A. the wear lsOS approached Cunctrs,
determined not tu sut.t the trade g. eSl,i
even lor a single DAY after they hat the
I 3ussr 10 sboli.h " On the - ~ March.
1907. the, passed un act tu take effect "'rnm
aud after abe 1t day uf jauuaiy. loOs.
prohibiting the importation ol African slaves
into the Uuiled States Ttls was followed
by subsequent aeis of sin.lIr clnracter. To
~b.rh | u,ed not specially rcl,t Such
were the principles aud such lh- practice "i
our ancestors more than Gl, ,ears sgo 10
regard o. the Aiucan slave trade.
II did not occur o. The trysfrd patriot.
VINO had been delegates 10 the convention.
and ll'trSatds become members ~ Congress.
that IN passing these laW- they bad violated
tbr Cons.itutinn winch they had ipm,d with
. ruch care aud trilheutiun Itry sup.
posed that 10 prohibit Congress. H. ,Nprrs,
terms. from exercising specified prSrr be-
/. fute sn appointed day, necessarily involved
The rich, H. eNctcise Ihl, Powsr after that
day had arrived.
II this we're no, the ease the trainers OF
the Constitution had expended much Labor In
vain. Had they imagined that Cuncres,
Would.poss,ss 90 pn~er lo prohibit the trade
either belure or alter .-Os, they would not
have taken ~ mach care to project the States
against the exercise OF this poser before that
period. Nay more. they would 0ot have at
taohei such vast jmportince to this provision
az a. haze eXcludtd u lrom ihr 2o,sihiity of
iuiufe appeal 90 amendment tO WhlchsIher
poriion, oi the Constitution we're exposed.
Ii would. lheR. have becn wholly unnecessary
10 rngr.is on the fnh auiele oi the Cun'tltu-
ton. prescribing The mode 0i rs Own iuture
amendmeot, The ptosiso " that n0 amendment
Shich may he made prlor to the wear lists
snsl 10 no manner Affect the provision 10
The Constitution secuung e. the States lhe
right TO admit the importation VI African
slaves previous 10 that period.
According To the adverse construction the
clause Itse,!. on which 80 much cafc and
discussion bad been employed by thr m'n.
hers uf the cuuSentiun, Was an sb.oluie nut
lty ium the beginning. and all tha, has
since been done under u a mrfr usutpsliOn.
Il Vas we'll aud wise to cDuicr this poaef
on Congress. because, had II 3eeu leiI 10 the
States. IT. efficient exercise would have oeei
impossible IN that event an, one Stale
could have ,1ectlslly continued tie usde
not unly Tor iis,lf hut iuT all ihe other slave
/ Sistes. though neset - much against their
will And Whyi because African SLAVES,
when once brought within the limitsui any
one State. 10 serofdsnce with It's laws, eau
not practically be excluded irum any other
State where sla,er exists. And even II all
the States had separately passed laSs pro.