The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-01-06

sututonal law, SO manifestly Just in them
selves, and so well calculated to promot,
poaco and harmony among tho Statos. L
is o striking proof of tho sense of iustic,
which is inherent in our people, that tn,
property in slaves has novor boon disturbof
to my knowledge. in any of tho territories
Even throughout the late troubles in Kansa
thcro had not bcon any attempt, us | uu
credbly Informed, TO Interfere in a sinpl,
instance with the right of tho master. Ht
any ouch attempt bccu made, tho iudiciar,
would doubtless havo afforded an ami,
remedy. Should thoy fail to do this here
atter,lt will then DO time enough to strength
Oh their hands by further legislation. IIut
II boon decided that other Congress or til,
territorial legislature possess tho power t,
annui or impair tho right to property il
slaves, tho evil would DO intolerablo. Il
tho latter event, there would bc strngel
ior majority OF tho members of tho Leeis
laturo, at each successive election, aud til,
sacred rights Of property held under thu
federal constitution would depend for th,
timo being on tho result. The Agitation
would thus bo rendered inccssant whist tn,
territorial! condition remained, and its bano
tul influence would keep alive II dangcrou.
excitement among tho people of tho sovera
States
Thus has the status of territory during
tho intermediate period from its first settle
mont until it shall become State, boon
lrrevocably liked by the final decision OF the
Supreme Court. Fortunate has this been
for the prosperity of tho Territories. as W ell
rs tho tranquility OF tho States. Now emi.
grants from tho North and tho South. the
East and the West, will meet in the terrific.
nj n tla lao, 49,.
with them that species of property best
adapted, in their own opinion, to promote
their welfare. From natural causes slavery
will in each soon virtually scttlu itself, and
hctoro the territory is prepared for admission
as State into tho Union, this decision will
ono way or the Other. have boon u forgohe
conclusion. Meanwhile tho settlement of
tho now territory will proceed without ser-
Gus interruption, and its progress and pros.
perity will not DO endangered or retarded
by violent political struggles.
When in the progress of events the in
habitsnts of any Territory shall havo reached
tho number required to form u State. thoy
shall then proceed, in a regular manner. and
in the exercise of tho rights of popular SOW
creignty, to form Constitution preparatory
to admission into tho Union. Alter tbis
has boon done, TO employ the language of
the Kansas and Nebraska act. thcy Hshall
5o received into tho Union with or without
Slavery, as their constitution NAV prescribe
at the time of their admission" This sound
principle has happily been recognized. in
some form or other. by an almost unani.
nous vote of both Houses of the last Con.
gIess.
THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.
All lawful means at my command have
been employed. and shall continue to DO
employed, to execute the laws against the
African Slave trade. After most careful
and rigorous examination of our coasts and
IA thorough investigation of tho subject, we
have not boon able to discover that any
slaves have boon imported into the Untei
States except the cargo by tho Wanderer,
numbering betwoon threo and four hundred.
Those nngagnd in tho unlawful ENTERPRISE
have been vigorously prosecuted but not
with as much success as their crimes have
deserved: A number Of them arc still under
prosecution.
Our history proves that tho Fathers Of
tho Republic, in advance of all other nations.
condemned the African Slave trade. 1t was.
Notwithstanding. deemed expedieut by the
iramors of the Constitution to deprive Con-
gress OF the power to prohibit "the micra-
tion or importation of such persons as any
of tho States now existing shall think proper
to admit" "prior to the year one thousand
oight hundred and eight"
IL will be seen that this restriction on til O
powor OF Congress was cnnfuod to such
States only rs might think proper to admit
the importation of slaves. IL did not OK
tend to other States or to the trade carried
on abroad. Accordingly. wo nd that so
early as tho 22d March, 1894, Congress
passed an Act imposing severe penalties and
punshments upon citizens and residents of
the United States who should engage in this
trade between foreign nations. Tho pro.
visions Of this Act wcre extended and on
forced by tho Act of 10th May, 1900.
Again: The States themselves had clear
right to waivo the constitutional privilege
intended for thoir benefit, and to prohibit,
by their own laws, this trade, at any time they
thought proper previous to 1908. Several |
of them exercised this right before that
period, and among them some containing
the greatest number OF slaves. This gave
to Congress the immediate power to act in |
regard to all such States, because they
themselves had removed the constitutional |
barrier Congress accordingly passed an
Act on 2Sth February 1902, ito prevent the
importation of certain persons into certain
mission is prohibited. In this manner
tho importation OF African slaves iato the
United States was, to q great extent, pro.
EIbted some years in advance OF 1903.
As the year 1905 approached, Congress
determined not to suffer this trade to exist
oven for n single day after they had the
power to abolish it. On tho I'd of March,
1907, they passed an act to tako effect from
and after the lst of January, lS0S,' probb.
iting tho importation of African slaves into
the United States. This was followed by
subsequent acts of o similar character, to
which need not specially refer. Such wore
tho principles and such tho practice of our
ancestors more than fifty years ago in ro.
gard to the African Slave.trade.
lt did not occur TO tho rovered patriots
who had boon delegated to tho Convention,
and afterwards became members OF Con.
sress, that in passing these laws they had
violated the Constitution which they had
framed with so much care aud dcliberation.
They supposed that to prohibit Congress. in
express terms. from exercising q specified
power before an appointed day, necessarily
involved tho right TO exercise this power
'tter that day had arrived.
IT this were not tho case, tho trainers of
Tho Constitution had expended much labor
a vain. Had thoy imagined that Congress
would possess no pow to prohibit tho trade
either before or after 1908, they would not
lavo takcn SO much caro- TO protect tho
States against tho exercise of this power
before that period. Nay, moro, they would
not have attached such vast importance to