The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-06-08

slavery 10 the Federal Terri,ories.-l
(Cheers.) Thus the twen,y.one acted
and actions speak louder than words, so
actions under such responsibility speak
still louder. Two Of the twenty three
voted against the Congressional prohibi.
tion OF Slavery in the Federal Territories,
in the instances in which they acted upon
the question. But for what reason they
so voted is not known. They may have
done SO because they thought proper
division Of local from Federal authority,
or some provision or principle OF the Con.
sitution, stood in the way or they may,
without any such question, have voted
against The prohibition, on what appeared
10 them 10 be sufficient grounds Of ex.
pediency.
No one who has sworn to support the
Constitution can conscientiously vote for
what be understands to be eD uDconstitu.
tional measure, however expedient be may
think il; but one may and ought to voto
against o measure which no deems con-
stitutionni, II, at the same time he deems u
iuexpodient. It,theroforo, would be unsafe
the prohibition, as having done so because,
IN their understanding q proper division
Of local from Federal authority, or any.
thing in the Constitution, forbade the Fed
eral Government TO control a. to Slavery 10
Federal Territory. QLaughtor and pro.
logged applauso) The remaining sixteen
Of tho "tbirty nine" 90 far as have discov-
orod, have left no record of their under
standing upon the direct question Of Fed.
eral control OF Slavery in the Federal Ter.
ritories
But there is much reason TO believe that
their understanding upon that question wo'd
not have appeared different from that of
their twenty-three comDeers, had il been
manifested at all. For tho purpose of ad.
herring rigidlv to the tcxt, have purposely
omitted vhatovor understanding may have
bcen manifested by any person however dis.
tingushed, other than the thirty nine Ga
theirs who framed the original Cons stitution;
and for the same reason, have also omit
ted whatever understanding may have been
manifested by any of the "thirty nine" even
on any other phase Of the general question
Of Slavery. If We should look into their
acts and declarations on those other phases,
ae the foreign slave trade and tho morality
and policy of slavery generally, it would ap-
pear to us that on the direct question o:
fodcral control of Slavery in the Federal
Territories, the sixteen, If they had acted at
all, would probably have acted just rs the
twenty.three Gid.
Among the sixteen were several of the
most noted antislavery mon of those times,
as DR.. Franklin, (checrs) Alexander Ham
ilton and Gouverneur Moris-while there
was not ono nov kncwn to have been other
| mi ,nlo 10 ~. -, III
Of South Carolina. (Applause.) The sum
of the whole is, that of our s'tbirty nine" ia
theirs who framed the original Constitution,
twenty .one--a clear majority OF the whole
certainly understood that no proper divis.
ion Of local from federal authority, nor any
part Of the Constitution, forbade the Fed
oral Government to control Slavery iu the
Federal Territories, while all the res {, prob
ably had the Same understanding. Such,
uDquestionably, was tho understanding of
our fathers who framed the original Con.
stitution. and the text affrms that they IN.
derstood the question better than wo.-
Laughter and cheers
But, so far have been considering the
understanding of the question manifested
by tbe trainers of tho original Constitution.
In and by the origipa, instrument mode
was provided for amending IL; and, ss have
already stated, the present form of govern.
ment under which we live consists Of that
original and twelve amendaiory articles
framed and adopted since. Those who now
insist thas federal control of Slavery in Fed
eral Territories violates the Constitution,
point US to the provisions which they sup
pose It thus violates; and. as understand,
they all ix upon provisions in these amend
atory articles, and not In the original ins,ru-
ment.
Tho Supreme Court, in the Drcd Scott
case, plant themselves upon the fi:th amend
mont which provides that mo person shall
be deprived of property without due process
of law while Douglas and bis peculiar ad
herents plant themselves upon the tenth
amendment, providing that "the powers no,
granted BY tho Constitution are reserved t6
the States respectively, and to tho people.
Nov, il 60 happens that these amondmenti
were framed by the fret Congress which sal
under the Constitution-the identical Con.
gress which passed the act already mon
toned. enforcing the prohibition of Slavery
in the Northwestern Territory. Applause.
Not only was IL the same Congress, but they
were tho identical, same individual men
\ who, ut the same session. at the same time
! within the session. had under consideration,
and In progress toward maturity, these Con-
s,itutional amendments, and this act probib.
i,ing slavery In oil the Territory the Nation
then owned.
The Constitutional amendments wero In
troduccd before, and passed sfter the act oi
enforcing tho Ordinance of 'S7; so that du.
ring the whole psndency Of tho act to en-.
force tho Ordnance, the constitutional
amendments we're also pending. That Con.
gress, consisting in all of seventy-six MON.
bers, including sixteen of the trainers of the
original Constitution, as before stated, were
pre- emiuently our fathers who framed that
part of the government under which We live
which 10 nov claimed As forbidding the Fed
I oral Government 20 control slavery in the
Federal Territories. Is 1t not little pre-,
sumptuous In any one st this day, TO af.
firm th u the two things which that Con.
gress deliberately framod aud carried TO ma
turity, at the same time, are absolutely in.
consistent with each other?
And does not such affirmation become i'm.
pudently absurd when coupled with the
other affirmation. from the same mouth
that those who did tho two things ALLEGED
TO be inconsistent understood whe ther the,
really we're inconsistent, better than we;bette
than he who affirms that they are incousist
enti (Applause and great merrimeDt.) l
10 surely safe to assume that the @thirty
nine" franiers Of the original Constitution
and the seventy-six member Of tho Con