Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-12-28

States rights In order to maintain the
balance Of power, and denounoes invasions
Of any State ON no matter what pretoxt.--
Why did nes the Senator quote from the
speeches Of the President elect, when he
had declared over and over again that he
did not intend 10 or wish 10 interfere with
slavery In the States. Mr.. Doolittle then
read from Mr.. Lnooln's speeches where he
had declared he had no purpose directly or
indirectly 10 interfere with slavery In the
States. he believed be had no lawful right
to do so, nor had he any inclination to do
80.
Mr.. Nicholson said he had stated that the
Republican party had expressed dotermi-
nation 10 regard the rights Of Southern
men in the States, but he laid down a gem
ersl principle outside Of the State which
Il carried out would destroy their rights
in the States.
Mr. Dooliitle said be understood the
gentleman 20 say that he aPprehended the
Republican party would so increasein pow
or that at last it would amend the Gonsu-
tuition so as to destroy tho rights Of the
South and emsnoipate the slaves.
Mr. Nicholson said the policy and prin-
oiples Of the Republican party If carried
out would extingush slavery, and he had
expressed the apprehension thati if the pow
or Of the free States increased and they
intended to carry out their purpose itWould
lead to the ultimate extinction Of slavery.
Mr.. Doolittle said the Republican party,
as he understood IL stood TO protect and
maintain the rights Of the States to sll pow
ers not expressly delegated. Il was fun
demental with them to maintain the soyer-
eighty Of the several States and the right
10 control all domestic institutions. He
would undertake to say that no Republican
expressed the desire or wish that the gem
eral government has power 70 interfere
with slavery in the States.
he knew there was q book published by
an individual named Spooner that took
ground that the Constitution itself abolish
ed slavery, but it found no supporters Of
any weight. It was precisely like that
other fanatical idea that the Constitution
Of its own force establishes slavery any
where on the earth.
Mr.. Clingman said he had seen il pub
lished, that the Senator from New York,
Mr.. Seward, had recommended the book, and
did the Senator from Wisconsin mean that
this was forgery, or did he pean the Sena-
tor from New York had no Weight2
MIR. Doolittle said the Senator from Mis-
sissippi, (Mr. Brown recommended, he be-
ieved, that the author was q man Of sound
sense, but what he (Mr. D. said was that
the idea that the Constitution establishes or
sbolishes slavery, had no shadow Of found
alton. The Constitution was formed by
men who knew the meaning Of words they
employed. They recognised the right Of
slaveholding States to persons held to ser
vice and made it the duty Of free States to
deliver up such persons but left each State
perfectly sovereign over its own laws. The
law Of the slave States makes slaves prop
erty. The law Of the free States does not
make them property. The Constitution does
neither. With the idea that the Constitution
establishes slavery, We cannot have peace
on the slavery question, and we may as
well know it first as at last The people
Of the United States will never consent
that the Constitution be so altered as to be-
come by its own force a slavery extending
Constitution, but they do not put q con-
struction upon it which will make it abol-
ish slavery in any State or Territory. We
simply ask let the Constitution stand as our
fathers made,it neither affirming or deny
ing. Then we can have peace.
He read again from Mr.. Lincoln speeches
to show that be had no desire to infringe
on the rights Of the States. He said he de-
sired to SPEAK on what was alleged to
be the causes of the existing agitation
One was introduced by the Senator from
Kentucky, which he very much regretted "a
see brought up. 1t was only recently that
he had heard Of it in connection with this
controversy. 1t is thought that some Of
the non-slayeholding States refuse TO sur
render criminals. He said that it had been
generally admitted as q rule that if crime
committed was q crime within the law Of
the State to which the criminal fed, then
1zrurrur 90 cIrercrocrj
He cited case of Virginia refusing to de-
liver seme negroes at an early day in the
the history Of the country, and the. case OF
the Governor of Kentucky.
He said lsy aside the excitement on the
negro question and he did not think ten
men on this floor would advocate the doc
trine that State could, by its own law,
make what it comedies to be crime and
can by its indictment establish if necessa-
ry, the evidence Of guilt as well as Of es-
cape. The Honorable Senator from Ken
tuoky said it was snnyoing he knew il
was annoying to have negroes kidnapped
from Ohio and Indiana, and annoying to
the slaveholders that their slaves may be
enticed TO run away, but there was higher
principle involved.
Another cause of the trouble Was said to
be the non-renditiOn of fugitive slaves.
He admitted the validity Of the clause in
the Constitution requiring rendition. He
admitted that that was one Of the clauses
in the Constitution that he had sworn to
support, but he must say questions had
arisen as 10 the construction of this clause
He believed that the Constitution should be
strictly construed, and he thought it the
duty Of the States to make provision to
faithfully carry into effect this clause Of
the Constitution, but he admitted with
equal frankness that he agreed with a ma
jority of the people of the United States,
that Congress possesses the power to legis-
late to carry this into effect He said Mr..
Lincoln was in favor Of giving the South
the Fugitive Slave law, and read sreeches
TO support the assertion. The South COM
plains that they lose great deal by fngi-
tives and few are reclaimed. This arises
from the fact that they possess & species of
property with q will OF its own, and de-
sire Of its own to get away. This is no
fault Of ours, and the North is not respon-
! sible for that.
The Senator from Virginia (Mr Mason,
holds that few years ago Virginia lost
annually 500 900, and he believed she
| lost the same now. He would concede that
for sthe sake Of argument. Virginia had
about 100000 slaves worth about $500 at
least before the panic, making 100000, 900.
The loss of S100 900 is only lao Of one per
cent, or about Of a mill on the dollar
This is less than the risk incurred in any
other species Of property in the United
States. Suppose the people of the border
States resolve themselves into an insurance
company; how small would be the premium